Family Tree Magazine May/June 2015 Digital Edition

8 Hidden Clues in Old Photos

By Maureen A. Taylor

It’s so easy to focus on just the faces and clothing that are prominently featured in your family photos, but right there in plain view are clues you might be missing. Our Photo Detective reveals clues that can help you determine when and where a photo was taken, identify who’s in it, and understand something about that person.

Guide to Missing Civil War Records

By Sunny Jane Morton

Did your Southern ancestors vanish in the social and economic upheaval that followed the Civil War? We’ll show you the best strategies to track them down, including:

• Finding alternatives to courthouse records
• Understanding Southern migration patterns
• Where to look for Freedman’s Bureau records
• And more

10 Ways to Connect to Distant Cousins

By Shannon Combs-Bennett

Second, third, fourth and beyond cousins, are a huge asset to your family history search. They may have new family information and photos that weren’t passed down through your line or might be able to shed light on your research brick walls. Our expert outlines strategies for:

• Locating distant relatives
• Calculating cousinhood
• Tips for reaching out
• And more

Mexican Heritage Guide

By David A. Fryxell

Discover the bounty of records—with many coming online—that can help you trace your family tree in Mexico. We help you with:

• Understanding naming practices
• Pinpointing ancestral whereabouts
• Navigating church records
• And more

Source Citation Guide

By Rick Crume

Source citations need not be a source of misery. Learn how your genealogy software can make it easy to track where you find your family facts. Complete with photos, our step-by-step guide covers:

• Family Tree Maker 2014
• Legacy Family Tree 8.0
• RootsMagic 7

Workbook: Tax Records

By James M. Beidler

This workbook will show you what family history data is in tax records, how to find them, and what other records include the information you seek. We’ll also provide a worksheet you can fill in to map out your tax record search.

Columns:

History Matters: Sunglasses

By David A. Fryxell

Our social history expert shared the story of shades.

Family Archivist: Diplomas or Certificates

By Denise Levenick

Perhaps Grandma’s “old-school” parchment diploma or the deed to the old family farm was proudly displayed in the house where you grew up—but now that framed certificate is in need of a little TLC. Let our short lesson in framing diplomas and other old documents bring you to the head of the class.

Now What?

By David A. Fryxell

Our experts help you hurdle brick walls by answering reader questions.

In this edition, we cover:

• Irish records pre-1864
• Passenger records pre-Castle Garden
• Pre-1790 census records

Research Roadmap: Tuberculosis

By Tyler Moss

Maps to point your research in the right direction: Our experts take a look at the spread of what our ancestors called consumption.

Document Detective: Alien Registration Forms

By George G. Morgan

Uncover family history clues in alien registration forms with the help of our document detective. We walk you through accessing the record and what to look for once you have it.

Resource Roundup: Cloud-Based Genealogy Tools

By Lisa A. Alzo

These days it seems like cloud-based resources cover just about any aspect of genealogy research, but family history investigation also requires you to take notes, share files, maintain unwieldy to-do lists and write down ancestors’ stories. Fortunately, the following mostly free apps and tools can help you manage the menagerie of tasks that scuttle across your computer screen.

Software Review: RootsMagic 7

By Rick Crume

Our experts weigh in on RootsMagic 7 highlighting special features, potential drawbacks, ease of use and more.

Quick Guide: Genealogy Social Media Sites

By Shannon Combs-Bennett

Social media sites are an ideal way to stay connected to other researchers, and several lower-profile social media websites are geared specifically to the genealogy community, with forums, family trees, collaborative ancestral profile pages and more. Explore the sites in this chart for opportunities to learn and network with others who share your passion.

Tutorial: Famberry

By David A. Fryxell

A hybrid of family tree hosting, social media sharing and online storage, Famberry works best for connecting current kin. But a little fiddling can make Famberry do basic family tree tasks. Our guide explains how to use the website and upload a family tree.