Hi Jamie,
I actually work in the history field and used used to be a reference archivist--a job in which I helped genealogists to do research. It really depends on the state in which you need to do the research. Some states have their county records centralized in the state archives and some states leave them in the counties. But you need to start with what you know and work backwards using birth & death records when available (many Southern states didn't keep these until the 20th century), wills, estate records, marriage records, census, deeds, etc. Genealogy libraries are good starts if you have one nearby. But Ancestry is getting better the census is its strong point in terms of remote geneaology. Beyond that it depends--it is great if you can solve everything via the census and some scanned reference books. But not many people can. I do use Ancestry regularly in my job--it is good for military pensions, as well--but that isn't really what you need when getting started trying to trace your family. People don't list their parents in military pensions.
So all that said--you can probably get access to Ancestry at a library and try it out--you may also be able to do a decent amount of research at a genealogy library. If the line you are working on is actually from CA, try to use the original records if possible. There are also genealogists for hire in most areas.
Good luck!
Ansley
Well said, Ansley!
What do you do in the history field?
Todd
USNPS Seasonal Park Ranger
History Instructor, Librarian
Hi Todd,
I am a research historian for the state. (One of the main things my office does are the state's highway historical markers) I often miss my days as a reference archivist though...
What about you? Where do you teach and work--your career looks quite varied!
Ansley
Originally Posted by tartanherring
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