Week 50: Genealogy Database. Which individual database has been most helpful in your genealogy research and why? Is this database available for free or is it behind a subscription wall? What does this database include and how can it benefit other genealogy researchers?
Until recently, I would have to admit that Ancestry with its census record would have to qualify as the most useful. FamilySearch has added so much now, and unlike Ancestry, provides the data free of charge. I honestly couldn't do without either of them. Both sites have such a wide range of materials and are made of such divergent databases, that something is there for nearly everyone. The online opportunities for research have expanded so much in the last ten years, I don't believe anyone could limit their research to a single database.
I agree! My two favorite sites! Quite often Ancestry may have the index, but Family Search has the images - ie... Arkansas County Marriage Records, 1837-1957
ReplyDeleteIn addition to these 2 sites - Washington Digital Archives has been a great help for info on my Washington State family. This is a free site and offers things like land, marriage, birth, and death records. They often have the image in addition to the index, and you can purchase a certified copy as well.
ReplyDeleteFind-A-Grave is another free website that has been helpful. They make a record of people buried in cemeteries. There is a picture of the front of the cemetery as well as a picture of the person's headstone. They type up what is written on the headstone also. (On one of my ancestors, I found that someone had added a comment listing other family members and marriages - I loved that one.)