~ Early Web Links ~

The Oklahoma Genealogical Society's First Families of the Twin Territories project honors descendants of pioneer and Native American families who settled in Oklahoma or Indian Territory before statehood on November 16, 1907. Visitors can find membership eligibility requirements, downloadable application forms, and a searchable index to the FFTT Lineage Book celebrating these early territorial families.

The TXGenWeb Project is a volunteer-driven genealogical and historical effort covering all counties in Texas, offering free access to online databases, surname queries, vital records, cemetery listings, and local historical background. Part of the larger USGenWeb network, it serves as a gateway to county-level resources that help researchers trace their Texas ancestors and explore regional history.

SearchforAncestors.com offers a specialized Google search tool that teaches genealogists how to use advanced Google features for tracing family history, covering everything from searching for GEDCOM files to finding digitized books and newsgroup archives. Each search form comes with practical tips and explanations tailored to genealogy research, making it a genuinely useful toolkit for beginners and experienced researchers alike.

Lori Thornton, a genealogist and librarian living near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, shares musings on family history, regional history, and book reviews spanning back to 2004. The blog blends genealogical research with reviews of mystery and historical fiction titles, making it a rich resource for anyone interested in Southern Appalachian heritage.

Cousin Russ runs this practical blog dedicated to helping users navigate Family Tree Maker software, covering versions FTM2017 and FTM2019 on both PC and Mac. Posts address real reader questions on topics like census source templates, relationship settings, citations, and undocumented features, making it a handy reference for genealogists using the program.

MOGenWeb is Missouri's portal within the USGenWeb project, offering free genealogical and historical resources for every county in the state. Volunteers maintain county-level databases, census projects, tombstone transcriptions, family group sheets, and historical records tracing Missouri's role in westward expansion.

The Rhode Island USGenWeb Project is a comprehensive genealogy and history resource covering all five counties of Rhode Island, with records spanning cemeteries, census images, maps, family histories, and historical articles. Visitors can search by county or town, browse transcribed gravestone records, access probate and birth records, and connect with county coordinators through mailing lists and query boards.

Part of the ILGenWeb Project, this page presents original land ownership records for Bond County, Illinois, specifically Shoal Creek Township 6 North, Range 4 West, Section 17. Researchers tracing Illinois pioneer families will find names, acreage, dates, and deed volume references drawn from the Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database.

The WorldGenWeb Project is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization dedicated to collecting and providing free access to genealogical and historical records from countries around the world. An invaluable resource for family history researchers, the site organizes records by country, covering virtually every nation on the globe from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

The South Plains Genealogical Society (SPGS) is a Lubbock, Texas-based organization dedicated to helping people trace their family histories and ancestral roots. Their site offers resources for local, state, national, and world genealogy research, along with meeting info, surname research, an award-winning newsletter called South Plains Roots, and a podcast.