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Strategy: Church RecordsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.12.25 Church Records Church records are a valuable resource for genealogists, often containing information that predates civil registration systems. These documents, which were maintained by religious institutions, can provide details about baptisms, marriages, and burials, offering crucial insights for tracing family lines. Church archives hold important data, sometimes extending back centuries. This article explores lesser-known strategies for using church records to advance your genealogical research. 1. Understanding the Scope and Value of Church Records Church records often go beyond basic vital statistics, reflecting the spiritual and social lives of communities. Key types of […]

Strategy: Local Town MeetingsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.12.18 Exploring Local Town Meetings Local town meeting records are a goldmine of lesser-known information. These documents provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of past community members, shedding light on their personal affairs, land ownership, civic responsibilities, and social status. Here are some tips on how to leverage these records in your genealogy research. The Value of Local Town Meeting Records Local town meetings were the lifeblood of many communities in earlier centuries, particularly in colonial America and the early United States. These meetings functioned as forums where residents gathered to […]

Strategy: Public Health Department RecordsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.12.11 Public Health Department Records Local health departments are a treasure trove of historical data often overlooked by family historians. These agencies kept meticulous records of contagious diseases, vaccinations, and public health campaigns, many of which contain personal details about individuals. Exploring these records can reveal valuable insights into your ancestors’ lives, health conditions, and the broader societal challenges they faced. Here are some lesser-known strategies for using local health department records to enhance your genealogy research: 1. Understanding Contagious Disease Records During the 19th and early 20th centuries, outbreaks of […]

Strategy: Landlord-Tenant AgreementsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.12.04 Exploring Landlord-Tenant Agreements Most individuals are familiar with searching through birth certificates, census records, and family trees when researching their Family History. However, an often overlooked resource is landlord-tenant agreements. While many genealogists focus on land ownership and property deeds, those who rented land rather than owning it can still leave a rich trail of historical records. Lease agreements, especially from the 17th to early 20th centuries, can offer clues about where an ancestor lived, their economic status, family relationships, and even legal disputes. Here’s how to use landlord-tenant agreements in your […]

Strategy: Cemetery Plot Purchase RecordsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.11.27 Cemetery Plot Purchase Records One lesser-known but surprisingly valuable strategy in genealogical research is investigating cemetery plot purchase records. Many genealogists focus on obituaries, headstone inscriptions, and cemetery indexes to find information about ancestors, but plot purchase records can reveal insights not typically found in other sources. These records are specific to the purchase transaction and often contain details about the buyer, purchase dates, and even information about other family members. The following can enhance your research and help you uncover hidden family connections and histories. 1. Understanding Cemetery Plot […]

Strategy: Old Phone BooksBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.11.20 Old Phone Books Using old phone books in genealogy research is a creative and often overlooked strategy that can reveal a wealth of information about ancestors. They can indicate where ancestors lived, their occupations, and possible family and business connections. Here’s how phone books can help paint a richer picture of your ancestors’ lives and some strategies for effectively using them in your research. 1. Locating Ancestors Phone books can be useful when tracing your ancestor’s location, especially if they moved frequently or were in urban areas where directories were regularly […]

Strategy: Newspaper Shipping ReportsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.11.13 Newspaper Shipping Reports Common go-to documents, such as census records, marriage licenses, and birth and death certificates sometimes offer limited insight into specific aspects of your ancestors’ lives, such as their travels, occupations, and/or migration patterns. For those seeking more in-depth details, newspaper shipping reports of incoming and outgoing ships provide an often-overlooked source of information, especially if your ancestor traveled for business, migrated to a new country, or was involved in shipping or maritime industries. The following is a guide to understanding and using shipping reports to increase your genealogical […]

Strategy: Using Historical MapsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.11.06 Using Historical Maps to Track Land Ownership and Boundary Changes Researchers often face challenges when tracing their ancestors’ footsteps through property records, especially when boundaries and place names have shifted over time. A lesser-known but powerful strategy to overcome these obstacles is comparing historical maps with modern ones. By using maps, genealogists can track how land ownership and town boundaries have evolved, allowing them to pinpoint where their ancestors lived, even when official records are scarce. Here’s how to make the most of historical maps in your efforts. 1. Start with […]

Strategy: Using DNA TestingBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.10.30 Genealogy Research Through DNA Testing Genealogy research has become more advanced with the rise of DNA testing, offering unique insights into family connections and historical roots. However, many people overlook techniques that can optimize their use of DNA data. Here, we’ll explore strategies that go beyond basic ancestry tracking: using 1) DNA matches, 2) shared ancestor hints, 3) chromosome browsers, and 4) genetic trees. These can help uncover distant cousins and hidden family connections that could lead to valuable information, family stories, or even missing documents. 1. Leveraging DNA Matches to […]

Strategy: Passport Renewal ApplicationsBy Dale E. Lee and AI2024.10.23 Exploring Passport Renewal Applications In family history, it’s common to rely on census records, birth certificates, and immigration documents to track ancestors’ movements and life events. However, lesser-known records like passport renewal applications can provide surprising detail. If an ancestor traveled abroad more than once, they may have applied to renew their passport—a process that often reveals updated information about their residence, occupation, and intentions at the time. Passport renewal applications can be an invaluable resource for piecing together the lives of traveling ancestors, offering insights into where they lived, what […]