Ask older relatives for a much info as possible about what family history they know. Then start looking for census records and other records to go back further. Like was mentioned before. Ancestry.com is a good place to start. There are also a bunch of surname message boards. www.rootsweb.com has a lot. Finally, try google. Especially if you have an ancestor with an odd name (ie Ephraim Henthorn). Alot of people put their family tree's on the web and if you have a common ancestor with them, google is an easy way to find out alot with minimal research, though like anything else, don't take everything on the web as definite fact without checking it out. Let me know if you need more ideas or direction.