One
of the first resources, beyond that of family members, pictures, and documents,
which we all use when we begin our genealogical journey consists of numerous
memberships to various websites. Websites like Ancestry.com are great resources
and powerful tools to build the basic framework of your family tree but they
are by no means the only resource out there and, in fact, there will be
numerous holes still remaining once those databases are exhausted. Where the
real work begins is when there are still questions to be answered. This is when
the local and offline digging begins.
Too
often, local resources are overlooked in recreating the lives of ancestors. It
may seem obvious to many of us that have been researching for years but these museums,
schools, societies, groups, associations, libraries, and local records offices
are frequently forgotten by many. It is a sad reality of the current state of
genealogical research as most people starting out and many that have been working
on their families for some time often fall into the trap of marketing and
instant gratification. This is particularly astounding when you consider the
fact that these local resources were once the foundation of countless family
histories.
And
I must admit that there are many times when I too have overlooked these
tremendous resources. Sometimes the most obvious places are overlooked,
sometimes they are places that we frequent every week or every month. A great
example of this is my local masonic lodge where I have access to all of the
records. Knowing that my family has at least a little history with this
building and fraternity has made it possible to find some supplementary information
that added to the lives of many in my tree. Taking the search to grand lodge
widened that group of ancestors even further.
When
my family and I traveled to Virginia last summer some of the stops we made we to
these local places unavailable online. And, of course, sometime just being in
the places, the communities, where my family lived proved valuable to offer
perspective to the stories that have been passed down and in adding dimension
to the lives of ancestors. Sometimes local depositories are also the only place
where the information will be found as has been the case for me with some of
the cemetery records near me.
The other
important factor is that sometimes when I business closes or moves out of the
area, much of the company history is left with the local government, library,
or historical society. If you know that an ancestor spent their life working for
that company it is certainly worth the time to talk to those local resources.
However, the most important aspects to all of this are the simple truths that
local resources have local experts who are usually willing to assist you with
your research without the exorbitant costs that can sometimes be charged by
general sites and/or firms and this research can serve to strengthen your ties
with that community whether or not it is the place you call home. After all,
those communities are also part of your family history.
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