A genealogist's dream: 50 million historical documents on Web

SF Gate ^ | 4/4/03 | Eun Kyung-Kim - AP

[NormsRevenge]

Researchers, genealogists and the plain curious can now use the Internet to check more than 50 million historical records at the National Archives, from Civil War battles to family immigration files.

Before the system became available, people had to either visit the Archives and spend hours combing through documents or request the files by phone and pay to have them mailed.

[NormsRevenge]

Yeah, like anybody has any spare time since FRee Republic came into being. ;-)

[freedomlover]

50 million historical records

Accompanied by 100 million pop ups.

The humanity!!

[JennysCool]

Lord! Now I'll never escape my idiot family!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yeah, like anybody has any spare time since FRee Republic came into being. ;-)

Isn't that the truth!

I got to look at some of this genology stuff.

[ninergold3]

LOL! I know that feeling.

[MamaB]

I love doing genealogy research. I have learned so much about our ancestors. It seems that every generation has had soldiers in wars from the Revolutionary War til the present. Most of my greatgrandfathers fought in the Confederate Army and l gggrandfather did. Some lost limbs in battle including one in the Rev. War. There is all kinds of info on the web. I have been able to do most of my families back to the late 1600's or early 1700's. I want to do some research and find what they wore during the different periods to place with all my info. Try it, you might like it. Another researcher sent me a pictue of my ggrandfather which I had never seen. It also had one of my uncles when he was a kid and 2 cousins when they were very small. I would love to find others who have family pictures which I have not seen.

[mtbrandon49]

Bump til I get home!

[WhiskeyPapa]

bump

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Bump for later.

[SuzanneC]

Bump Reply. I've found Presidents, Governors, Mayors, Scoundrels - all online in my genealogy search. It has been fascinating. I would encourage anyone interested to give it a try.

[Constitution Day]

BUMP

[RayBob]

My two vices are Freeping and genealogy. I started working on my family tree about two months before my daughter was born. I've been at it for almost 8 years. You're never finished!

When I started out, I have about 34 names with some dates...nothing else. I now have about 1,200 in my database, with census records, birth, death and marriage records, wills, estate papers, copies of deeds, and photographs! of my ancestors. I can take most branches of my tree back to at least the mid 1700s and some considerably further.

My daughter has 5 direct ancestors who served in the Revolutionary war, two on my side and three on my wife's. I have two direct ancestors who were Whiskey Rebels, and have records of their arrest, conviction and pardon. Its great fun and has given me (and hopefully my daughter) more of a sense of what it is to be American. My only disappointments have been those damned Belgian ancestors... My other claim to fame: I'm related to Jimmy Kimmel!

[P8riot]

bump for later

[sistergoldenhair]

Bump for later.

[cdefreese]

Would you suggest sticking to the web for beginners? I have looked at software in the stores and wondered if they are any good. Also, some of the 'pay' genelogical sites too... I don't know anyone that has had any real luck though.

Any suggestions?

[NormsRevenge]

Agreed.. It's a good way to spend time and connect to the past.

In my dad's last few years , he and my step-mother spent a lot of time working on the family trees. They had the families traced back to the 1700s or thereabouts, I believe.

My step-sister has the records and all the documents they accumulated and had a couple of binders of stuff.

I remember looking through them but I can;t recall how many scoundrels and scalywags we had in our families. From talkin' to my dad, it sounds like a little liquor got dispensed of along the way .. in more ways then one ;-)

[RayBob]

You have FREEPMAIL (or will very shortly)

[MamaB]

Believe me, it can be very addictive. You are always trying to find that hard to find info. My cousin's wife had been doing this for over 20 years and had gone all over the country trying to find records. Now, the internet has really helped that. I have Indian blood and we have never been able to find out which tribe my greatgrandmother belonged to. Everyone who has seen her picture has said she is definitely Indian but not even the people in Indian research facilities have been able to help. She was adopted by a family in my hometown and that is as far as we have gotten. She and her children were offered land in Indian Territory-now Oklahoma and they went back and forth from MS to that area. Some info is very hard to find but other stuff is very easy. Good luck.

[Hanging Chad]

Hey; check this out. - bump

[petuniasevan]

YESSSSS!

I love genealogy! I subscribed at ancestry.com 2 years ago, and started researching this vast database. Paydirt! Found mom's second cousin Pat who has tons of family information from 25 years of collecting newspaper clippings, checking microfiche, and interviewing relatives.

In just 2 years, I've dug up just as much info as Pat has in 25!

It's a feather in my cap to find famous persons to whom I'm related.