Genealogy Websites - Some of the Best
Heritage Faire 2016
by Marti Roe
Top Genealogy Websites for 2015 published by Genealogy in Time Magazine.
To view their list www.genealogyintime.com - click on ‘articles’ & scroll down
Here are some of my other favorites:
Google (can find most anything - if you enter the right search words and search operators)
www.findagrave.com
(Search 138 million records)
www.billiongraves.com
(Goal is to preserve precious records found in cemeteries throughout the world.)
http://deathindexes.com/
(Links to online state death indexes)
http://www.newspaperobituaries.net/index.html
(4 6,000 online obituary & death record indexes)
http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org (Ellis Island record search: From 1892 thru1924 - 22 million people came through
Ellis Islan d and the Port of NY - search passenger lists or ships)
immigrantships.net
(Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guide - search by ship name, immigrant name, by port of entry, etc)
http://www.theshipslist.com
(Search passenger lists, ship histories/pictures & more)
https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration
Click on “Links to Immigration Resources” a lot of information
http://militaryindexes.com/
(Links to online wars from 1812 - Vietnam)
Native American
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/
(One of the best Native American genealogy sites & misc. sites)
http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/indices/NAgenealogy.html (Index to Native American Genealogy Rescources)
http://www.narf.org/nill/resources/roots.htm
(National Indian Law Library)
http://www.genealogybranches.com/nativeamericans.html
(Links to Dawes rolls and individual tribes)
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov
(General Land Office-BLM - has over 9 million land records going back to late 1700's.
Search by record type, location or name. Includes map, description more - can also be used with Google Earth)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
(Where to write for U.S.Vital records - can be printed as a PDF)
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/home.html
(Misc. Illinois databases including military, marriage, death, probate and more)
http://genealogy.az.gov/
(Arizona birth {75 yrs ag} and death records {50 years ago} PDF copies)
http://www.genealogybranches.com/
(Misc. links to all kinds of genealogy sources and info. Maybe something for you)
Tip:
Most State Historical Societies and State Archives have online genealogy databases and should always be
searched - as well as county genealogy and historical societies - google name of area
http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/state-archives.html (Links to State archives with contact information)
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
(1836-1922 searchable U.S. Newspapers - by state, subject, or by individual
newspaper - Excellent website - and FREE)
(Google has links to states that have online historic newspapers)
https://sites.google.com/site/onlinenewspapersite/
For Fun:
http://deadfred.com/
( Lots of searchable identified/unidentified photos)
www.ghosttowns.com
(Great music & interesting tidbits on U.S. & Canada ghost towns)
http://blacksheepancestors.com/
(List of the notorious, prison records, court records and more)
http://ourtimelines.com/
(Fun & interesting site - make your own historical or ancestor timeline)
http://funstuffforgenealogists.com/
(Commercial site for genealogy products-mugs, bags, maps, etc)
www.50states.com
(States & capitols, governors, state history, flags, facts & more)
http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie2.html
(Excellent! -Ten minute movie which illustrates growth of US from 1789)
us-census.org/states/map.htm
(1790-1920 state maps that show counties as U.S. grew)
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Old Faithfuls:
genealogytrails.com usgenweb.com
worldgenweb.org
cyndislist.com
familysearch.org
Ancestry.com ($fee)
http://rootsweb.ancestry.com
There are lots of online digitized books - familysearch.org has a great collection that are downloadable, printable & free.
Open up familysearch.org - click on ‘books’ and have fun.
Don’t forget to google - google - google.
Don’t forget to join a mailing list - post queries on message boards by surname or locality
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http://www.glorecords.blm.gov
Search
Search by surname in any state or county
Sarah Martineau received title to 320 acres on 2/14/1917 Twp 17S- R19E Section 9 - Cochise Co. To locate on
map on this site - click on Accession number. (also after opening up accession number-click on ‘related documents’
tab (not shown) will give a listing of others who have property in the same area. (neighbors)
After clicking on Accession number, scroll down to ‘map’ - check box -scroll with mouse to enlarge or
reduce size of map. It will take you to the location of Section 9 in Township 17S-R19E
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http://usgenweb.org
map
xxx
Keeping Internet Genealogy Free
OR
(Note: Some state and county websites are better than others)
*** “Researchers Tab” - there is a lot of useful information and links including:
*Getting Started
*Finding Names
Finding maiden names can sometimes be a problem
and family histories often use nicknames. The
English had certain patterns that were used to name
sons and daughters.
*Seventeen Ways to Find a Maiden Name
* Given Names & Nicknames
* Naming Patterns in England, 1700-1875
* Czech (Bohemian and Moravian)
*How to Write and Use Queries
*Old Occupations Explained
*Immigration and Passenger Lists
*Care of Old Documents
*Geographical Info, Maps & More
*Photographic Preservation
*Land Patent Records
*Calendar Information and Date Formats
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»
Free Forms
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i Find a county or town
Since Ancestry took over RootsWeb, some
links do not work or have not been updated.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project (Family Trees)
Tip:
Don’t fill out
all the blanks as
the index may
not have all
that information.
Sometimes
‘less’ is better.
One or two boxes
at a time.
Names: 786,180,376 Surnames: 6,311,071 Databases: 444,571
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www.cyndislist.com
Search
Box
K138 Links pertaining to Acadian- last update
November 2015
KLookups & free searches by volunteers click on “L” or type “Lookups” in searchbox
KNative American - click on “N” or
type Native American in ‘search box”
States are listed
under United States
What exactly is Cyndi's List?
A categorized & cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on
the Internet.
A list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.
A free jumping-off point for you to use in your online research.
A "card catalog" to the genealogical collection in the immense library
that is the Internet.
Your genealogical research portal onto the Internet.
Since 1996, Cyndi Howells has single handily amassed a
mammoth collection of genealogical links and is available
online for use by anyone, anywhere, with no fee or
subscription. It is called CyndisList with nearly 334,000
categorized links to every conceivable topic any researcher
would be interested in, the site continues to provide an
essential source for locating what information is out on the
World Wide Web. - 207 categories
The site is an index of categorized and cross-referenced
resources, which are all found on the Internet.
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