Amazed by what’s online

Family Searcher
By Nina Brawn

    If you are overwhelmed at the thought of trying to find records on the Internet, the latest issue of Family Tree magazine will help you. Most of the issue is devoted to an in-depth look at the top eight websites. Can a magazine really help you understand how to search a website? The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

    The section on Ancestry.com stretches over five pages! Each website’s section explains the focus of the site, lists some of the major collections, and illustrates a search screen. The article explains how to conduct a basic search, some of the ways to change your search to pull out more or better information, and how to avoid common mistakes. There is also a box for each site describing the statistics for the site; for example, Ancestry has 12 billion records and adds an average of 2 million new records every day!
    The other websites this issue covers are Archives.com, Archives.gov, FamilySearch.org, FindMyPast.com, Fold3, the Library of Congress (loc.gov), and MyHertage.com. One of the unusual features of this issue is coverage of 40 “unofficial” genealogy websites, such as blogs, and Facebook and Pinterest personal “sites” whose owners have expertise to share.
    The issue also has great coverage of online books, newspapers and library sources. Overall, if you have been thinking about online searching, but not really gotten your feet wet, I highly recommend that you track down this issue, in print or as a download.
    Of course, as much as I love and continue to be amazed by what’s online, I acknowledge that there is still so much that makes a trip to “the old hometown” a worthwhile adventure for the genealogist who loves the stories behind the facts. I have been swapping genealogy favors with a man from Maryland, which seems odd, because to my knowledge I had no ancestors in Maryland. However, through the Internet, I found that the 1836 account book of Massachusetts chairmaker, Josiah Briggs had ended up at the Winterthur Garden and Library in Baltimore.
    The gentleman I was trying to help wanted information about his Dover and Sangerville Kinney family, and I wanted to learn if that old account book might belong to my long-ago ancestor. I learned from the 1850 census that my Josiah was a chairmaker, and the connection to the book seems strong, but not strong enough to finance a trip to Maryland!
    Being able to swap favors really worked well for both of us, and it’s another case of genealogical serendipity that we “ran into” each other. So, I am exploring his hometown for him, while he is doing the same for me in Maryland. Not only will I learn something I would otherwise never have known about my Josiah, but also in exploring for him, I have found out little bits and pieces of Fred’s local ancestors’ stories that I probably wouldn’t have thought to look for.
    In our libraries and historical societies, Registries of Deeds and Probate, we have a wealth of untold stories just waiting for the lucky explorer to tap. Time to go find yours.
    Nina G. Brawn has lived in the Dover-Foxcroft area for over 50 years and currently lives there with her husband Fred. Nina was the last of 10 children, has three children of her own and nine grandchildren. She can be reached online at ninagbrawn@gmail.com.