I also use google as my main search engine. When I search, I just type my info in quotations, especially when looking for names. Example: "Gina Hill" . Searching this way will only find the web pages with those names together, in that order, instead of giving me every website with Gina and every website with Hill. You can also add related words outside the quotations that may be related to what you are searching. Ex: "Gina Hill" genealogy . I think I learned this from one of these mail lists and I find it very valuable when searching. Just thought I would share. Gina -----Original Message----- From: rbozzay [mailto:rbozzay@earthlink.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 6:57 AM To: MO-STLOUIS-METRO-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [StL-Metro] Steamboat information This is how I find specific web sites and get to relevant sites pretty quickly: 1. I use google (but other search programs are good too) 2. I use the advanced search mode 3. In the field "Exact phrase" I entered B & O RR to find the link for the RR. 4. Searching for Steamboat Captains, I put Steamboat in Exact phrase and Captain in "with all of the words: I got 57,400 hits...so I need to add some search criteria...I will go back to my advanced search screen and under "with at least one of the words" directory, list, roster I found a book called Way's Packet Directory 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System Since the Advent of Photography in Mid-Continent America written by Frederick Way Jr (compiler). It is touted by the site selling it as the bible of steamboat history. You may want to see if the library has it and if it has what you want. Here is a link to a bookstore site selling lots of books about steamboats. http://www.steamboats.com/bookssteam.html I am not endorsing any of these nor selling them...but you might find something on the list that sounds interesting and perhaps your library has it. Then if you really like it, you can buy it! Or put it on your holiday wish list! http://www.steamboats.com/map.html this is a link to more information on the site that is not selling anything. Maybe something here will be of help. I included how I find these things so folks on the list who have never done an advanced search can see how I do them to come up with some of the stuff I do. Happy searching! Laura ----- Original Message ----- From: "janicehartman" <janhartman@cox.net> To: <MO-STLOUIS-METRO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 11:27 PM Subject: [StL-Metro] Steamboat information > Since there is a web site for the railroad, is there one for the steamboats in St. Louis that would give Captain names and their boats? > Thanks, > Janice in Arizona > > > ==== MO-STLOUIS-METRO Mailing List ==== > If you are researching the Irish in St. Louis, you might want to have > a look at Diane Shaw's websites: http://members.gtw.net/~seamus/Irshnstl.htm and http://members.gtw.net/~seamus/KerryPatch.htm > > ==== MO-STLOUIS-METRO Mailing List ==== If you haven't visited Dave Lossos' "Genealogy in St. Louis" website (http://genealogyinstlouis.accessgenealogy.com/) you might want to take a look.