Ways You Can Do Research FREE:

• Familysearch.org
• FindaGrave.com
• USGenweb.org
• Library / Genealogy Departments
• Portal of Texas History (www.texashistory.unt.edu)
• County Genealogical websites

Did you know the Family Search website can be accessed simply by creating a free account? Once you’ve created your account, you can search by ancestor, create a family tree within the site, and view actual images of documents. Although not as complete a research tool as Ancestry.com, it has useful information you can access. An advanced search of Images can show you all the documents available within a county, including marriages, probate, guardianships, death records, and civil cases. Some documents are not indexed for the simple search, but the advanced search will bring them up for viewing. I will do a sample of that search feature soon. Stay tuned!

FindaGrave is an excellent free search tool but can be finicky if you are unsure of dates, name spellings, or locations. Memorials are added by users and can have misspellings or incorrect information, so be cautious. Not all graves are listed, but many are if there is a headstone or if the cemetery provided a list of graves. In addition, FindaGrave also has some memorials for cremations and missing graves. Finding a loved one on this site can sometimes provide details of their history, as well as their parents, children, and siblings.

USGenweb.org is a free site that is a great research tool, but it depends on which state and county you are searching. Once you click on the US map for the state you need, it will redirect you to that state’s Genweb page, where you’ll see a list of counties. Each state and county is maintained separately and some provide more information than others. However, this is a great place to check for information on your ancestors. Before Ancestry’s popularity, this was the go-to site for researchers. It’s definitely worth a look!

Ancestry.com is a wonderful website and almost a must for researchers, but it’s also expensive! Did you know your local library likely has Ancestry.com available on their computers for patrons to use free of charge? Ask at the Information Desk or the Genealogy Department of the library! Sometimes that access is for the International version of Ancestry, allowing you to search worldwide! In addition, a good Genealogy Department will also have available to access free of charge, Newspapers.com, where you can search obituaries, and Fold3.com, where you can search military records for your ancestor!

Library Genealogy Departments also have many books on state and local histories, as well as microfilm copies of county tax records and census. Ask your local library for assistance in finding what you need.

The Portal of Texas History website is a newspaper search site, primarily for Texas. No account is needed. Simply type in a search word or ‘search words’. You can filter your results by periodical, year, decade, county, or any combination thereof. You are then able to view the actual newspaper page with your search word highlighted for easy viewing. I can tell you from experience, some words like Berry or Woods, will bring up all kinds of results, including strawberry, berry pie, and all kinds of wood and forests. But, the Portal of Texas is a great site for finding miscellaneous articles about your ancestor or an event in Texas history. While this site is primarily Texas, if you are searching another state, google university library search websites for that state. You might be surprised what you can find for free!

Local historical and genealogical societies often maintain their own website of information. Google for the county you’re interested in and see if there is a site you can visit online! Free!