Some Sources of Genealogy Information to Get You Started
• birth, marriage, and death certificates
• family scrapbooks, which may contain newspaper clippings, obituaries, wedding and anniversary announcements
• naturalization and citizenship papers, including passports and visas (The US Citizen and Immigration Service website has a genealogy program where you can search for naturalization documents up through March 31, 1956)
• religious records—baptisms and bar mitzvahs in religious institutions but also family records you might find in a family Bible
• letters—including addressed envelopes
• diaries and journals
• photo albums (especially with name of photograph studio imprinted or details on back)
• legal documents, such as military records, business files, and property or other legal transactions
• census records are only public 70 years after they are conducted
• birth, marriage, and death certificates
• family scrapbooks, which may contain newspaper clippings, obituaries, wedding and anniversary announcements
• naturalization and citizenship papers, including passports and visas (The US Citizen and Immigration Service website has a genealogy program where you can search for naturalization documents up through March 31, 1956)
• religious records—baptisms and bar mitzvahs in religious institutions but also family records you might find in a family Bible
• letters—including addressed envelopes
• diaries and journals
• photo albums (especially with name of photograph studio imprinted or details on back)
• legal documents, such as military records, business files, and property or other legal transactions
• census records are only public 70 years after they are conducted
Suggested Websites
• Ancestry.com: joining will give you access to census, military, immigration records, including images of records; your public library may have a membership that will allow your free access
• FamilySearch.org (the Mormon genealogical records) or go to the nearest Family History Center
• USGenWeb: www.usgenweb.org
• RootsWeb: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com
• WorldGenWeb.org for searches beyond the US
• ellisiland.org and castlegarden.org
• New England Historic Genealogical Society: newenglandancestors.com
• Allen County Public Library: www.acpl.lib.inus/genealogy
• Ohio Genealogical Society: ogs.org
• Daughters of the American revolution: www.dar.org
• Ancestry.com: joining will give you access to census, military, immigration records, including images of records; your public library may have a membership that will allow your free access
• FamilySearch.org (the Mormon genealogical records) or go to the nearest Family History Center
• USGenWeb: www.usgenweb.org
• RootsWeb: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com
• WorldGenWeb.org for searches beyond the US
• ellisiland.org and castlegarden.org
• New England Historic Genealogical Society: newenglandancestors.com
• Allen County Public Library: www.acpl.lib.inus/genealogy
• Ohio Genealogical Society: ogs.org
• Daughters of the American revolution: www.dar.org
