Category: Genealogy Tools and Software

Monthly Family History Goals for Genealogy Success Part 2

A new year is around the corner, which means new puzzle pieces. Instead of letting your calendar boss you around, save a spot for family history. Fifteen minutes a day, an hour a week, or a once-a-month binge. Pick what fits and stick with it. I laid out clear monthly goals you can mix and match.

May – Do a House History

Ever wondered who lived in your home before you? Or maybe your ancestor’s old address still exists. Start by gathering clues from deeds, tax records, and city directories. Check with your local property appraiser or courthouse for ownership history. Historical societies often have maps or photos showing the evolution of your neighborhood. If you’re researching your ancestor’s home, look for census records tied to that address and old newspapers for local gossip or “who moved in” tidbits. You might even uncover your family’s house being sold, built, or remodeled in the classifieds!

June – Go Outside!

Spring is the perfect time to take your genealogy out for a walk. Visit old family neighborhoods, ancestral farms, or cemeteries. Take photos of headstones and markers (and upload them to Find a Grave or BillionGraves to help others). Walk through historical districts or open-air museums for the architectural context of your ancestor’s era. If possible, bring family members along—someone might recall details you’ve never heard before. Don’t forget sunscreen, bug spray, and a notebook!

July – Reconnect with Relatives

Summer is reunion season. Plan a family gathering, even if it’s just a Zoom call. Reaching out to relatives—especially those DNA matches you’ve been curious about—can uncover photos, stories, or documents that fill big holes in your research. Be polite, respectful, and share something of your own (like a cool discovery or photo). This helps build trust and keeps the communication going. Remember: today’s cousin connection could be tomorrow’s biggest genealogy breakthrough!

August – Dive into History

Take a deep dive into the local or regional history tied to your ancestors. Visit your hometown’s museum or historical society. Read old newspapers to understand what life was like during your ancestor’s lifetime—wars, weather, prices, and social issues all shaped their stories. For a modern twist, use AI tools or online archives to create timelines that show what was happening during key years of your ancestor’s life. Understanding the bigger picture helps bring those names and dates to life.

September – Improve Your Skills

Genealogy is a lifelong learning adventure. Dedicate this month to building your expertise. Attend online webinars or local workshops. Explore podcasts, YouTube channels, and online courses that cover DNA interpretation, record analysis, or writing family stories. Consider joining genealogical societies—they often offer exclusive training sessions and resources. Keep a notebook (or digital log) of what you learn so you can revisit tips and apply them to your own research.

October – Be a Contributor

Give back to the genealogy community this month. Volunteer as a transcriber or indexer for archives and record projects. Respond to photo requests on Find a Grave or share obituaries and family photos online (with permission). Contributing helps preserve history and strengthens your research network. You might even meet distant cousins or researchers working on the same lines. Every name indexed or photo uploaded makes a difference!

November – Write It Down

It’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), so grab that keyboard or pen and start writing your ancestor’s story. It doesn’t have to be long—pick one ancestor or one event and describe it in your own words. Use documents, maps, and photos to make it feel real. If you want to share, submit your story as a guest post on Loganalogy or create a small family keepsake to give as a holiday gift. Writing brings your research to life and ensures your ancestors are remembered.

December – Share the Traditions

The holidays are made for reminiscing. Cook traditional family recipes, decorate with heirlooms, and share stories of relatives from holidays past. You could even create a “Family Traditions” scrapbook or record video interviews with older relatives. Don’t forget faith-based or cultural customs—these often hold deep ancestral meaning. Sharing these moments keeps your heritage alive and teaches younger generations where they came from.


Visit Loganalogy.com and my Research Specialist page to get guidance that fits your time and budget.

Uncover Missing Parents in Genealogy

Hello family history detectives! One of the most common brick walls we face is identifying someone’s parents when vital records are missing, destroyed, or never existed. Don’t give up—there are many creative strategies to uncover those elusive parental names!

Why Records Go Missing

Before we dive into solutions, remember that vital records weren’t always kept. Many states didn’t require birth registration until the early 1900s, and fires, floods, and wars destroyed countless courthouse records. Sometimes certificates exist but are restricted or difficult to access.

Alternative Sources to Try

Census Records: Federal censuses are goldmines for this research. Look for your ancestor as a child living in their parents’ household. The 1900, 1910, and later censuses show relationships to the head of household, making it easier to identify parents. Earlier censuses require detective work—look for children with the same surname living with adults of appropriate ages.

Death Certificates: Your ancestor’s death certificate often lists their parents’ names, including the mother’s maiden name. Even if the informant didn’t know the exact names, they might have provided partial information or clues. Death certificates became more common after 1900 in most states.

Obituaries: Newspaper obituaries frequently name parents, especially if they were still living or well-known in the community. They might say “son of John and Mary Smith” or “daughter of the late Robert Jones.” Even brief death notices can provide valuable clues.

Probate and Estate Records: When parents died, their wills and probate files often named all their children. Search probate records for potential parents in the right time period and location. Estate distributions, guardianship papers, and property divisions can reveal family relationships.

Land Records: Deeds sometimes identify family relationships, especially when property passed between generations. Look for phrases like “from father to son” or witness signatures by family members. LandGrantee-Grantor indexes can help you track property transfers.

Church Records: Baptismal records usually name both parents and are often the only birth record available for earlier time periods. Marriage records in church registers might include parents’ names even when civil records don’t. Don’t forget confirmation records, which sometimes note parentage.

Military Records: Draft registrations, pension applications, and service records often required listing next of kin or parents’ names. Revolutionary War, Civil War, and WWI records can be particularly detailed. Widow’s pensions sometimes include family history affidavits.

DNA Testing: This is a game-changer for modern genealogy! DNA matches can help identify family lines when paper trails fail. Close matches (first and second cousins) can help you determine which family your ancestor belonged to. Combined with traditional research, DNA can crack seemingly impossible cases.

Court Records: Beyond probate, look for naturalization papers (which sometimes list parents), adoption records, name changes, and even lawsuits involving family property disputes. Criminal or civil court cases might reveal family relationships in testimony.

Newspapers Beyond Obituaries: Search for wedding announcements, birth announcements, anniversary celebrations, reunion notices, and society columns. Your ancestor’s siblings’ records might name the parents even if your ancestor’s records don’t.

Cemetery and Burial Records: Family plots often cluster relatives together. Sexton’s records and cemetery office files might note relationships. Tombstones occasionally state relationships like “beloved son of…” or feature family groupings that reveal connections.

School and Institutional Records: School enrollment records, orphanage records, and poorhouse registers often documented parents’ names, even for deceased parents. Employment records for minors might also require parental information.

Research Strategies

Work Sideways: Can’t find your ancestor’s parents? Research their siblings instead! Brothers and sisters might have better-preserved records that name the parents you’re seeking.

Study the Neighbors: Look at who lived near your ancestor in census records. Neighbors were often relatives, and researching nearby families might reveal connections through marriage or blood relationships.

FAN Club Approach: Research your ancestor’s Friends, Associates, and Neighbors. Witnesses on documents, godparents, and business partners were often relatives. These connections can provide indirect evidence of parentage.

Cluster Genealogy: Research everyone with the same surname in the same location and time period. Build family groups and eliminate possibilities until patterns emerge pointing to your ancestor’s parents.

Timeline Everything: Create a detailed timeline of your ancestor’s life. Sometimes seeing all events in chronological order reveals clues you missed—like being in the right place at the right time to be the child of specific parents.

Don’t Overlook Local Sources

Visit or contact local historical societies, genealogical societies, and libraries in your ancestor’s area. They often have family files, compiled genealogies, Bible records, and local knowledge not available online. Local experts might recognize family names and connections immediately.

Building Your Case

When you can’t find direct proof, build a circumstantial case using multiple pieces of indirect evidence. Look for patterns in naming (children often named after grandparents), geographic proximity, timing, and DNA matches. Sometimes, the preponderance of evidence points clearly to parentage even without a birth certificate.

Remember, genealogy is detective work! Every ancestor’s case is unique, and sometimes you need to get creative. The answer is out there—you just need to find the right source.

Need research help? Visit Family Tree Research Specialist Services & Coaching

Monthly Family History Goals for Genealogy Success

A new year is around the corner, which means new puzzle pieces. Instead of letting your calendar boss you around, save a spot for family history. Fifteen minutes a day, an hour a week, or a once-a-month binge. Pick what fits and stick with it. I laid out clear monthly goals you can mix and match.

January: Get Organized
Create a main “Genealogy” folder on your computer, add surname folders, then family-group subfolders. Drop in digitized photos, documents, and research notes. Download record copies from your online trees so you keep control. Back up to the cloud and an external drive. Start or update your tree in software and sync with your online tree. Add raw DNA files to a “DNA” subfolder.

February: Rebuild One Family
Choose a branch that’s thin on facts. Turn on record hints by building a working tree on your favorite sites. Review hints carefully, attach only good matches, and keep “maybe” notes. After hints, hunt for gaps, like missing census years or vital records, and fill them with targeted searches. Use multiple sources for key events, and fix loose ends like second marriages and stepchildren links.

March: Find the Women
For Women’s History Month, focus on one or two female ancestors. Search husbands, siblings, and children for her maiden name. Check marriage records, obits, church books, and pensions. Consider an mtDNA test to study your direct maternal line. Review matches with care, since mtDNA changes slowly.

April: Do More with DNA
National DNA Day lands on April 25. Autosomal tests (AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe) help with matches on both sides. Y-DNA traces a direct paternal line. Ask relatives to test, respect privacy, and message close matches to compare trees and places. Upload raw data to GEDmatch and sites that accept uploads. If you use health insights, share results with your doctor, not as a diagnosis.


Visit Loganalogy.com and my Research Specialist page to get guidance that fits your time and budget.

How to Store Photos and Letters for Long-Term Preservation

The Science of Saving Memories:

Temperature and Humidity Control

📅 Published: December 15, 2024👤 By: Heritage Keeper

Your family’s precious documents and photographs are more vulnerable than you might think. Every day they sit in storage, invisible chemical processes are slowly breaking them down. But here’s the good news: with the right environmental controls, you can dramatically slow this deterioration and preserve your heritage for generations to come.

Temperature Golden Rule: Keep storage areas below 75°F (24°C). Cooler temperatures slow chemical decay and reduce insect activity that can damage your materials.

Humidity Sweet Spot: Maintain relative humidity below 65% to prevent mold growth, but above 15% to avoid brittleness. Aim for 45-55% for optimal preservation.

Think of your attic in summer – temperatures can soar above 100°F with humidity levels that create perfect conditions for mold and insect damage. Similarly, that damp basement might seem cool, but high humidity is equally destructive. The ideal storage space is climate-controlled, like a main living area of your home.

Continue reading about environmental controls →

Cold Storage: The Secret to Saving Color Photographs

📅 Published: December 10, 2024👤 By: Photo Preservation Expert

Those vibrant color photos from your childhood? They’re fading faster than you realize. Color photographs, slides, and negatives are particularly vulnerable to deterioration, often showing significant fading within just a few decades when stored at room temperature.

Professional archivists use cold storage to extend the life of color materials by decades or even centuries. While this requires special preparation and packaging, it’s the most effective way to preserve your most precious color memories.

Cold Storage Benefits: Can extend the life of color photographs by 5-10 times compared to room temperature storage. Essential for irreplaceable family photos.

Before considering cold storage, ensure your photos are properly cleaned, organized, and packaged in archival materials. The National Park Service provides detailed guidance on preparing materials for cold storage.

Learn more about cold storage techniques →

Safe Storage Locations: Avoiding the Hidden Dangers

📅 Published: December 5, 2024👤 By: Archive Safety Specialist

Where you store your family archives matters as much as how you store them. Many well-intentioned families lose irreplaceable documents and photos to preventable disasters simply because they chose the wrong storage location.

Danger Zones to Avoid:

  • Basements: Prone to flooding and high humidity
  • Attics: Extreme temperature fluctuations and often dusty
  • Garages: Temperature extremes and potential water damage
  • Near pipes or windows: Risk of water damage from leaks
  • Kitchen or dining areas: Attract insects and rodents

Instead, choose interior spaces with stable temperatures, low humidity, and protection from water sources. A bedroom closet or dedicated storage room in your main living space often provides ideal conditions.

Pro Tip: Store items on shelves, never directly on floors where they could be damaged by minor flooding or cleaning activities.

Discover more safe storage strategies →

Archival-Quality Materials: Your First Line of Defense

📅 Published: November 28, 2024👤 By: Materials Science Expert

Not all storage materials are created equal. The boxes, folders, and albums touching your family documents can either protect them for centuries or slowly destroy them through acid migration and chemical reactions.

When selecting storage materials, look for products that are:

  • Lignin-free and acid-free or buffered
  • Appropriately sized (no folding or cramming required)
  • PAT-tested for photographic storage
  • Made from stable materials like polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene

Avoid regular cardboard boxes, plastic bags, rubber cement, tape, and any materials that feel cheap or flimsy. These can release harmful chemicals or fail to provide adequate protection.

Shop for archival supplies with confidence →

Creating Family Archive Albums That Last

📅 Published: November 20, 2024👤 By: Album Design Specialist

A well-designed family album isn’t just a collection of photos—it’s a storytelling device that connects generations. But creating an album that will survive decades requires careful attention to materials and mounting techniques.

The safest mounting approach uses no adhesives at all. Instead, use acid-free photo corners or polyester sleeves that allow photos to be viewed while protecting them from handling damage.

Album Assembly Best Practices: Never overstuff pages or albums. Leave room for materials to expand and contract with humidity changes, and ensure easy handling without stress on bindings.

Choose binding styles based on how you’ll use the album. Ring binders allow for easy reorganization, while sewn bindings offer traditional elegance and durability.

Master the art of archival album creation →

📋 Preservation Checklist

  • Temperature below 75°F
  • Humidity 45-65%
  • Away from water sources
  • Acid-free storage boxes
  • Polyester photo sleeves
  • Climate-controlled location
  • Regular condition checks
  • Digital backup copies

🌡️ Quick Environment Test

Check your storage area:

  • Feel: Comfortable room temperature?
  • Smell: Any musty odors?
  • Look: Signs of water damage?
  • Listen: Pipes nearby?

If any concerns arise, consider relocating your archives.

📚 Recommended Supplies

  • Acid-free document boxes
  • Polyester L-sleeves
  • Archival photo corners
  • Buffered tissue paper
  • Digital thermometer/hygrometer
  • Museum-quality albums

🔗 Expert Resources

© 2024 Preserving Our Legacy. Dedicated to helping families safeguard their heritage for future generations.

Based on preservation guidelines from the National Archives and Records Administration

Smart Content Strategies: Ditch What Doesn’t Work

How I’m Using Pinterest, ChatGPT, and a Bit of Common Sense to Work Smarter (Not Harder)

Lately, I’ve been rethinking how I manage my time, especially when it comes to juggling genealogy research, client work, blog updates, and social media. I’ll be honest: some platforms just aren’t worth the energy anymore. Twitter (or X or whatever it’s calling itself this week)? Noise. Spam. Trolls. Nope. And LinkedIn? A good idea in theory, but it just doesn’t work for my audience.

I gave both another shot recently, but the interactions felt hollow, the effort didn’t match the return, and honestly, I’d rather spend that time untangling a 19th-century census record.

Medium and Fiverr? Same deal. I learned that if I don’t own my content (like on Medium), I’m at the mercy of the platform—and I’m not about to lose hours of writing to a deleted post. Fiverr, while useful for some, didn’t generate leads for my genealogy services. So I walked away from both and haven’t looked back.

Enter: Pinterest, ChatGPT, Claude, and Content Strategy Magic 🪄

One thing I have added back into the mix is Pinterest—and this time, I’m actually seeing results. Thanks to analytics (and some trial-and-error), I’ve noticed Pinterest drives steady traffic to my blog and Etsy shop. It’s not just a place for recipes and DIY crafts anymore. It has become a visual search engine, especially for Gen Z, who now prefer it over Google for daily decisions.

Even better? Pinterest content sticks around way longer than a Facebook post or Instagram story. That’s what we call “evergreen,” baby.

I’ve also been using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, plus content strategist-approved tips to help me plan smarter, not harder. Tools like Canva have made it easier to create posts that look good and connect with the right audience without sucking up all my time. I now batch content, reuse templates, and prioritize engagement over perfection.

To make the most of what I create, I’ve started reposting my Instagram Reels to YouTube Shorts—same video, more reach. I’m also on BlueSky, but I use it mostly to network with fellow family historians rather than as a primary platform.

These updates have freed up my time and helped me stay sane.

What’s Working (and What’s Out)

Here’s my current social media + content strategy lineup:

✅ Instagram – Best for connecting with the genealogy community, sharing Reels, and building relationships
✅ Pinterest – Great for evergreen content, traffic, and reaching new audiences (especially younger ones)
✅ Facebook – Still solid for group engagement and community support
✅ YouTube Shorts – I’ve started reposting my Instagram Reels here for more reach without extra effort
☑️ BlueSky – I’m not actively posting, but I do use it to network with other family historians
❌ Twitter/X – Too noisy, too spammy, and too short-lived
❌ LinkedIn – Not the right vibe or audience
❌ Medium + Fiverr – Didn’t bring leads or lasting value

The Bottom Line

Sometimes the best way to grow is to stop doing what isn’t working. Once I let go of platforms that weren’t giving me value, I had the time and energy to focus on what does, and it shows in the quality of my audience connections and my productivity.

I’m keeping things simple, meaningful, and strategic. If it’s not moving the needle for Loganalogy, it’s off the to-do list.

Thanks for being part of this journey—I’ve got more tips, tools, and content updates coming your way. Let’s keep learning, sharing, and building those trees 🌳 together.

👇 Need help managing your genealogy journey or building a tree that actually makes sense?

Visit Loganalogy.etsy.com to explore tools, guides, and research support!

Discover Your Family History with Quick Reference Guides

You asked, and I delivered! If you’ve ever wished genealogy came with a quick-start manual (preferably without a 600-page history book attached), then this one’s for you. I’ve added brand new Genealogy Worksheets and Quick Reference Guides to the Loganalogy Etsy Shop, and yes—they’re beginner-friendly, printable, and very much “why didn’t I have this when I started?!”

🎬 What You’ll See in the Video

In the video clip, I give you a sneak peek of what’s inside:

  • The Family Group Sheet to help organize households in your tree
  • A Research Log to track your rabbit holes—I mean, discoveries
  • A Birth Year Estimation Cheat Sheet that makes census math way less painful
  • The ever-popular 50 ChatGPT Prompts for Genealogy to bust through brick walls (and creative slumps)

Why I Created These Tools

Let’s be real. Genealogy is fun… until it feels like detective work with zero clues and 18 spelling variations of “Smith.” These guides are designed to:

  • Give beginners a simple, visual way to start
  • Help seasoned researchers stay organized
  • Provide reference info that saves time and sanity (yes, I’m talking to the person re-Googling “1900 census column meanings” every other Tuesday)

I wanted these tools to be printable, affordable, and easy to use—whether you’re researching on a lunch break or teaching a grandkid how to build a tree.

How to Use Them

Print them, laminate them, slap them in a binder, or fill them in digitally—whatever fits your style. These tools work for personal projects, family reunions, or even genealogy clubs that need simple worksheets for new members.

🔍 Ready to start or simplify your research?
Check out all the new listings now in the Loganalogy Etsy Shop!

Need more help? Visit Loganalogy.com Research Specialist page! I offer guidance to streamline your research, provide expert tips, and help you build a family tree that future generations will cherish.

Break Genealogy Barriers: 5-Page ChatGPT Prompt Pack

Stuck in a genealogy rut? Break through brick walls, decode old records, and finally write those ancestor stories using this 5-page ChatGPT prompt pack made just for family historians. 🧓🏼🧾🌳

This printable PDF includes 50 beginner-friendly prompts to help you brainstorm new research angles, get location-specific help, and turn dry facts into memorable family narratives. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been researching for years, these prompts will help you ask smarter questions and get better results.

Created by Loganalogy, this guide includes a bonus cheat sheet, storytelling tips, and a beginner-friendly intro to ChatGPT for genealogy.

➡️ Download instantly and reuse.

Visit Loganalogy.etsy.com to grab your printable starter pack today!

A Beginner’s Guide: Preserve Your Family History Digitally

Starting your family history journey can feel overwhelming, but one of the most rewarding first steps is digitizing your old family photos. Those boxes of pictures sitting in your closet contain priceless family stories, and converting them to digital files opens up a world of possibilities.

Why Digitize Your Family Photos?

When you transform physical prints into digital files, you create something much more valuable than the original:

You make them accessible. Instead of digging through boxes every time you want to see a photo, your entire family can view them instantly from anywhere in the world.

You protect them from disaster. Digital copies stay safe even if floods, fires, or simply the passage of time damages your originals. Old photos naturally fade, crack, and deteriorate, but digital versions remain pristine forever.

You can share them easily. Want to show your cousin that photo of great-grandma’s wedding? Send it through email, text, or social media in seconds.

Three Ways to Digitize Your Photos

Option 1: Use Your Smartphone

The simplest approach uses technology you already own. Your phone can become a powerful photo scanner with the right app.

PhotoScan by Google Photos gives you professional results for free. This app automatically removes glare and straightens your photos, solving the biggest problems with phone scanning. Simply download it from your app store and follow the simple instructions.

Photomyne offers additional features if you want to scan multiple photos quickly. It includes editing tools and can handle several photos in one session, though it requires a small subscription fee for full features.

Keep in mind that smartphone scanning works best for photos you plan to view on screens. If you want to make large prints later, you might need higher quality scans.

Option 2: Buy a Scanner

A flatbed scanner produces the highest quality results you can achieve at home. These devices capture every detail and work perfectly for photos you might want to enlarge or print professionally later.

Most modern scanners connect easily to your computer and include software that guides you through the process. Expect to spend 30-60 seconds per photo, making this method slower but more thorough than phone scanning.

Popular scanner brands include Canon, Epson, and HP. Look for models specifically designed for photo scanning if picture quality matters most to you.

Option 3: Hire Professional Services

If you have hundreds of photos or want the absolute best results, professional digitizing services handle everything for you.

Kodak Digitizing and Capture represent two well-established companies that specialize in photo conversion. They pick up or receive your photos by mail, scan them with professional equipment, and return both the originals and digital files.

These services often include extras like color correction, scratch removal, and organizing your photos into digital albums. While more expensive than doing it yourself, professional services save enormous amounts of time and guarantee excellent results.

Getting the Best Results

Whether you choose to scan photos yourself or hire professionals, these tips ensure better outcomes:

Start with clean photos. Gently wipe dust and fingerprints off each photo with a soft, dry cloth before scanning. Avoid using water or cleaning products.

Find good lighting. Natural light from a window works best, but avoid direct sunlight that creates harsh shadows or glare.

Scan at high resolution. Set your scanner or app to at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). This captures enough detail for clear viewing and future printing.

Consider photo editing. Simple software can brighten faded colors, remove scratches, and improve contrast. Many scanning apps include basic editing tools, or you can use free programs like GIMP or paid options like Photoshop Elements.

Organizing Your Digital Collection

After scanning, organization becomes crucial for finding photos later.

Create a logical folder structure on your computer. Try organizing by year, family branch, or event type. For example: “Family Photos > 1950s > Smith Family Reunion” or “Genealogy > Johnson Line > Wedding Photos.”

Add details to your photo files. Most computers let you add information like dates, locations, and people’s names directly to photo files. This makes searching much easier later and helps other family members understand what they’re seeing.

Consider using family history software like FamilySearch, MyHeritage, or Ancestry.com to connect photos directly to family tree profiles. These platforms help you organize photos alongside other genealogy research.

Protecting Your Digital Photos

Digital files can disappear just like physical photos, so create multiple copies:

Use cloud storage. Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud automatically sync your photos across devices and keep them safe online.

Keep local backups. Store copies on an external hard drive or USB drive that you keep separate from your computer.

Share with family. Send copies to relatives who might want them. This creates natural backups and often leads to family members sharing their own photo collections with you.

Helpful Resources for Family History Research

As you digitize photos, you’ll likely want to learn more about the people and stories behind them. These websites offer excellent resources for beginning genealogists:

FamilySearch.org provides free access to billions of historical records and offers helpful research guides for beginners.

Ancestry.com combines extensive record collections with user-friendly research tools, though it requires a subscription for full access.

FindAGrave.com helps you locate cemetery records and often includes photos of headstones and family members.

Chronicling America (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) lets you search historical newspapers for mentions of your ancestors.

The National Archives (archives.gov) offers guides for researching specific types of records and time periods.

Start Small, Think Big

Begin with just one box or album of photos. The process becomes easier with practice, and you’ll develop your own system for handling different types of photos and organizing results.

Remember that digitizing photos serves a bigger purpose than just creating computer files. You’re preserving family history for future generations and making it easier to share stories that might otherwise be lost. Every photo you save represents a connection to your family’s past and a gift to your family’s future.

Your descendants will thank you for taking the time to preserve these visual family treasures in a format they can easily access and enjoy.

🧬 10 Free Genealogy Tools That Actually Help Beginners

Think genealogy is expensive or too complicated?

Not anymore. I put together a list of 10 free genealogy tools I actually use (and recommend to my clients) that make researching your family tree way easier. Whether you’re just starting out or finally tackling that brick wall ancestor, these resources will save you time and money.

Let’s get digging.

1. FamilySearch.org

This is the holy grail of free genealogy. Run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch gives you access to digitized records, user-submitted family trees, and even online research help. It’s free to use, but you do have to create an account. Pro tip: always check the source citations. Not every tree on there is gospel truth.

2. FindAGrave.com

Owned by Ancestry, but totally free to use, FindAGrave lets you search millions of cemetery records. You’ll often find photos of headstones, obituaries, and family links—sometimes even plot maps. It’s especially helpful if you can’t travel but want to see where great-grandma is buried.

3. Google Books & Google News Archive

Yep, plain old Google is a powerhouse. Google Books includes digitized town histories, local biographies, and even weird little church anniversary pamphlets. Use quotation marks for names, like “Azubah Logan” and include locations for better hits. The News Archive can dig up old gossip columns and obits you won’t find anywhere else.

4. The U.S. National Archives (NARA)

NARA’s website gives you access to census records, military files, immigration records, land patents—you name it. While some things link out to paid sites, there’s still a goldmine available for free, especially for veterans and public land researchers.

5. Chronicling America

If your ancestor made headlines (or got married, arrested, or advertised chickens), you might find it here. Chronicling America is a digitized newspaper archive from the Library of Congress, and you can search by state, date, and keyword.

6. Cyndi’s List

This is the internet’s original genealogy bookmark list. It’s a categorized directory of over 300,000 links to genealogy resources, from colonial records to DNA education. If you feel stuck, Cyndi’s List can redirect your research in a new direction.

7. Linkpendium

Like Cyndi’s List, but a little more focused on U.S. genealogy. Type in your surname and state and it’ll bring up a buffet of links—cemeteries, census, military records, and even user-submitted family trees.

8. Library of Congress Digital Collections

There’s way more than just old books here. LOC’s digital collections include maps, photographs, audio interviews, slave narratives, and even high school yearbooks. This is a great spot to add historical color to your ancestor’s story.

9. USGenWeb Project

This is old-school, but don’t overlook it. Each U.S. state has its own GenWeb site, and some counties are full of volunteer-transcribed records—cemeteries, marriage indexes, church notes, and more. It’s free, no account needed, and totally run by volunteers who love genealogy.

10. Your Local Library & Digital Archives

Seriously—check out your hometown library’s website. Many have free access to newspaper databases, obituary lookups, city directories, and even genealogy librarians who will answer your email questions. Some also offer free access to Ancestry Library Edition if you log in onsite.

🧓🏼 Ready to Build Your Family Tree for Free?

You don’t have to spend a fortune or wait for the next DNA sale. These free tools are beginner-friendly and powerful. Try them out, make some discoveries, and get ready to fall down the best research rabbit hole ever.

🔗 Need help getting started? Visit the Loganalogy Research Specialist page for tips, strategy, and one-on-one help.

Step-by-Step: Filtering Family Tree Records on Ancestry

Ever wish you could filter your Ancestry hints by a specific record group, like WWII draft cards or pension files? Here’s the trick you’ve been waiting for, thanks to the genius tip from Christa Cowan from Ancestry.com, who shared it with Aimee Cross! Now I’m sharing it with you!

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭: Go to your Ancestry account and view all your hints. Sort your hints by categories like records, photos, or stories. Want to focus on a specific record group? Use the URL hack!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞:

~Grab the collection number for your desired record group.

~Replace the tree number in the URL with your tree number.

~Voilà! Filtered hints for just that record group.

Example: Searching for War of 1812 pension files?

Find the collection number in the Ancestry catalog, pop it into the URL, and get straight to those records. (eg. https://www.ancestry.com/hints/tree/𝟏𝟔𝟖𝟎𝟗𝟏𝟐𝟎𝟕/hints?hf=record&hs=last&hdbid=𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟐

(168091207 is the tree number. 1002 is the War of 1812 pension files record number. Change 168091207 to your tree number. Change 1002 to 1133 and Voilà!)

This is a game-changer for focused research. Save time, target your search, and discover those hidden items in your family tree!

Watch Aimee Cross’ video on her YouTube channel for a step-by-step visual.

I hope you found this helpful!

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