Cyberspace: Window to the Past

Cyberspace: Window to the Past
By Donna Murray

Personal computers revolutionized the way genealogists compiled information, replacing handwritten notes and typed pedigree charts with software that makes it a snap to build, edit and organize data.

When coupled with the wonders of the Internet, computers have elevated the roots pursuit to a whole new technological level. Never before have we had such a volume of data right at our fingertips, not to mention the incredible ability to communicate with other researchers. Sifting through such a massive amount of data, though, is not an easy task. Time, patience and a little guidance are required.

Beginners should check out Rootsweb first ( www.rootsweb.com ). As the oldest and most comprehensive genealogy site, it offers lessons on different topics, techniques for researching in other countries, message boards and free email lists for specific surnames and locales. The lists are free and you can easily subscribe and unsubscribe at will.

Rootsweb also sponsors a separate, general site that can be searched by topic and state. You'll be amazed at what you can find at www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/newsearch.htm . One day I clicked on PA and put Samuel Murray in the search box. Up came a huge file called “Selected Small Cemeteries in Fayette County , PA. ” I found Samuel Murray's grave in the Bigham Family Cemetery , a place where I would have never looked.

Make GenForum ( www.genforum.com ) your next stop where you can choose a forum, perhaps a surname or a locale, and post a query with a couple of clicks.

But don't get squirrelly when composing your messages. Your response rate will be better if your subject lines are specific and your messages succinct. “Long, 1850, Fayette County , PA ” gets far more action than “Hit a dead-end.” Most boards have hundreds of queries to troll through.

You'll want to check out the Mormon Church's web site ( www.familysearch.org ) where you can search on-line records and learn helpful hints, and Cyndi's List at www.cyndislist.com , where you can link to literally hundreds of other sites based on your specific needs.

The National Archives and Records Administration site at www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy is terrific for boning up on the basics. You'll find an abundance of background information on various topics from Revolutionary War records to Freedman Bank records to census records. Free publications, too.

Need to know where to write for vital records? Log on to www.vitalrec.com .

Every researcher must tackle immigration eventually. The Ellis Island site at www.ellisislandrecord.org is great if your kin happened to arrive here between 1892-1924. Otherwise, you'd be smart to do a little homework before delving into the morass that is immigration/naturalization. Learn the basics by logging onto www.uscis.gov .

And finally, if your ancestors worked for the railroad, you can track down retirement records at www.rrb.gov .