Can you believe it is only a couple of weeks away until 2022? I can’t. This year has gone so slowly that I’m shocked to find us at the end of it.
Our NGSQ (National Genealogical Society Quarterly) study groups are forming for 2022 and we still have a few seats left! These discussions are run by Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi’s List) and myself and between the two of us, we offer 4 different time slots.
We have worksheets that help us breakdown and discuss the articles. Also, each month you get 5-6 unique questions for that particular article to help lead the discussion. We focus on principles found in the book Mastering Genealogical Proof so we are covering the elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard from each article. We also host private Facebook Groups to facilitate discussion between sessions.
There are a variety of ways you can construct a research plan and log. Often these are taught and discussed as two separate items. However, these can be one document that is keyword searchable if you use a computer program. Popular computer programs for creating research plans and logs are: spreadsheets (Excel or Numbers), word processors using tables (Word or Pages), and note-taking software such as Evernote, One Note, or Scrivener. Of course, this is a personal preference and you may be most comfortable with paper and pencil.
Why is a research plan/log important?
To be efficient with your limited time in a repository, cemetery, or with family members.
To keep track of what you’ve researched so you don’t unnecessarily duplicate your work.
To keep any notes about your search results organized.
To gather citation information.
Months or years later, you can search these plans/logs for more research clues or to be sure you don’t examine the same source twice, or to know if you need to go back and search for new information (perhaps you’ve discovered a new surname since the last time you looked at a particular book or film).
Consider including the following items in your research plan/log:
Date
Repository
Title of item
Call number or film number
Names/Info searches
Search results
Other comments
A research plan and log should allow you to see what you’ve done, let you see where you should or shouldn’t search in the future, and is best if it is keyword searchable such as in a computerized system.
Sample research plan/log
While you are at the repository:
Take the time to organize your research findings.
If you have time/energy in the evenings, go through your papers/files and be sure they are organized.
Process your work as soon as possible. Enter in your database, research log, or other system.
If you wait too long to process your work, and you forget what you were doing, it’s almost as if you never went in the first place. Be sure you record and process what you find.
“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin
I, for one, cannot wait to get back to researching in various repositories. Seeking out elusive ancestors and learning about history firsthand is so much fun. Here are some tips for taking trips to repositories.
Repository Visit Tips
Before you go to a repository, check the website for maps, location, hours, closures, and parking information. Also, check the rules for what you can bring and/or do while you’re there, and then bring the appropriate items:
Can you use your own notebooks or will you be given archive-assigned loose paper?
Can you bring in your bags, backpacks, or briefcases or will you be assigned a locker?
Can you use pens or is it pencils only?
Is photography allowed?
Can you use laptops, tablets?
Do you need to request items from storage ahead of time?
Check the online catalog and plan what you want to see specifically. Create a list of call numbers, manuscript names, folder numbers, and/or microfilm numbers. Be sure to ask questions of the archivist or librarian. They often know a lot of information that you might not have been expecting.
What’s in the bag?
Don’t forget plugs, chargers, cords, batteries, etc.
Change or bills for copies if needed
Is there a snack room available? Bring water, snacks, and/or lunch.
Flash drives, thumb drives
Office supplies: sticky notes, paper clips, folders, sheet protectors, large envelopes
Research room at the Hancock County, Ohio courthouse
Almost every genealogist I know loves visiting a cemetery. I’m known to visit cemeteries even if I don’t have any ancestors buried there. Planning for a cemetery trip can be very important.
Tips for Planning the Cemetery Tour
Use maps to plan your tour. I use Google Maps: My Maps. If you have several cemeteries to visit in one area, use Google Maps to create a route for efficiency.
Get cemetery hours and sexton or office information ahead of time, if possible.
Don’t forget to plan for bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, travel time, and time to get lost.
Have a back-up plan if the weather gets bad. If you are doing this in conjunction with a family visit, try to have a flexible schedule.
Front gate photo, Wellsville Cemetery, Missouri
Cemetery Tour Tips
When taking digital photos, take a photo of the front gate sign at the beginning AND the end of the session. This will ensure you attribute the correct cemetery to the correct tombstone.
Pay attention to who is buried around your ancestors. Often families bought plots together.
If there is a local person around, a sexton, groundskeeper, or office staff, be sure to talk to them. They most likely know something more or have supporting documents.
Take good, detailed notes and process your data as soon as possible.
You never know what kind of obstacles or critters you might encounter in the cemetery. Here are a few that I’ve encountered over the years.
Weeds up past the bumper in South Dakota!Made a turtle friend in New Hampshire.Found some deer in Connecticut.Found ducks in Ohio.A wild hog warning in Texas.
As we get together with family, especially over the holidays, this is the perfect time to conduct family interviews. If you have done much research on your family history, you likely have some questions that some older members of your family might be able to answer. What’s more, there might be some great stories you never knew. Getting your family to share stories over the dinner table is so much fun. Be sure to bring a recording device of some kind!
You might also plan to visit more distant family members that you’ve discovered through your research. You may have connected with new DNA cousins and have planned to meet up and share information. These tips will help you prepare:
Tips for Planning the Family Interview:
To help jog memories bring: a pedigree chart, family group sheets, any old photos you have on that family line. Having these things in front of you helps bring up memories and stories.
Determine the venue for your interview such as a family gathering or a one-on-one setting.
Think about who’s invited: if you don’t want too many distractions you might limit the number of people during the interview.
How many family members will you visit? Plan with maps if you are unfamiliar with the area and make a schedule.
Send a thank-you note when you get home.
A family visit with my grandmother and her family friends. Questions were asked. Stories were shared.
What’s in the bag?
Be sure to bring the following:
Recording device, phone app, digital recorder, or notepad & pens/pencils
Camera – to photograph photos, documents, and other family artifacts
Questions – What do you want to know? Make a list of questions to ask ahead of time, but be sure to be flexible. Also, ask open-ended questions to get more information.
DNA kits – you never know when you’ll find someone whose DNA will help with a research project
Extras – extension cords, batteries, tripod, plugs, chargers, etc.
These last 2 years have been very strange for most of us. I typically traveled several times per year for speaking, institute attendance, or research purposes. As we look toward the future and to a time when traveling safely might resume, let’s explore the ways to prepare for research trips.
There are several types of research trips to prepare for. Each one has similarities and differences. In this blog series we will examine ways to prepare for these:
Family Visits to conduct interviews, gather photos & documents or obtain DNA samples
Cemetery Tour to visit cemeteries in ancestral or far flung locations
Repository Visits to conduct research in libraries, archives, and courthouses
“One-Stop” Library such as the Family History Library, Allen County Public Library, or Mid-Continent Public Library
Researching at the Family History Library
With any of these trips you’ll need to consider:
Travel such as air, train, bus, or car
Hotel, or staying with friends or family
Food, groceries, or restaurants
and other logistics unique to the area.
Over the next few weeks, we will examine each type of trip including what to bring and how to prepare ahead of time.
Every state is going to have a similar list of resources available online, so you can take what I share here and search for something similar in another state your are researching in. Most states will have a state archive and/or library. There may be a statewide digitizing project. You might find several universities that have archival collections. (In the case of Wyoming, there is only one, the University of Wyoming in Laramie.) There may be specialized museums around the state that have archival and research collections. And when I say “online,” I mean they have a web presence which may only be a catalog and you might need to contact them for copies or to find a research proxy.
These are some of the important collections of online resources in Wyoming:
Wyoming State Archives, located in Cheyenne, their online collection contains some county records, newspapers, maps, photos, and so much more.
American Heritage Center, located at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, their online collection consists of research guides and catalogs of their manuscript and rare book collection.
Wyoming State Historical Society‘s website is full of historical facts about the state including an encyclopedia, oral histories, field trip information, a blog, special topics, and more.
State or county-level genealogical societies are generally available. Wyoming does not have a state society, but there are several local societies such as the Cheyenne Genealogical & Historical Society.
This is the end of my series on Wyoming, for now. I did a webinar for Legacy Family Tree Webinars (subscription required to watch) on this topic back in 2019. So if you’d like to hear more details, you might head over there and give it a watch (this is an affiliate link).
Next week we will start something new. “See” you then!
If you haven’t used the card catalog feature on a few of the main genealogical sites we all might use every day, let me take this moment in Wyoming research to demonstrate it. Main of the big genealogy sites have this feature but I have found that over the years, not many know about it or use it. I’ll show both Ancestry and FamilySearch’s card catalogs today, but be on the lookout for a similar feature on other sites.
At Ancestry, you can find the Card Catalog under the Search Tab:
Ancestry’s Card Catalog
Once your in the card catalog, you can filter your results by using the options on the left. For this example, I have filtered by “USA” and “Wyoming:
You can further filter by the county, record category etc. This will help you see more quickly databases, record sets, and sources that Ancestry has for Wyoming specifically.
Similarly, at FamilySearch, you can also search the “Catalog.” From the home screen, it can be found under the Search tab:
FamilySearch’s Catalog
From this screen, you will see options to search by Place, Surnames, Titles, Author, Subject, and Keywords. Most of the time, I find I use the Place search.
FamilySearch’s Catalog
You can start your search broadly by typing in “Wyoming”:
FamilySearch’s Catalog
From there you can see all of the options that are at the state level, or you can click on “Places within United States, Wyoming” and see a list of counties:
FamilySearch’s Catalog – WyomingFamilySearch’s Catalog – Wyoming Counties List
Once you’ve picked a county, you can see what records they have for Albany County land records:
FamilySearch – Albany County Land Records in the Catalog
From there, it is almost like the “old days” of scrolling through microfilm, except you are at home. (Of course, there are some digitized films that must be looked at while at a Family History Center or Affiliate library due to contract restrictions.)
FamilySearch Catalog Entry for DeedsFamilySearch Deed Index for Albany County
So, if I want to look up any deeds for Susan Baily, I can start “scrolling” or clicking and find the B entries in this index and then find the deed.
Using the card catalog allows me to be more thorough and intentional with my research. If you are just using the global search function from the front page of any of these large genealogical sites, you are probably missing a lot of records. Give the card catalog a look.
Wyoming has a fair number of books published about it that are genealogically useful and historically interesting. Like other states, you will find county and regional histories. Your main repositories for published sources about Wyoming are:
Genealogy Pants 