The Ancestor Hunt

I am a big fan of Kenneth R. Marks, author of The Ancestor Hunt. He has a great collection of newspaper, birth, death, marriage, obituary, and yearbook links - and so much more! Follow him on Twitter and Facebook for daily tips and links to updated collections.


Colorado State Archives

This is where I had one of the most incredible days ever as a novice family researcher! The folks at the Colorado State Archives helped me find the original court records of my great great grandparents’ divorce. If you’re from Colorado or have ancestors from Colorado, this office is a treasure! I’ve used their online search engine for years, but nothing compares to having an actual file pocket containing historic pleadings and orders from 1899 gingerly handed to me with the caution, “Careful, ma’am, these are very delicate.” And it’s right across the street from the Denver Central Library - another Colorado treasure.


The National Archives

Have you checked out the National Archives? They have a wonderful genealogy section, but my bucket list includes in-person research at their facility.


The Internet Archive/Wayback Machine

I have this listed under libraries, too. It’s a terrific resource! I used to refer my students to the Internet Archive when I was teaching. It’s a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites and so much more. These days, I head over here when I’m looking for a resource that’s out of print or elusive for various reasons. Here’s an example of a book I’m studying while researching my Cheney family: The Cheney Genealogy compiled by Charles Henry Pope (1897).


Family Search

I belong to just about every genealogical service around, but one of my go-to sites for historical records is Family Search. This is a free service! In addition to their comprehensive birth, death, and marriage records, their Research Wiki is something I highly recommend you check out.