I have been researching since 1998, and consisder my self an advanced genologist. Beginners here are some helpful hints , if you do know already about this , just ignore. sites I recommend: !) Volunteers can be found at Random Acts of Geneological Kindness . Go to this site and find a volunteer in your state then county.It is on the honor system and you will be expected to pay for postage,and photocopies. Some will go to cemetaries and take pictures of gravestones, in courthouse will search for deeds, wills and Marriage licenses. 2) Find a Grave site. 3) Footnotes on Ancestry.com this site will find most anything you need. this is a pay site. you will find Rev soldiers records and Confederacy soldiers.. 4)Recommend you join Ancestry.com there you can find census records and other helpful information.however some is inaccurate so dig deep and cross reference. 5) If you live in Texas, Houston has a wonderful lib. Clayton Lib for geneological research. The surnames in Boone county that I am researching. Murphy Penn Martin Smith Doss (Sarah Smith Doss applied for land late 1890 in Boone County) Freeman in Carroll County. ( 1860 census shows a William Freeman age 6 in household of Elizabeth Smith . I find son of Sarah Smith Doss in 1900 census Boone county Elizabeth( maiden name unknown) Freeman Smith was widow of unknown Freeman and had married Jordan Smith sometime between 1850 and 1860) Elizabeth Smith is shown in household of John Martin 1900 as stepmother in law. Sorry I stirred up such a hornets nest with my post. Mr Bates had posted his information ,and It just popped into my head "wonder if he looked at the cem listings in Boone and Carroll County". Sarrah Longview Texas