Let's look at a few more mistakes: 4 - not using maps. This is something I failed to do in my earlier days of genealogy and really formed some incorrect assumptions because of it. In one of my family lines, I had them pulling up stakes, loading the children and livestock on a wagon and moving way too much. When I started looking at the maps - primarily the evolution of one county from another, I realized that they stayed put but the new county came to them! With the early divisions of counties, county lines were changed and they lived in an area that became part of a new county. I also couldn't understand why on one tax year they were living in one county and the next year were paying their taxes in another county. Then I learned that people were allowed to pay their taxes in another county. This happened many times when they lived closer to the county seat of another county than their own. Sometimes, one can find families shown in both counties; guess they wanted to be sure and both clerks entered the information. So, it's important to know the "lay of the land." If someone said they were born in Barren County in 1797 ... ooops, there was no Barren Co then. But, likely they lived in what "became" Barren Co. You might find their early records in Warren County. Or if an older date - Green, Logan or even the first 3 counties. They were here - the county wasn't! It's neat to print off a county map - the older the better (or when your family was there). Trace the routes they took from one place to another. It might give you a clue as to where to look for information. 5 - Not knowing the history of the area. This is something we need to expand on. That's one reason I try to give you information on earlier times in this area. The more you learn, the more your research may fall together. Was there an epidemic that killed some of your family or impacted them? Did the Civil War cause them to pull up stakes and move? Can you find a church record of them and locate the church? Did they get involved in political causes? Did they hold an office? What was the land like when they lived there? 6 - Using common sense. Oh boy, I could write volumes on accepting someone else's information without documentation. It has cost me years likely in unraveling a mistake I made because I trusted something on line - or even from a family member. Another example was when I was compiling information on one of my family lines. I'd interviewed a family member who spun the most "interesting" tales - making him really bigger than life. At the same time I was corresponding with his brother, both now deceased. The brother asked me to send him what his interviewed brother had told me. Within a week or so, I had this long letter from the non-interviewed brother telling me that I could pitch 99% of the interview - it just wasn't true. He loved his brother but that brother really liked to exaggerate his life's accomplishments. Of course I had to explain to the interviewed brother why all of his interview wasn't included. "The book was getting too big, had to trim it down." Well, the book WAS getting too big and I had trimmed! More later - Sandi --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com