Genealogical Research

Over the past 32 years I have researched numerous records of the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Romania. This research has been performed both in-person and on-line. Though non-native research is not the primary focus of my genealogical research, I have thoroughly researched my own non-native lineages, and have done this type of research for a handful of individuals over the years. 

I primarily research 3-Fires Tribes (Ottawa, Chippewa, and Pottawatomi), but have also done some work with the Cherokee, Seminole, and Sioux Tribes. This research is done locally (to the tribe being researched), and in various National Archives repositories throughout the United States and Canada.

One of my favorite things to do in the whole world is in-person research . Whether its in a local library,  a state records office, or a national archive, its all exciting and fun! I especially love the smell of old books and the architecture of old buildings.

The number one down side to doing in-person research is that it is expensive! It often requires you travel great distances, which means a lot of driving and/or flying. That is expensive. Sometimes you have to get a room for a few nights or weeks, expensive. Many repositories have limited parking and/or charge for parking. That is expensive and annoying, as you quite often have to stop researching to run out to feed a meter. Public transportation is often required when there is no parking available, which also means you are doing a lot of walking, most times laden with computers, cameras and other heavy equipment. Obviously, when you are doing in-person research, you are also limited by the repositories hours of operation. Some repositories require prior approval and/or letters of recommendation prior to researching. Some repositories have exorbitant fees for copies and/or certified true copies, take days or weeks to complete copy orders, and then charge additional fees for sending them by mail. Sending records by mail from other countries also requires that you wait for the records to clear U.S. Customs. These are just a few of the not-so-fun parts of in-person research which are an unavoidable annoyance. Even so, I still love it!

What can I say about on-line research? I love that too! The sheer volume of records that are available today, with just a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, is utterly amazing! Millions of records from all around the world are immediately available to you in the comfort of your own home, with more being added every single day. It is truly astonishing.  It is a marvel of technology that many people do not truly appreciate. 

I like to go back and retrace my research periodically as new things become available, to see what else I can find. To look for new information that can help flesh-out the life of a particular ancestor more clearly. Shore up holes as it were. It can be addicting though, as there is really no end to the research that can be done on an individual. Often, a new document will lead you to new discoveries, which in turn creates new paths to be explored. It truly is never ending.