There are 3,068 counties in the United States. Each county is unique in population and size. All but Connecticut and Rhode Island use county governments. Connecticut and Rhode Island have counties, but don’t have actual operating governments. Two states have different names for their counties, Alaska counties are called boroughs and Louisiana counties are called parishes.
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There are numerous ways to determine the location in which to concentrate research for an ancestor. One of the most popular and productive is the census.
Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, and they often provide occupations, descriptions of individuals, and other excellent family history information.
Whether you are working on a comprehensive genealogy project, or are just researching a few generations back for your own interests, cemetery records can play a huge role in your project.
Land records provide two types of important evidence for the genealogist. First, they often state kinship ties. Second, they place individuals in a specific time and place.
When it comes to family history, it’s important to remember that everyone came from a different place at one point. When you are researching your family history, immigration records can be fascinating, but they can also be difficult to find.
It’s clear that military records can be useful for tracking ancestors who were in the military. However, they can also be useful for finding information about ancestors who were not in the military at all.
Probate records are among the most valuable genealogical materials we have in America. They are also among the most complicated, filled with pitfalls for the unwary.
Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information.
For almost every state there State Archives, Libraries, Historical & Genealogical Societies. Their publications, newsletters and quarterlies, supplement those produced by the local societies.
By comparing your DNA Ancestry test results with others, you can determine to what extent you are related. This can help you move past difficulties and brick walls in your genealogy research.
Each piece of information concerning a pedigree ancestor and his/her family is placed on a worksheet, the use of family group sheets from the beginning will make research much easier.
When tracing an ancestry it is common to encounter records filled with obsolete terms that can be difficult to interpret. Take the time to use the glossaries provided here to interpret documents correctly.
