Twenty-five years ago, FamilySearch launched and changed the world of online genealogy forever. The quickly growing website replaced hours of squinting at microfilm with simple clicks on a web page, making records more easily available than ever. Two years later, the Ellis Island website (now The Statue of Liberty – The Ellis Island Foundation) brought New York passenger lists online as well.
Both sites are once again on this year’s list of the 101 Best Genealogy Websites, although much has changed. FamilySearch’s collection has grown to include many records that you once had to visit the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch Center to see. And the Ellis Island database has grown from strictly covering 1892 through 1924—the peak years of immigration at that station—to some 65 million New York arrival records spanning 1820 to 1957.
Moreover, this year’s 101 collection feels a bit like Back to the Future (which celebrates its own milestone anniversary next year). As happened years ago, an unprecedented batch of new and returning sites pushes some old favorites off the list—much as FamilySearch and Ellis Island elbowed into the honors years ago. A total of 19 sites (marked with an asterisk *) are included here that weren’t listed last year.
To make room, some sites not strictly devoted to genealogy, like the nonetheless-useful Internet Archive and ArchiveGrid, hit the cutting-room floor. Other sites, though still worth a visit, simply don’t measure up to this years’ new and improved candidates. And, as in previous years, we’ve separated out 75 standout websites for US research in the sidebar on pages 24 and 25.
As usual, these sites are mostly free unless otherwise noted with a dollar sign ($). Those premium sites require a subscription or other payment to really get the most value from their content.
As you peruse this year’s 101 honorees, you might be tempted to quote Doc Brown: “It works! I finally invent something that works!” Buckle up, push the speedometer to 88 mph, and come with us “back to the future” of online genealogy. There may not be roads. (“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”) But we’ve got 101 great destinations.
Download this year’s 101 Best Websites as a free PDF.
