Jerry, I started in the late 1980s. I knew very little about my family. Dad had some information, but it turned out that not all of the word of mouth information was correct. I took what I knew and basically wrote it down. I also kept what I had been told, but in another file. I knew certain information about my great grandfather's service in the Civil War, but not much. I got a copy of his death certificate and his military history (copies from the National Archives) and started piecing things together. I did some major guessing in the process of learning more. The guesses or hunches were based on what I knew. Some times I got lucky and other times not. Sometimes I learned things that did not quite fit in at the time. I saved the information on the chance that it would prove useful eventually. On my grandad's death certificate, I learned his parents names (Including mother's maiden name) and their place of birth. I went to everything I could find including Census records and found where (for me within the state of Pennsylvania) my gg grandfather and gg grandmother's families (People with that family name) lived in the same place. I started piecing the puzzle together from both ends. With a lot of work and luck, I have a pretty good record back before the American Revolution. I have traveled a lot on my job. I used that opportunity to go into libraries in several towns and cities. I had limited time, so I restricted my research to publications that had indexes. I did not have enough time to read an entire book only to learn it had nothing pertinent to my family. Hopefully this has been of some help to you. Clif Jerry Hinds <jerryhinds@cfl.rr.com> wrote: Cliff, My name is jerry Hinds. Can you help me by giving me an idea of how tro start to trace my family history? Thank you. Jerry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clif Hinds" To: Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 5:23 PM Subject: Re: [HINDS] Draper Manuscripts > Barbara, > I have looked all over the web. The thought of inter-library loan is a > possible, but we live in a really backward area. I like this part of > Tennessee, but it's like living in the 50's. OOPS, did I say that!!!!!! > > Clif > > Barbara Finney wrote: > I gather that these papers are in my local library and perhaps also one > near to you. I will make a note to look at the Thomas S. Hinde Papers in > the Draper Manuscript collection. Thanks for the tip. See the following > page from the Wisconsin Historical Society web site for other locations: > > The Draper Manuscripts Additional Resources > The following libraries have purchased complete microfilm sets of the > Draper Manuscripts: > > Alabama: Birmingham Public Library (Birmingham); University of Alabama > (Tuscaloosa); Auburn University (Auburn); Huntsville Public Library > (Huntsville). > > Arkansas: University of Arkansas (Fayetteville). > > California: Huntington Library (San Marino); University of California > (Berkeley); University of California, Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara); > University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA); University of Southern > California (Los Angeles); Carlsbad City Library (Carlsbad). > > Colorado: Denver Public Library (Denver). > > District of Colombia: Library of Congress (Washington); DAR Library > (Washington). > > Florida: Florida State University (Tallahassee); Miami-Dade Public Library > (Miami); University of Central Florida (Orlando). > > Georgia: Emory University (Atlanta); University of Georgia (Athens). > > Illinois: Illinois State Historical Library (Springfield); Northern > Illinois University (DeKalb); Newberry Library (Chicago); University of > Chicago (Chicago). > > Indiana: Ball State University (Muncie); Indiana State Library > (Indianapolis); Indiana University (Bloomington); Public Library of Fort > Wayne and Allen County (Fort Wayne); Purdue University (Lafayette); > Vincennes Public Library (Vincennes). > > Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa (Iowa City). > > Kansas: University of Kansas (Lawrence); Wichita Public Library (Wichita). > > Kentucky: Filson Club (Louisville); Kentucky Historical Society > (Frankfort); Murray State University (Murray); Kentucky State Department > of Libraries (Frankfort); University of Kentucky (Lexington); Eastern > Kentucky University (Richmond); Western Kentucky University (Bowling > Green). > > Louisiana: Alexandria Historical and Genealogical Library (Alexandria); > Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge). > > Massachusetts: Harvard University (Cambridge); Boston Public Library > (Boston). > > Michigan: Wayne State University (Detroit). > > Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society (St. Paul). > > Mississippi: Mississippi State Department of Archives and History > (Jackson); University of Mississippi (University). > > Missouri: State Historical Society of Missouri (Columbia); Southwest > Missouri State University (Springfield); Mid Continent Public Library > (Independence); Truman State University (Kirksville). > > Nebraska: University of Nebraska (Lincoln). > > New Jersey: Princeton University (Princeton). > > New York: New York Public Library (New York). > > New Mexico: University of New Mexico (Albuquerque). > > North Carolina: Duke University (Durham) and the University of North > Carolina (Chapel Hill); each hold about half the series, a planned > acquisition which together constitutes a complete set; Charlotte Public > Library (Charlotte). > > Ohio: Ohio University (Athens); Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton > County (Cincinnati); Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland); Ohio > Historical Society (Columbus); Wright State University (Dayton); Bowling > Green State University. > > Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma (Norman); Oklahoma State University > (Stillwater); Tulsa City-County Library (Tulsa) > > Pennsylvania: East Stroudsburg University (East Stroudsburg); Mansfield > University (Mansfield); David Library of the American Revolution > (Washington Crossing). > > South Carolina: South Carolina Department of Archives and History > (Columbia); Winthrop College (Rock Hill). > > Tennessee: Memphis-Shelby County Public Library (Memphis); Memphis State > University (Memphis); Tennessee State Library and Archives (Nashville); > Knox County Public Library (Knoxville); University of Tennessee > (Knoxville); East Tennessee State University (Johnson City); Tennessee > Technological University (Cookeville). > > Texas: Dallas Public Library (Dallas); Clayton Library (Houston); Rice > University (Houston); San Antonio Public Library; West Texas State > University (Canyon). > > Utah: Family History Library (Salt Lake City); Heritage Quest/American > Genealogical Lending Library (Bountiful); University of Utah (Salt Lake > City). > > Virginia: Virginia State Archives (Richmond); Virginia State Library > (Richmond); Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Blacksburg); University of > Virginia (Charlottesville); Washington and Lee University (Lexington); > College of William and Mary (Williamsburg). > > Washington: Central Washington State (Ellensburg). > > West Virginia: Marshall University (Huntington); West Virginia Institute > of Technology (Montgomery); West Virginia University (Morgantown); > Surveyor of Lands of Berkeley County (Martinsburg). > > Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison); University of > Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Milwaukee). > > Canada: University of New Brunswick (Fredericton). > > > > > > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > > > > --------------------------------- > Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! > Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web > > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > > ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com