Let’s Get Started!

Family History at the Heritage Research Center

C O U R T E S Y O F T H E H I G H P O I N T P U B L I C L I B R A R Y

W H A T Y O U ’ V E C O M E T O T H E R I G H T
Y O U ’ L L
F I N D W I T H -
P L A C E !
I N :
you can use to find out more
 What the Heritage
Did you know that gene- a map collection, many local
Research Center about your ancestors, includ-
can do for you alogy (the study of family records on microfilm, back
ing a large book collection
 history) is the fastest growing issues of the High Point En-
The characteristics focused on North Carolina
of a family historian
hobby in the United States? terprise (with a complete
 Places to start
So if you’ve been inspired by obituary index), and several
 Good research
a television program, a fami- important Internet resources,
strategies
ly gathering, the discovery of including Footnote.com, An-
 Crucial record
categories a photograph in your attic, or cestry.com, and Heritage
 Web essentials just plain old curiosity to Quest. Even if you are not
 Basic charts begin your search, you are in from the Southeast, we can
good company. Waldburg Family Tree probably assist you in begin-
ning your search.
The Heritage Research
HERITAGE Our mission here is to
RESEARCH Center is here to assist you and places from which North
CENTER
as you begin your quest and Carolinians typically migrated help you learn the tech-
High Point Public Library
advise you as you continue in the 17th and 18th centu- niques of family history and,
901 N. Main Street it. We have an impressive ries. We also have access to then, set you free to realize
P. O. Box 2530 set of resources on-hand that family and local history files, your dream.
High Point, N.C. 27261

(336) 883-3637 A G E N E A L O G I S T ’ S J O B
[email protected] D E S C R I P T I O N :
D o Y o u H a v e w h a t i t t a k e s ?
HOURS:

MON: 9:00—6:00 So, what do you need to be a  Patience—Genealogy  Analytical abilities—If

TUE—THU: 9:00—8:00 good family historian? takes time. Expect to work you think logically, you’ll be
FRI: 9:00—6:00  Curiosity—You already for years, even decades. able to draw sound conclu-
sions.
SAT: 9:00-1:00, 2:00- have this. You are here.  Skepticism—Half of what
6:00 (Closed for lunch)
you read or hear about  Persistence—Expect to
 A strong work ethic—As
SUN: CLOSED
your ancestors will turn out face serious obstacles.
you succeed in your re-
search, you’ll find even to be incorrect or only half- Don’t give up, and you’ll
correct. usually get somewhere.
more questions to answer.
 P a g e 2 L e t ’ s G e t S t ar t ed !

YOU’VE GOT HOMEWORK.

S T A R T I N G O U T T h e
photographs and docu-
Everyone must start birth, marriage and death. ments, as well. Ask now,
out with some key facts In most cases, it is crucial because when your older
about his/her parents, that our customers know relatives are gone, so is
grandparents, and great the names, dates and plac- your chance to learn
grandparents. Many of es related to ancestors who many of these details.
So where do you begin? these facts can be obtained were born before 1940. Record what you
by interviewing older rela- discover using one of the
Amazingly, the answer is, While you are asking,
tives. They include the charts we’ve included.
“Probably not in the Herit- be sure to follow up with
names of the ancestors that The chart has limited
age Research Center.” questions about the key life
your older relatives remem- space, so you’ll want to
That is, unless you’ve al- events, characteristics, and
ber, their dates and places keep it blank and use
ready done your homework. achievements of your an-
(preferably the county) of copies instead.
cestors. Ask about

Did you The Federal

know? Census:
Detailed
census records Once you’ve spoken woman and child in the Unit- one of your grandparents in
with your relatives, the next ed States. The level of detail a census, it can be easy to
are kept under
stop is often the federal cen- varies between years. trace them from year to year
wraps for 72
sus. Available every ten The census is now and find out the names and
years after years from 1790 to 1940 ages of their parents, sib-
available on-line and can be
creation. This (except 1890), the census lings, and grandparents.
searched using the indexes
policy protects reveals the names, ages, But because indexes are
at Ancestry.com, Fami-
the privacy of occupations, geographical lySearch, and Herit- imperfect and some people
living people. locations, gender, race, and ageQuest. When you find have been skipped in some
relationships of every man, census years, it may still be
a challenge.
Myth Busters!
W h a t ’ s i n a N a m e ?

While searching the census cestor did not create the mistakes when reading
or any other record, think record you are looking at. names.
about the different ways Neither did he create the on Be flexible with given
that the last name might be -line index. The person who names, too. People often
spelled and don’t rule out wrote the record down ( a used nicknames, middle
spellings that differ from the clerk or official) often decid- names or initials at different
way you write the name ed how the name would stages in their lives.
today. Remember that, appear. Indexers also make
most of the time, your an-
L e t ’ s G e t S t ar t ed ! P a g e 3

Beyond the bare bones...

When you’ve traced your family areas. Remember that many folks state or with others in the communi-
back thoroughly in the census, you’ll are buried without markers. The ty. Also records related to land and
end up with a bare outline of names markers may be lost or destroyed. inheritance. Expect rich detail on
and dates of birth and marriage. Wills / estates: These are records daily life. Difficult to use.
Some of these dates will be esti- of inheritance which tell who a per- Military records: Can be used to
mates. son’s next of kin were and what they find out whether your ancestor
There are countless other rec- received as inheritance. served his country and what he did.
ords created by the federal, state, Land records: For landowners, Private records: Like Bibles, photo-
and local governments and by pri- these show precisely where an an- graphs, journals, accounts, scrap-
vate individuals which can flesh out cestor lived and who his neighbors books, letters, church records. Rich
this skeleton. Some are in book or were. They are good indicators of in detail. Sometimes owned by rela-
manuscript form, others are on mi- when someone arrived in an area tives, sometimes by archives.
crofilm, and some may be on the and when they left. Sometimes older And many more…
Internet. Some can be loaned to people gave away their land before
your library from other libraries. they died by deed.
Some, you’ll have to travel to see. “You’ll save a lot of
Immigration / naturalization:
Vital records: States and counties These records date mainly from the wasted effort by
keep records relating to birth, mar- middle of the nineteenth century to fact-checking
riage, death, and divorce. Birth and the present. They can tell where a
death records frequently begin only everything.
person originated before they came
in the early 20th century. to the United States, how old they ...Always ask, ‘How
Cemetery records: Many local were, and who came with them. do they know that?
family history societies have read Court records: May show how our What was their
the tombstones that still exist in their ancestors got into trouble with the source?”
Myth Busters!
I t ’ s A l l o n t h e I n t e r n e t

There are some great Many websites offering all the “finished” family history
tools on the Internet for gene- digitized records require pay- (family trees, genealogy web
alogy. (See next page.) ment to view and print them. pages) that you find on the
However, many records that Assembling genealogical Internet with skepticism.
you’ll need to complete your information on-line requires You’ll save yourself a lot of
research are not available on time and money. Understand- trouble and wasted effort by
the Internet today. You’ll ei- ably, not many people are fact-checking everything.
ther have to visit libraries and willing to offer it for free. Always ask, “How do they
archives or hire someone to Finally, you must treat know that? What was their
do the legwork for you. source?”
 P a g e 4 L e t ’ s G e t S t ar t ed !

Web Essentials
No one could possibly cover everything the Internet has to offer for genealogy, but here are a few of our favorite sites:

Ancestry.com— Our most popular resource. Can be used only in the Library unless you have a private subscription. The
best census access for the U.S., Canada and the UK. Also great databases covering particular areas and record-types—
including North Carolina deaths, marriage records, wills and estates, births.

Fold3.com—Available for use here or at home through the Library. Gives access to many original record images from the
National Archives, including complete Revolutionary War and Civil War pension applications, Civil War com-
bined service records, Southern Claims Commission records, Cherokee claims and so much more…

HeritageQuest—Offers census access from home through the North Carolina State Library’s NC LIVE data-
bases. Also includes abbreviated Revolutionary War pension files, published local histories and genealogies,
Freedman’s Bank Records, and Congressional Records Set.

FamilySearch.org—The LDS Church and FHSU offer this free and expanding records-focused site. Data-
bases covering local records around the world, including almost all the will books and estate files for North and
South Carolina counties are included. Also a great source indexes to NC marriage licenses (post 1868). Not all collections
are searchable, so be sure to check out the browse-only collection! Some databases are merely indexes to records; others
have images attached. Search the Family History Library catalog and order records on microfilm through your local Family
History Center for a small fee. Some databases are restricted to use in LDS family history centers or require registration.

FindaGrave.com—The largest single repository of on-line burial records, sometimes with additional information attached.
Beware. Some of this material reflects assumptions about where people might be buried rather than a confirmed burial
place. There are sometimes, however, photographs of tombstones or even of the deceased themselves with family details.

Cyndislist.com—A topical directory linking you to websites on almost any genealogical subject.

Where Do I Go From Here?

This is just the beginning of your appointment. But remember, read genealogical publica-
journey. In order to develop your these are teaching sessions, tions. Many genealogical
skills and succeed as a genealo- so that you can eventually per- societies publish how-to arti-
gist, you’re going to need to edu- form the research on your own. cles, sponsor conferences
cate yourself. Learn about the (2) Interlibrary loan. If records and connect members to one
types of records that will help you are not available locally, we another.
and the times and places in which can sometimes obtain them (5) Sign up for news about clas-
your ancestors lived. How? from other libraries. ses from the Heritage Re-
(1) Set up one-on-one personal (3) Get the librarian to recom- search Center. We offer ses-
librarian sessions with Herit- mend a book or website to fit sions on many Internet re-
age Research Center staff your situation. There are many sources and record types,
members. If you need in- good resources out there. plus informative lectures from
depth assistance, we can of- outside experts.
(4) Join a genealogy society and
fer you hour-long sessions by
 5
P a g e
S t ar t ed !
G e t
L e t ’ s
The Pedigree Chart above should be copied. Additional copies can be used to extend the lineage for
each of the eight great grandparents in Generation Four above.
L e t ’ s G e t S t ar t ed ! P a g e 6

Copy this family group sheet (FGS) and use one for every family in your ancestry. In other words, one
for your parents and their children, one for each of two sets of grandparents, one for each of four sets
of great grandparents, etc. This way, you can keep track of siblings.