Genealogy

Exploring history one name at a time

America has long been considered “the great melting pot,” and it’s true that our ancestry is so complex and complicated that many Americans don’t know the full story of their heritage. Genealogy and the art of genealogy research is a booming industry as baby boomers take up the hobby. There are numerous genealogy books and genealogy resources available to the amateur researcher. All that’s required is an interest in the story of your family and a willingness to do some homework among records and archives. This guide will give you some helpful tips and a general overview of genealogy research and get you started on the road to becoming a genealogy expert.

Genealogy Books

One of the most important resources for an amateur attempting genealogy research for the first time is genealogy books. These publications, usually compiled by professional researchers and historians, offer tantalizing tips as well as in-depth reviews of archives, the methods for searching them and other secrets of genealogy. The expert insight can reveal tricks and problems you might not have thought of when you began your foray into genealogy.

Online Resources

Another important tool in genealogy research is online resources. These databases can range from the pay-for-results type, such as ancestry.com, to the compilation of databases and library collections across the country. Sometimes the trail of your genealogy research can lead to surprising places as databases link from one to the other.

Church Records

Don’t overlook church records in your genealogy research, either. Marriages, births, baptisms and deaths are often recorded and kept in perpetuity in the archives of churches. If your family has a long history of attending the same church, this is an excellent place to start. Mormons, in particular, have extensive records in their church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and may include non-Mormon family records for those unaffiliated with the church.

Government Documentation

Finally, no other genealogy resource compares with state and federal documentation. Tax records, birth certificates and death certificates indicate the various forks and bends in your family tree and may yield surprising results. Contacting, or better yet, visiting state capitals and their archives is often the best way to start genealogy research or to finish up your genealogy quest. It is best to contact the state archivist before beginning your search, as their expertise can point you in the right direction.