Brief refresher of online genealogy resources

A recent article on TribStar.com, "Genealogy: Internet handy for genealogy research," by Tamie Dehler, provides a nice little refresher on some very useful, free online genealogy resources, with some emphasis on land records, but touching on vital records, as well.

Researching the history of your house

An article this week in The Independent, "The history of your house: Properties with pedigree," explores the benefits of compiling a house history. "Whether you live in a Georgian townhouse, a rambling country pile or a simple city flat, your home may tell a fascinating story." The article suggests such a history may make the perfect gift for someone you care about. 

I have long been interested in attempting a house history of a home I lived in as a child, an old brownstone duplex owned by my grandparents, an inquiry, I think, that could provide me with some important dates. I expect the research to be a challenge as the home has since been torn down and replaced by a college complex. As the article says, "be prepared to spend hours trawling through old records, books and websites." And even if the home is not one you've grown up in, but recently acquired, the history of an older home can be enchanting at best but, like all genealogy, be prepared for some surprises.

GLO "not the only game in town"

A recent article by Kimberly Powell on About.com, "Locating Historical U. S. Deeds Online," reminds us the General Land Office (GLO) records is a great resource for finding ancestors in thirty federal or public land states. She also makes the point "the GLO is not the only game in town. Many U. S. counties in the eastern part of the country have started putting their historical deed records online." The article suggests ways of locating these online county deed records.

Early Kentucky research

The Wilderness Trail was generally conceded to be the roughest, most disagreeable road on the continent. "The earliest newcomers had to literally clear a trail as they traveled with all their worldly goods, their children, and their hopes for the new frontier," according to Judy Rosella Edwards in her article, "And he knew Daniel Boone . . ." The article reviews the distribution of Kentucky land and suggests available resources.

Land Records, an often underappreciated resource

Land records can contain extremely valuable information for family history researchers, but may be intimidating for new researchers and avoided by even those who are more seasoned. But researchers, take heart -- it's worth the effort. In her article "Land and Property Search Jargon: How to Know What They’re Talking About," Melissa Slate gives not only gives us some useful terminology to be mindful of in searching land records, but explains how certain transaction types can signal important relationships.

The Key to Understanding Land Records

Melissa Slate contributed the article, "The Headright Land System of Virginia", highlighting that the study of land records can bring us many important clues into the study of our past.