Sometimes “tried and true” and “oldie but goodie” advice has merit. Case in point, USGenWeb. Begun in 1996, it has grown to become a most valuable resource for genealogists. Quoting from their website:
The USGenWeb Project consists of a group of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. The Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone.
Organization is by county and state, and this website provides you with links to all the state websites which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties. The USGenWeb Project also sponsors important Special Projects at the national level and this website provides an entry point to all of those pages, as well.
Although the basic unit of organization for The USGenWebProject is at the county level, State Websites include very important information as well, including such resources for postings of unknown county queries, family reunion bulletin boards, state histories, and maps showing the changing county boundaries, among others. Many states also have ongoing projects as diverse as the transcription of Civil War regiments or the reuniting of families with lost photos, bibles, etc.
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It is still totally true that to find your family/ancestor you must know the place and then research all the records in that place. USGenWeb helps you to do this. It’s one of the easiest ways I know to do quality research in your ‘jammies at home on a rainy night.
Donna, aka Mother Hen, until next week.