Genealogy Club: February 25

Our topic this week concentrated on locating and using online newspaper sites. Annie told us about their successful research project last summer in Madison at the Wisconsin State Historical Society. They were able to find a selection of obituaries to add to their family tree using the resources and microfilm at the library.

Reading room in Madison

Two of the online newspaper sites are subscription based: Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank.com. Each has different claims to fame so research them if you're considering a subscription.

February 25 presentation

There were examples of articles from each newspaper website. Annie suggested using all of them to adequately search for your surnames. The most comprehensive site, however, seems to be The Ancestor Hunt, which has links to many of the newspapers included in the other websites. 

The local public library where your ancestors lived is a good place to start if you can. Otherwise, use state archives and free newspaper sites before turning to the subscription choices.

Another good crowd attended this week's meeting