This is the third article in the Genealogy Proof series, in addition to the introduction.
In the article titled Gathering Location Resources, we focused on locations where you know your ancestor lived – but what if you’re looking for books or information about a particular family or surname?
Maybe you’d like to know if an article or book has been written about that family, either generally or maybe a branch more specifically. Many early books are no longer in print.
Maybe you can find information about your family in resources not typically checked by genealogists.
Of course, there are lots of resources, but I’m including several here that you can use and might otherwise miss. Feel free to add more in the comments.
Recording Your Findings
Don’t forget to record your search results and which resources you used on the spreadsheet we created in the Extracting and Recording Data article.
If you find that the information in the book or resource is too long for the text field in your spreadsheet, record and index the item anyway. Then, transcribe or copy/paste the entire text version in one of two places, but don’t forget to note in your spreadsheet where you put it.
- Your genealogy software under that person’s name
- A Word document under that person’s name
When I write my 52 Ancestors articles, everything I know about that person is gathered into a Word document and then organized and arranged into a cohesive story. The pieces have been gathered over the years in various locations and I have to be able to find them to be able to use them.
Book List
I have also created a list of books that I own.
This list needs to be updated because I moved and I would like to more accurately detail the locations of books I still have. It’s nice to know what you already have and where to find it. Tell me I’m not the only person who has purchased the same book twice!
Ok, now for surname resources where you just might find your ancestor!
Cyndi’s List
Cyndi’s list has a HUGE number of resources generally, but it also includes a surname category.
Under each letter of the alphabet, available resources are listed.
Be sure to check out everything for your surnames of interest.
BookFinder
At Bookfinder.com, you can enter a name in the title field.
That query produced a significant list. Remember that this list changes often, based on availability.
I now have another book on the way!
Higginson Book Company
The Higginson Book Company has long been known for carrying heritage books – both by location and for genealogy.
You can search by surname or any keyword.
Higginson reprints copies of original books out of print in addition to maps and a few other things. Note that sometimes you can find the text version of copyright-free books free at other locations.
State Archives
Check the website of every state’s archive where your ancestors lived.
If in doubt about what might be available, call the State Archives and ask a librarian. You might not believe what’s there.
In Tennesee, for example, there’s an index of Supreme Court cases that can be searched for the entire state, or by county, or year.
Cases that appear in the Supreme Court Index will not be recorded in the county records, because the case was appealed from there to the Supreme Court. It’s worth noting that the Hancock County, Tennessee courthouse burned (twice), so the Supreme Court records in the archives reflect lawsuits that we don’t even know existed today.
In many cases, local courts no longer retain case packets, if they ever did. They often only have the names of plaintiffs and defendants in an index book – not even an outcome. However, the county clerks faithfully copied the case packets when the case was appealed and sent to the Supreme Court, where this valuable information resides today – including depositions and receipts.
I’m entering the surname of every ancestor that was found in Hancock County. Sometimes, I search for their in-laws and neighbors too, just in case my ancestor is mentioned.
Look – paydirt! In an estate dispute – you know there are relationships explained and maybe also the source of the dispute.
When utilizing archives, be sure to search the archives of parent-states and parent-counties, meaning states and counties your state/county was formed from. The same goes for descendant states/counties formed from your state/county.
But wait, there are more resources.
Librarians
In addition to resources shown at the Tennessee Archives website, you can also click to chat with a librarian.
Librarians are an encyclopedia of knowledge.
Thanks to a librarian, I recently discovered that the Michigan State Archives holds an obscure collection – prison newspapers published by the inmates over the years, reaching back into the 1800s and early 1900s. It’s not evident from the collection information, but a call to the archives and a lovely discussion with a research librarian revealed that those publications have recently been scanned and OCR indexed, which makes it possible to search by surname or topic.
I love librarians. They have saved my bacon so many times over the years, as have volunteers at local museums, and historical and genealogy societies.
Chronicling America
Chronicling American is provided by the Library of Congress. This link is for the newspaper collection which spans 1756-1963, but there are also other collections
In the photo collection, you can search generally or very specifically.
I had always wondered why my grandparents chose to move to a tiny out-of-the-way farming community outside very rural Fowler, Indiana. I found my answer in the Library of Congress. My grandfather’s cousin, who lived up the road in Tennessee, had moved to Indiana, was running a farm for an absentee owner and needed assistance.
The rest, as they say, is history.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch has an extremely robust and easy-to-use search functionality.
Select “Search,” then “Books.”
I entered the word “Estes” under the Books search and found this:
Notice that full text results are available, which means that either the book is out from under copyright, or they have obtained permission to image. It’s also worth noting that this is one of the books available for print-on-demand from Higginson Books.
Another option, the “Images” search, searches for information by historical location.
Searching “Genealogies” and “Family Trees” is obvious.
I find the “Catalog” search particularly productive.
You can filter your Catalog search in any number of ways, but, as luck would have it, the very first entry is where my Estes family lived.
Oh, look, it’s my lucky day…
If a desired book or article isn’t available for viewing, start a list and look to see if it’s available through your local Family History Center or check elsewhere.
FamilySearch New Full Text Search
I just love this new full text feature that automatically transcribes and indexes entire handwritten collections, such as the will or deed books in a particular county.
On the search page, scroll down until you see the FamilySearch Labs image and click on “View Experiments.”
Click on “Go to Experiment”
I detailed how to use FamilySearch full-text search in this article, but I want to remind you here that you can search by surname.
One of my huge brick walls is identifying the parents of James Lee Claxton (Clarkson/Clarkston) 1775-1815.
All of our Y-DNA matches are spelled Claxton and are found in North Carolina, but that group of Claxton researchers and my line are both stuck at about the same time in history. It’s very likely that the common ancestor of both groups came from Virginia, but where? And who?
I’m searching for Claxton with the hope that there is some mention of a Claxton we don’t already know about – or something connecting my ancestor to Lee County, VA in about 1795.
There are thousands of entries in this database, but I can filter to restrict my search to Virginia.
Remember that FamilySearch is adding to the collection of books and records that are digitized and indexed daily, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for today, check back often.
Google
A general Google search for “Estes genealogy” produced a list. I’m not showing their generative AI result here, because it’s half right and half wrong. It’s fine to use AI for hints, but verify absolutely everything. AI is not ready to be relied on and may never be.
Here is a list of Estes resources from Google.
Always beware of internet links. “Fly” over them first. If the link address even looks questionable, just don’t click.
That said, there are a HUGE number of legitimate resources here.
Google Books
Google books can help you locate books that may not be found elsewhere.
Some are available as an eBook at Google Books, but if not, you can use these as leads to search elsewhere, including AbeBooks and sometimes, Amazon. I usually use Bookfinder after finding a book I’m interested in through Google, because they include other sites such as AbeBooks, Amazon and many more. Bookfinder is an aggregator, not a reseller.
You can also request to “Find in a library,” which might be useful if your local library participates in interlibrary loans, although often heritage books are not eligible for loan.
Internet Archive
I love the Internet Archive, the same company that provides the Wayback Machine, which also allows you to search by surname. The two sites provide different results, so be sure to try both.
You’ll find all kinds of information at the Internet Archive.
Under eBooks and Texts, I often enter “<surname> genealogy” so that their metadata will use both terms to narrow the search. Metadata is data about data, and in this case, it means which keywords they used to index these entries.
Many records aren’t relevant, but some assuredly are.
You can also narrow the results by many features – including the Allen County Public Library which has one of the largest genealogy holdings in the US.
Keep in mind that I’ve selected only items with text, meaning that I can read or download for free. There are certainly other items available that aren’t free.
I sometimes struggle with their search feature, so I often just search at Google using the term “Estes books at internet archive.”
Allen County Public Library
At the Allen County Public Library website, you want to search in the research collection
Please note that you can filter your results in many ways.
One of the wonderful features is that they actively collect newsletters. Estes Trails has been published for decades.
These newsletters are in their physical holdings, but if you know they exist, you can track them down in other ways. In this case, the publisher’s name is included in the full display.
Many newsletters are no longer published, so, fortunately, there’s another way to obtain an article.
PERSI
PERSI, an index for periodicals, such as Estes Trails, above, is also hosted by the Allen County Public Library.
At PERSI, you can search by surname
I searched for Estes, and look what I received. I absolutely must read these Civil War letters.
This is a GOLDMINE. No, Aaron Estes isn’t my ancestor, but again, he’s related, and I just have to read these.
Scroll to the very bottom to order the items.
WikiTree
WikiTree is one of my favorite resources. You can enter your ancestor’s name, or a surname.
WikiTree is a collaborative tree where different individuals add information and sources to the profiles of ancestors. They have a small army of helpful volunteers that are willing to help too.
As with all shared resources, some information can be incorrect. Treat all trees as information to be verified and sources to be checked.
One of the great things about WikiTree is that individuals who descend from ancestors in a specific way can connect themselves and their Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA test information.
Descendants who have taken an autosomal test can list the testing company and information. While testing companies use the DNA of the tester to connect to other testers – it’s up to those two people to determine their common ancestor.
WikiTree works the other way and is ancestor-driven, meaning that you see who descends from the ancestor, and you can go to the testing company indicated to see if you’re an autosomal DNA match.
Furthermore, if you’re working on your genetic tree, you’ll want the Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA information for each of your ancestors. If other testers have entered the information, you can find it here. Please enter yours as well.
Be sure to check the sources for each ancestor. There may be information and resources not found elsewhere. Add sources if you can. Collaboration is a good thing, and a rising tide lifts all ships.
Newspapers
After you’ve wrung out the more traditional records, such as deeds and wills and census schedules, you’ll want to turn to newspapers. Not all local newspapers have been scanned, OCRed, and indexed yet, and some quality is better than others.
Licensing and processing old newspapers is ongoing, so just because the location where your ancestor lived doesn’t have an indexed newspaper available today doesn’t mean they won’t soon.
Newspaper articles put meat on the bones of our ancestors as they reveal their everyday lives. Who visited whom after church for Sunday dinner, who hit someone’s cow, who had company from out of town, who was having a family reunion, who moved and to where, who caught a big fish, who went on vacation, who was “visited by the stork,” and much more. Some make you say “awww,” and some are downright juicy and scandalous!
News about neighboring counties and even neighboring states can be found in locations where you may not have thought to look for your ancestor.
Virginia Chronicle
The Virginia Chronicle is a historic newspaper collection curated by the Library of Virginia that produces amazing results.
What? A murder? You know, I just HAVE to go down this rabbit hole and read these stories.
Ok, so, here’s the skinny for those who are curious.
Theodore Estes was dating Miss Loving, the daughter of a judge who shot and murdered Theodore. As it turns out, Theodore’s father was the sheriff, so this story is particularly rich and full of intrigue.
It seems that Miss Loving, the judge’s daughter, drank whiskey, and one thing allegedly led to another, which Theodore, his family, and friends denied. However, the young woman’s father didn’t believe them and sought revenge. Some reports said that she only drank “one swig” of whiskey, and nothing happened. Others said that the whiskey was drugged, and “something” did happen. A third group said she asked for the whiskey and drank a whole lot more than a swig. Theodore took her home (to her house) in his buggy, to her parents, but clearly intoxicated.
It gets even more complex because it appears the families were related. I had to draw a chart to get this straight.
Theodore’s brother had married the Judge’s wife’s sister. I’m telling you, this trial was a humdinger. Whoo boy! Eventually, the charges against the judge were changed to something less severe than murder. This high-profile case was covered by several regional newspapers like the latest soap opera.
As I read through these articles, I noticed that some Estes family members had arrived from Danville, VA, which is in close proximity to where my Estes family was from. So, while this is not my ancestor, it involves my ancestor’s descendants.
Ok, enough of this rabbit hole, but you get the drift. You may never get anything resembling chores done ever again!
The National Genealogical Society membership now provides access to NewspaperArchive as a benefit of membership. As far as I’m concerned, this alone makes the membership worthwhile.
NewspaperArchive offers a notification service for subscribers, or did when I subscribed separately, so you’ll receive an email when the name of a saved search is found in a newly indexed newspaper.
I keep discovering previously unknown things!
Ancestry owns Newspapers.com for accessing newspapers and Fold3 for military records. I discussed the nuances of using Newspapers.com at Ancestry in this article. You’ll need to search in the Historical Newspapers Collection at Ancestry and/or in Newspapers.com. Ancestry is reimaging the newspapers and using AI to create associations between people – for example family members mentioned in a wedding announcement. The results will not all be found in one place. The newspaper itself will be found at Newspapers.com but the associated family grouping will be found at Ancestry itself in their collections.
You can now reference the Birth Index, Marriage Index and Auctions of Enslaved People and Bounties on Freedom Seekers Index, here. The larger Newspapers and Publications category can be found here, and the Historical Newspapers Collection can be found here.
MyHeritage includes a large newspaper collection for their subscribers, much of which is unique and not found elsewhere.
This collection is where I found hundreds of items about my mother’s family in rural Northern Indiana. I found previously unknown photos of my grandfather, and that he attended the “Normal School” to become a teacher. He never taught, instead going to work for the railroad, moving away, and meeting the woman who would become my grandmother.
MyHeritage actually has newspapers in two places. This search is on the MyHeritage site itself, available with a subscription. MyHeritage has a second, independent site too – OldNews.
OldNews is big news!
At RootsTech 2024, MyHeritage announced a separate subscription site called OldNews, which essentially doubles the number of newspapers that they’ve digitized and made available. Take a look!
I found information about my mother, such as when she had her tonsils removed, when and where she danced in plays as a child, and the amount of my grandparents’ estate. Newspapers reported things back then that would be considered privacy violations today. Check OldNews to see what’s there for you.
Colonial Williamsburg has made the earliest Newspapers in the colonies available, here. Some are through a subscription site, and others aren’t. It was through these old newspapers years ago that I discovered the name of my ancestor’s indentured servant who ran away. Now, DNA seems to point to a potential relationship. There are no records other than that “runaway” notice to connect these people together, anyplace.
Check Cyndi’s list for more Newspaper services
MyHeritage Surnames
MyHeritage offers many ways to search, but you can start by entering the name of your ancestor or even just a surname.
I could have simply entered the surname, but I entered James Lee Claxton.
I can filter by any of the collections, at left.
I check them all, but I particularly like the Books and Publications, and the Newspapers category. You just never know what you’ll find, and many of the books are digitized and free.
You can also just enter a surname. I entered “Estes.”
I checked every one of these categories and, among other things, found some fascinating historic maps.
I love my MyHeritage subscription. If you don’t have one, you can try one free for 14 days.
Ancestry Message Boards
Ancestry discontinued the RootsWeb-hosted websites, WorldConnect Trees, and RootsWeb mailing lists last year, but the message boards are still functional.
After signing in to Ancestry, scroll down until you see Tools and Resources in the right margin.
Click on “Message boards.”
These boards reach back at least 20 years and many of the original posters are deceased now. I know that I often posted information as I found it while traveling.
There’s an advanced search function, too.
I was shocked to discover that you can still initiate a thread, but I’m not at all sure that other people on that board are notified today. I had no idea these boards even still existed.
Another feature that’s helpful at Ancestry is the Card Catalog, one of their Special Record Collections.
You can enter a surname in either the Title or Keyword box.
Of course, you’ll get different results, but both are certainly worth checking.
Genealogy.com
GenForum was the message board for Genealogy.com. Ancestry purchased it years ago, and while you can no longer post messages, you can still search for messages that were previously posted, here.
American Ancestors
American Ancestors holds a large database that includes periodicals such as the New England Historical and Genealogical Register and the Virginia Genealogist, which you can search by name, here.
Additionally, they have a number of immigration and naturalization records not available elsewhere.
HathiTrust
HathiTrust has indexed millions of documents, including many governmental records and publications.
Select any publication or narrow by categories. Then you can search within the text and also view the text on the relevant pages.
DNA Projects
FamilyTreeDNA offers surname projects, along with geographic, haplogroup, lineage, and regional DNA projects.
You can find surname projects in one of two ways.
The first way is to Google “Estes DNA Project.”
You’ll see two links, either of which will take you to the project.
I administer this project and welcome everyone who has an Estes ancestor, regardless of whether their surname is Estes or something else.
By clicking on “DNA Results,” you’ll see multiple options.
Clicking on the “Classic Chart” shows groupings of males who have taken the Y-DNA test, along with additional information, including their Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) and, in the final column at right, their haplogroup.
If you take a DNA test and match other people, you can contact them to collaborate through matches on your personal page. Not everyone can test for every ancestor – and women can’t test for Y-DNA lineages (because they don’t have a Y chromosome,) so we depend on being able to check for our ancestors in Y-DNA projects.
If your ancestral line is shown, you can use the confirmed haplogroup (green) in the free Discover tool, here, to learn more about your ancestor’s heritage.
Here’s the “Haplogroup Story” tab for R-BY490 that represents a number of Estes lineages. There are 11 other tabs in the left sidebar just waiting for you to read about your ancestry.
Note that “Suggested Projects” is one tab. The suggestions are based on projects other men with this haplogroup have joined.
Y-DNA information through Discover, and soon, mitochondrial DNA information through MitoDiscover, is the ONLY place you can find this kind of information. Be sure to check out all of the tabs at left, including Ancient Connections.
If you click on the Group Time Tree, you’ll see a different view of the results of the project members who have taken the advanced Big Y-700 test.
By selecting the relevant groups, you can see the surname of the testers, their earliest known ancestor (if known and entered), at right, along with the haplogroup genetic tree at left.
The genetic tree shown at left confirms the genealogy of these testers, at least as far as the genetic tree is able to distinguish. I wrote about the Estes Group Time Tree, here, as an example,
If you are a male and have not taken the Big Y-700 test, please do. It unlocks your history in a way nothing else can.
A second way to find DNA projects that might be relevant to your surname is to navigate to the very bottom of the FamilyTreeDNA main page in the footer.
Click on “Group Projects.”
You can enter any surname and see the projects in which the project administrator listed Estes (or your surname of choice) as a surname that might be interested in their project.
If you’re a customer and signed on to your account at FamilyTreeDNA, you can find this same information at the top of your personal page under “Group Projects.” You can also join projects from there.
Social Media
I often overlook Facebook or other social media as a surname resource, but it is.
Today, many, if not most, genealogy and historical societies have pages, and so do many genealogists with an interest in a particular surname line.
Searching for “Estes” on Facebook shows several individual people, PLUS, two groups that might be very interesting.
Once you’re a member of a group, you can search within the group for a keyword.
This search gave me everything with either Moses or Estes, so I narrowed it by just using “Moses” or just searching for “Halifax” which is the county in Virginia where Moses Estes lived.
Facebook, especially groups with a genealogical focus, is a wonderful way to find men for Y-DNA testing.
I often ask if someone has already DNA tested, and if so, where.
If they have already tested at Ancestry, or 23andMe, but not at MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA, they can upload to both companies for free. Matching is free after uploading, and so are other basic tools. Advanced tools require an inexpensive unlock, which costs far less than retesting. The unlock at FamilyTreeDNA for advanced tools costs $19, and it’s $29 at MyHeritage.
Next Topic – The Proof Table
Our next topic in this series will be the Genealogy Proof Table.
What is a Proof Table, how do you construct one, and why?
We will assemble a Genealogy Proof Table for one of my lines as an example. You’ll need one for every ancestral lineage.
After that, we have four more articles in this series.
- Genealogy Proof Standard
- DNA
- Leveling up
- Writing it Up
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