Researching Your Washington State Ancestors

If you have any American heritage at all, chances are, you have at least one person in your family tree who lived at some point in New York City. Join Mike Mansfield, Director of Content Operations at MyHeritage, as he dives into a world of rich resources for researching ancestors who called the Big Apple home.

Family lore tells a different story than the records for the paternity of a southwest Virginia great-grandfather. Learn how DNA helps solve the mystery!

This lecture illustrates the joys and pitfalls of Virginia research as well as a employing a problem-solving approach utilizing social history, female research, and family analysis to identify the parents of Elizabeth Stith, the ancestor "from nowhere." One need not have Virginia ancestors to see the Genealogical Proof Standard at work!

This Index is all about immigrants – over 544,000 of them – and spans 137 years! They came to California for various reasons and took a chance for a new life as a US citizen. Finding an immigrant is easier due to multiple search options. Minimal info is not a problem!

New England town records represent a unique resource for Family historians. Early settlers from England brought their traditions of town governance to the new world, including their ideas of legal matters and record keeping. The result is a treasure trove of documents that capture aspects of our ancestors’ lives as they went about their day-to-day business. These records are especially valuable for the 17th and 18th centuries as many other records may not have survived. This webinar covers not only vital record sources but also records from the Town Treasurer, Overseers of the Poor, and the Selectmen.

The Carolina backcountry is known for its genealogical roadblocks: from social and geographic challenges to record destruction, to the failure to create records in the first place. This session begins by examining the cultural influences that have created the problems—influences we need to understand if we are to develop alternative resources and approaches. Building on this foundation, Mills then explores thirty-two strategies for overcoming research obstacles, using a variety of short case studies and little-known materials to illustrate key points. *** This class requires an active webinar membership to attend. ***

Family history research in a large city can be richly rewarding as urban centers typically kept better records. However, when it is your ancestor who does not appear in the vital records, how do you find them? Searching among the plethora of people in a city such as New York can be challenging. This presentation will give attendees some ways to navigate research in urban areas using a case study in 19th-century New York City to illustrate the methods.

Abundant records for Census, Church, Court, Land & Property, and Directories make researching in Idaho a productive experience. Online databases for Pre-Territorial Tax Rolls, Old Penitentiary Prison Records, 1882-1961, Wills and Probate Records, 1857-1989, Obituaries, and Historical Newspapers are treasures. True gems are found in the Pioneer Histories, Index of over 75,000 Biographical Sketches, Overland Diaries & Letters, and records for Idaho Indian Tribes described on research facility and American Indian websites.

Before the Revolutionary War, geography, topography and a strong indigenous people presence shaped migration patterns. This webinar covers the dominant push-pull forces and challenges for colonial migration. Using maps and other graphics, the major migration routes by region will be described: New England, mid-Atlantic and southward from Virginia. Famous paths such as the Kings Highway, the Great Valley Road, and the Fall Line Road as well as less well-known paths such as the Greenwood Path and the Forbidden Path will be covered. Using a set of case studies, the process of locating clues in local histories, land records, and vital records is unfolded.