Connect-Your-Dots

04/09/2026

Weekly Tip: Using Multiple Sources

Have you ever found a record but weren’t completely sure it belonged to your ancestor?

This is one of the most common challenges in genealogy research. Many people share the same name, especially within the same community or time period. A single record might look promising, but by itself it might not connect YOUR dots.

That’s why professional genealogists rarely rely on just one document.

Instead, we connect multiple dots together, such as:
• Names and name variations
• Dates and timelines
• Locations
• Occupations
• Family members and neighbors
• Witnesses on records

Each detail becomes another dot. When those dots begin to align across several records, the connection becomes much clearer.

Genealogy is often less about finding a record and more about analyzing how multiple records fit together.

04/02/2026

Weekly Tip: WorldCat.org

One tool that you should add to your genealogical research toolbox is WorldCat.org.

WorldCat is the world’s largest library catalog, helping you locate books, manuscripts, and local histories held in libraries around the world.

Many family histories, county histories, church histories, and local record compilations were published decades ago and may not have been digitized. They may not appear in the major genealogy databases, but they are often cataloged at WorldCat.

With a simple search, you may find local history books about your ancestor’s town, cemetery transcriptions, or historical society publications.

Even better, WorldCat shows which libraries hold the book, so you can locate the closest copy or request it through interlibrary loan.

Sometimes the missing dot in your family history is sitting on a library shelf waiting to be discovered.

WorldCat.org is a global catalog of library materials. You can search for books, music, video, articles and much more at libraries near you.

03/26/2026

Weekly Tip: Genealogical Societies

One of the best ways to connect with your family history is by joining a genealogical society. Not just your local society, but consider joining one in the area where your ancestors lived. These groups often hold unique resources you won’t find online, such as cemetery transcriptions, local family histories, church records, and unpublished research.

Even better, their members often have deep knowledge of the local families and history that can help you connect missing dots in your story.

Sometimes, the key to solving a genealogy brick wall is simply connecting with the people who preserve the history of that place.

03/19/2026

Weekly tip: Land Deeds

Land deeds are official records of property ownership and transfers. For genealogists, land deeds do more than list who owned land; they can also help you connect the dots between people, places, and family relationships.

How to use the information in land deeds:

1. Identify the people: Deeds list the seller (grantor) and buyer (grantee). These names can help confirm family members, neighbors, or associates.
2. Look for family clues: Deeds sometimes mention spouses, children, or heirs. For example, a widow selling land after her husband’s death may list her children’s names and perhaps even their spouses' names.
3. Check neighbors: Neighboring property owners can reveal extended family.
4. Track property over time: Follow the chain of ownership to see when land was bought, sold, or inherited.
5. Combine sources: Use deeds with maps, gazetteers, and census records to pinpoint locations and the individuals involved.

Each deed can be a dot that, when connected with others, reveals a fuller picture of your ancestors’ lives.

03/05/2026

Weekly Tip: Using a Gazetteer

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or directory that lists towns, villages, counties, and other places, often with historical information. For genealogists, gazetteers are a powerful tool to connect the dots between records and understand the places your ancestors lived.

Place names often change over time, and a town listed in an old census may no longer exist or may appear under a different name today. A gazetteer helps you identify the correct location, its administrative boundaries, and nearby towns. This guide can point you to the right church, courthouse, or land records and prevent wasted searches in the wrong area.

By combining gazetteer information with census records, maps, and local histories, you can trace family movements and discover where the next dot in your ancestor’s story may be found.

02/26/2026

Weekly Tip: Using Business Directories

Business directories are an often-overlooked source that can help connect the dots in your family history. Published regularly, these directories list local businesses and tradespeople, often including names, occupations, and home addresses.

Directories are useful for filling the spaces between other records, such as census records. If an ancestor seems to disappear for a decade, a directory may show where they were living, what work they did, or when they arrived in or left a community. Following the same person across multiple editions helps you trace movement, spot changes, and confirm you’re looking at the right individual, especially for those with common names.

Business directories can also link records together. An address or occupation found in a directory may lead you to newspapers, tax lists, or land records. Even small details can be the dots that turn scattered records into a clearer story.

02/19/2026

Weekly Tip: Social Columns in Newspapers

Social columns in historic newspapers often contain some of the most valuable clues for connecting families. These columns documented everyday life, including who was visiting from out of town, who hosted Sunday dinners, who was ill, and which families were having special events.

When examined over weeks and years, these brief and often overlooked mentions can quietly reveal relationships, migration patterns, and social connections within a community. Social columns may help bridge gaps between census records, confirm family relationships, and sometimes explain the sudden appearance or disappearance of an ancestor in your research timeline.

When searching, be sure to use a variety of spellings for both first and last names, as spelling was often inconsistent. By gathering these clues and carefully analyzing the context, you can add depth to your research and bring your family’s story to life.

02/12/2026

Weekly Tip: Other Trees Online

It’s tempting to copy information from other family trees, especially when a tree appears complete, but the information should always be verified first.

Names, dates, and relationships found in other trees can serve as helpful clues.

By verifying each detail through reliable records, you gain a clear understanding of how and why the dots connect, and therefore, you can have confidence in the tree you are building.

Let other trees suggest possible directions, then allow documents to do the connecting.

02/05/2026

Weekly Tip: Brick Walls are Okay

Every genealogist encounters brick walls. Reaching a point where the records seem to stop does not mean you’ve done something wrong; it simply means the next dots haven’t revealed themselves yet.

Sometimes records are missing, difficult to access, or haven’t been indexed. At other times, the information you need becomes apparent only after you step back and review what you have done.

Brick walls often benefit from time and patience. It is also helpful to remember that new resources or record sets may become available, even in places you have researched before.

Genealogy is not about rushing to answers, but about allowing the picture to form, one dot at a time.

01/29/2026

Weekly Tip: Keep Backups

Genealogy research takes time and care, so it’s important to protect the work you’ve already done by keeping reliable backups.

Your documents, photos, research notes, and family trees are the dots that support your findings. Without backups, a computer problem, accidental deletion, or software issue can cause those dots to disappear.

A good habit is to store your files in more than one place, such as on your computer, an external hard drive, and a secure cloud backup.

Regular backups help ensure your research stays available and your connections remain intact.

01/22/2026

Weekly Tip: Dates Matter

In genealogy, exact dates are great to have, but they aren’t required when you’re getting started.

An estimated date, “about 1889”, helps you build a timeline, and timelines help you connect the right person to the right event.

As you find more information, that estimate can be refined.
You’re not guessing; instead, you are placing a working dot that guides your research.

Small dots add up to clear connections.