Links
Links to major genealogy Web sites
The various links identified below are for some of the major genealogy sites on the Web (plus some excellent Louisiana & St. Tammany Parish sites as well). You will probably want to visit some of these sites on a regular basis. The links to these important sites are provided here for your convenience. The sites marked with a "$" require a subscription for access to some or all of their on-line databases.
Please let the webmaster know if any of these links become broken or if you have recommendations for additional genealogy web sites for St. Tammany Parish researchers.
GENEALOGY using COMPUTERS & the INTERNET
In the past couple of years, genealogical research & documentation via the computer and the Internet has dramatically changed how the family historian effort is performed and reported. Genealogy beginners and even experienced genealogists can be overwhelmed by the plethora of possibilities. This problem (or opportunity, depending on how you view this issue) applies to both the selection of software to use for producing a family history database as well as the use of Internet sites to conduct research and to communicate with others researching the same surnames, time periods of history and/or geographical areas. Today, it is actually possible to research and document your family history in a fraction of the time it took just a decade ago. One should not expect to certify their family history by making an Internet search, however, it’s likely that the Internet will jump start your efforts.
The following is short list of suggested web sites to choose from. The brief descriptions of these sites provided here cannot begin to describe the usefulness and breadth of information available via these sites. You must try them!
Non-Commercial Sites
Cyndi’s List (http://www.cyndislist.com) - Cyndi Howell, the creator of this site, maintains a series of web pages with more than 73,000 links categorized in over a hundred subject areas. This site is where you go when you don’t know where to go and you just want to browse the many possibilities.
Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org)
Genealogy Toolbox (http://www.genealogytoolbox.com)
GenForum (http://genforum.genealogy.com) - This is an excellent genealogy bulletin board site. Here, you can post a query or answer a query other researchers have posted concerning your research focus on a bulletin board that is dedicated to the surname, county, etc. of specific interest.
Heritage Quest (http://www.heritagequest.com/genealogy/help) - This site provides an overview of genealogy in general and how to begin on the web in clear and concisely written language.
RootsWeb (http://rootsweb.com) - RootsWeb is an extremely useful place to start. The series of web pages provided by RootsWeb permits you to conduct various searches for surnames and people working on them. The electronic bulletin board and email list features provided by RootsWeb permit the posting of queries and the exchange of genealogical information with others working on the same areas of interest. This site is a must!
USGenWeb Project (http://www.usgenweb.com) - This comprehensive integrated group of genealogical research web sites is maintained by a volunteer group which organizes genealogical data and references by genealogical location (in the U.S., by county and state). There is a companion site that covers the rest of the world. Since the individual county sites are maintained by different volunteers, the content, organization and quality of the sites vary significantly, there is a common interface and linkage that is very useful.
Commercial Sites
Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) & MyFamily.com (http://www.myfamily.com) - These two commercial web sites provide surname searches, genealogy products, newsletters, free web space for your data (password protected). Some of the services on these sites are free and very useful, but include heavy doses of advertising among the data. Some services require a modest subscription. Use this link to obtain Genealogy Forms (Pedigree Charts, Family Group Record Forms, Census Extract Forms, etc.) from Ancestry.com.
Ebay.com (http://www.ebay.com) - Ebay is a general purpose auction web site. However, many genealogy items are posted for auction and in many cases you can obtain important genealogy reference materials at a fraction of the retail price. It’s also fun! After entering the eBay site, start a search by entering "genealogy".
eGroups.com (http://www.egroups.com) - This is a site for joining or starting email groups. The site provides email groups for a large variety of subjects, including genealogy. Although RootsWeb.com is the best sight for genealogy email groups, you may find a group here that you like as well.
Family Tree Maker (http://www.familytreemaker.com) - This commercial site has genealogy search engines, products, free tutorials & guidance, etc. This site is thick with information, including how-to articles, research services, clubs, reference sites, etc. Most of the information is free, though fees are charged for access to some sections. If you are using FTM software, you can use this site to post your genealogy reports at no cost.
Heritage Quest (http://www.heritagequest.com) - This commercial site provides references to their own products, but also provides a wealth of free tutorials & guidance, newsletters, etc.
Organizations, Libraries & Societies
Allen County, IN Library (http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/index.html) - This is the site for the world’s second largest genealogy library.
Ellis Island (http://www.ellisislandrecords.org) - The new Ellis Island Web Site went on-line 4/18/2001. Access to their web site and the associated database is FREE.
The database containing 22 million records of immigrant arrivals through New York harbor from 1892 to 1924 has been under development since 1993 and has been constructed via the extraction of Ellis Island records from 3,700 rolls of microfilm. 12,000 volunteers from LDS have worked 5.6 million hours since 1993 extracting the data from the microfilm and entering the data in this new database. If you have any ancestors that may have entered the country thru Ellis Island, this database will provide a quick way to find them and to display lots of information concerning those ancestors.
Federation of Genealogies Societies (http://www.fgs.org) - FGS is a non-profit organization founded 1n 1976 and is comprised of over 500 genealogical/historical societies, ultimately representing over 200,000 individual genealogists. The FGS is the collective voice of genealogy & historical organizations at the national level, actively involved in efforts to represent and protect societies, to coordinate and facilitate their activities, and to monitor events that are critical to the future of genealogy. The STGS is a member of FGS. You will want to take advantage of our membership.
Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov) - The LOC has experimental search engines, and being the repository of record for US published books, has an immense collection of genealogically related titles.
National Archives & Records Administration (http://www.nara.gov) - The NARA has information on its web page concerning its location and holdings, the NAIL search engine, and a special area devoted to how their holdings can help genealogy research.
National Genealogical Society (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org) - This nonprofit society (membership required and highly recommended) offers genealogy research instructions, provides a genealogy reference book lending library for members and provides opportunities for very informative genealogy trips and conferences. The STGS is a member of the NGS and certain privileges of an NGS membership can be obtained by STGS members without becoming an NGS member. However, you must be an NGS member to borrow books from the NGS Library.
LOUISIANA GENEALOGY SITES
Genealogical & Historical Societies in Louisiana
USGENWEB SITES for LOUISIANA PARISHES
INDIVIDUAL PARISHES
SOFTWARE & BOOKS
OTHER INTERESTING WEB SITESMI
OTHER Robert B. Noles WEB SITES
