I'm forwarding this little essay by Rhonda McClure in her daily newsletter. It has some tips that apply to our on-going conversation here. Jerry in Idaho ----- Original Message ----- From: Family Tree Finders <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2000 7:40 AM Subject: Family Tree Finders Tuesday July 18, 2000 > > > FAMILY TREE FINDERS > Tuesday - 18 July 2000 > > An introduction to researching your family > history in county courthouses. > > > Brought to you today by Dancing Baby > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > The biggest and best Dancing Baby screensaver $7.95! > > Make your own custom screensavers by combining any dancing > baby animation with MIDI music, .WAV files, and CD tracks! > Just like the Dancing Baby CD Player, it's completely expandable! > Add new moves free from the net as they are released! > http://www.cyberbounty.com/ad?a=69&b=1&c=1273&offer=55 > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > > FAMILY TREE FINDERS > Tuesday - 18 July 2000 > > Going to the Courthouse > > In this day and age of microfilm and the Internet, there are > many genealogists who have never set foot in a county > courthouse in the pursuit of their family history. However, > as hard as it may be to accept there are some records that > are not available through these other two mediums. > Therefore there are times when it will be necessary for you > to consider taking that leap and researching in the > courthouse in person. > > For some, this just may not be a possibility though. I have > found that seldom do my ancestors have the kindness to > have lived their lives where I now find myself living. Of > course, I suppose a case could be made that it is my fault > that I don't live where they lived. At any rate, if travel just > is not an option for you, then you will need to consider > hiring a professional researcher who can go personally to > the courthouse on your behalf. > > For those of you who can travel, you will want to keep a > few things in mind as you are preparing for your trip to the > courthouse and as you are there. > > -- Prioritize your goals. If you have only one day, go for > the records that are unavailable anywhere else. Next go for > those that will answer the biggest questions you have. > > -- Check something like Everton's "Handybook for > Genealogists" or Ancestry's "Red Book" to see what > records should be at the courthouse. > > -- Call the courthouse ahead of time. Find out about hours, > copying restrictions, location of records (some of the older > records may have been moved to the local historical society > or state archives). > > -- Once at the courthouse, find out where the records you > want to work with are located. It is probable that your > records will be in more than one room. > > Understand that when you are at the courthouse that there > are others there who are doing their jobs. Any given day > you are likely to find title attorneys or their clerks searching > out the title of a deed. Unlike you, they are going from > book to book searching out the title of the land in question. > Relinquish a book if they need it. You will be able to work > in it when they are done. > > Your first few trips to courthouses are likely to be stressful. > You are new to this type of research. Unlike the comfort of > your home as you surf the Internet, you will need to interact > with other individuals, also vying for those records. And as > you visit different courthouses, you will find that the staffs > will differ. Some will be friendly, others may be busy, but > courteous, and still others may be rude. > > The more you know about what you want to accomplish > though the better your chances. You might also try to plan > on visiting for more than one day. This helps you with that > overwhelming feeling of needing to get it all in an eight > hour day. > > > > > Rhonda R. McClure > [email protected] > > > If you know someone who is interested in genealogy, > please forward this entire message to them! > _________________________________________________ > > IMPORTANT ADDRESSES: > Sodamail Web site: http://www.sodamail.com > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE VIA WEB > Click on the following link to be unsubscribed immediately: > http://gt.sodamail.com/exec/gt/unsubscribe_FT.html?user=a8c5ac6eb23a > > > NOTE: You can subscribe to other Sodamail newsletters at the same > time! > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE VIA E-MAIL > Send blank email message to: > [email protected] > > TO SUBSCRIBE VIA E-MAIL > Send blank email message to: > [email protected] > > Need help? -- write to: [email protected] > Have questions--write to our editor: [email protected] > __________________________________________________ > COPYRIGHT 1999-2000 SodaMail LLC. All rights reserved > http://www.Sodamail.com > > > > > >