NEW Evernote for Genealogy Video Series
Using Evernote for genealogy yet? I hear from people all over the world who are harnessing this free software to finally organize their family history research FOR GOOD! Evernote users can easily import online research finds--along with the URL and other important...
Female Census Enumerators? Check Out These Backstories!
There's a story behind every census record. In fact, there are as many stories as there are names on each census page. This is true not just for people being enumerated, but also for the census-takers themselves. I was reminded of this by Joanne, author of the...
BillionGraves for Genealogy: YouTube Video Interview
Using BillionGraves for genealogy research has never been easier. BillionGraves aims to document and preserve the world's cemeteries. They provide a platform for volunteers around the world (and their smartphones!) to capture headstone images and their GPS locations....
Land Ownership Maps: New Online Property Map Tools for U.S. Genealogy Research
Do you ever find it difficult locate U.S. property owned by your ancestors? Two online resources for land ownership maps are available by subscription at HistoryGeo.com, which might just prove helpful! The First Landowners Project aims to map out the original...
We Dig These Gems: New Genealogy Records Online
Each Friday we share a list of selected new genealogy records online. Watch for records in which your ancestors might appear–and get inspired by the kinds of records that may be out there waiting for you to discover. This week: Australian cemetery records, British...
Knowles Jewish Genealogy Collection Has Over a Million Entries
Looking for an online resource of Jewish family trees? "The Knowles Collection, a quickly growing, free online Jewish genealogy database linking generations of Jewish families from all over the world, reached its one-millionth record milestone and is now easily...
RootsMagic Update And Free Support for Users
Recently I heard from my friends at RootsMagic about a new version of their excellent family history software, as well as tips for getting help using it. I'm a huge fan of RootsMagic software--click here to read my RootsMagic review. I'm also huge fan of keeping your...
View-Master Toys are Going Virtual Reality
Did you have a View-Master toy as a kid? Using these stereoscopic viewers (long before kids had cameras of their own), children could see pictures of any topic from Disney to dinosaurs to the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. According to a collector, whose image is...
Walka walka walka: New Google PAC-Maps!
It may not help with genealogy, but Google Maps just got a lot more fun! Yep, it's PAC-Maps, and with this latest update you can find where NOT to go! Google has added imagery of "dangerous virtual beings, starting with Pinky, Blinky, Inky and Clyde. When navigating...
Recent Ohio Adoption Records Now Open
Recently Genealogy Gems Premium member Katharine Ott wrote in this with newsworthy gem: "Recent adoption records are being released in Ohio. Such an exciting time for those adoptees yearning to connect with their bloodlines! Before the bill took effect, they allowed...
Can Google Help Me Search Digitized Newspaper Pages?
Can Google help you search digitized newspapers you find online? Recently I heard from Garth in Ontario, Canada with a question like that. Here's what he asked and here's what I told him: "A friend found a digitized newspaper article by clicking on this link and going...
DNA Helps Scientists Identify Homeland of Caribbean Slaves
Did you hear what has been discovered about the remains of three Caribbean slaves found on the island of St. Martin? Scientific techniques identified them as two males and one female, all between 25 and 40 years of age, who were buried around the mid-to-late-1600s....
Need Gravestone Images? Ask BillionGraves or Find A Grave Volunteers
You've probably searched for gravestone images at sites like BillionGraves and Find A Grave. What if you come up dry? Ask their volunteers to snap a photo for you. Here's how to do it: Make a BillionGraves Photo Request "The Photo Request tool is a great new feature...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
We learn about great new genealogy records online every week! On Fridays we round up a few for you. Watch for databases and documents that your ancestors might appear in–and get inspired by the types of records that may be out there for your family, waiting for you to...
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: NEW Video Class
If your family lived in the U.S. between the late 1800s to mid-1900s, you should look for their home on Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. The Sanborn Map Company published maps from 1867 to 1970 to evaluate fire insurance liability in urban areas. The maps are detailed...
How to Find Cemeteries in Google Earth
Do you ever wish there was a master map of all the cemeteries in the world? While there isn't one map that includes every single public and private cemetery around the world, the free software program Google earth offers up something close. Here's what you need to...
Meet the Library of Congress in 3 Short Video Clips
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a dream destination for many U.S. genealogy researchers. It's home to millions of books, maps, city directories, photographs and other materials that can help us better understand our ancestors' lives. A guided walking tour of the LOC...
Did your family follow the usual path? Mapping U.S. Migration Patterns
The U.S. has long been typified as a nation of restless wanderers. Are we still? Well, it depends on where in the U.S. you are from. A new interactive infographic on the New York Times website looks at U.S. migration patterns: where residents of each U.S. state in...
