| I've hit my share of "brickwalls" in the research of my | | | | taker not only was meticulous about listing the birth |
| own family tree. What I've learned is that our | | | | state of every resident, but also listed their birth county. |
| ancestors were much more mobile than we ever | | | | The number of people born in Eastern Tennessee to |
| thought. To help you in your hunt for lost ancestors | | | | parents who were natives of Lee County is |
| and the "missing links" that will solve your genealogy | | | | fascinating. |
| mysteries I'm sharing the strategies that have led to | | | | Tip: Don't rule out people of similar names but born in |
| finding people you may think were dead or never | | | | different states as possible kin to your ancestors. That |
| counted on public records. | | | | person born in Missouri who shows up on a Virginia |
| 1. County Lines: The US was a rapidly developing | | | | census may be a missing connection! |
| country beginning in the 19th century. Geographic | | | | 4. Traveling: We shouldn't assume that traveling began |
| features sometimes blurred where one county began | | | | with the invention the jumbo jet! I've found ancestors in |
| and another ended and at other times counties were | | | | New York hotels and on ship manifests either going to |
| added as governmental districts were reassessed and | | | | or returning from trips abroad. An ancestor's |
| towns were incorporated or expanded. Whatever the | | | | occupation may have called for travel. For example I |
| reason don't write off the potential that an ancestor | | | | found people elected to political office living far from |
| may be in a different county than expected or that | | | | home in Washington, DC. I found one family who |
| records may exist in multiple counties. | | | | appeared to have disappeared on a UK Census! |
| Tip: Look in neighboring counties and larger towns that | | | | Tip: Even when you're convinced an ancestor was a |
| may have grown in distant counties. I found more than | | | | non-traveling farmer, search border crossings, ship |
| one ancestor counted twice (and in two different | | | | passenger lists, and even foreign census records-you |
| counties) on the census records! | | | | may be in for quite a surprise! |
| 2. Migration: It's known from even grade school history | | | | 5. Civil War: The War Between the States was the |
| classes that there was a tremendous migration to the | | | | first war which caused a significant change in many of |
| western United States and territories. When an | | | | our ancestors' locations. Troops were moved from |
| ancestor goes missing from the records it's a good | | | | North to South, and South to North, and from one side |
| practice to look in the records of adjoining states or | | | | of the country to another. Crops were destroyed |
| newly opened territories. Learning when territories | | | | along with livelihoods causing families to move from |
| were opened for homesteading and where land was | | | | homesteads. The African American population |
| given for military service also helps in tracking down | | | | comprised largely of recently freed slaves, were first |
| elusive ancestors. | | | | enumerated by name on the 1870 census after many |
| Tip: Use Wikipedia to find dates counties were formed, | | | | had left the plantations where they lived prior to the |
| territories were opened, and when states were | | | | War. I found one ancestor from Tennessee who was |
| granted statehood. | | | | captured by the Union army in the North and remained |
| 3. Reverse Migration: An avenue of genealogy | | | | there after his release. |
| research that is often forgotten is reverse | | | | Tip: When researching an ancestor who served in the |
| migration-when the land wasn't good for farming or the | | | | Civil War be sure to look at their date and place of |
| conditions were too harsh, or homesickness became | | | | discharge as it can be a clue to where they may have |
| too much, our ancestors at times went back home or | | | | stayed after the War. |
| returned to the East. My personal favorite example is | | | | Don't give up. With perseverance you'll find who you |
| the 1860 Census of Lee County, VA. The census | | | | are looking for where you least expect to find them. |