Genealogists today have more access than ever to journals and articles written in past years.
Many genealogical societies have digitized quarterlies and journals and posted them online, usually in the members-only area. I recently joined the North Carolina Genealogical Society in order to have access to its journals from 1975 to 2018. Check the societies in your area of interest.
We reported earlier that Tap Roots, the journal of the East Alabama Genealogical Society, had been digitized and is available online. For some genealogy societies, you might have to join to be able to look at past issues. It’s worth it during these times because it could be awhile before we can spend long hours at various libraries and archives. Always double check any abstracted record against the original, usually at FamilySearch.org, to be sure all data is there.
Family associations and newsletters
Family associations — or one-name societies, as they are called in England — are great sources of information. If one exists that covers one of your families, it’s well worth joining just to know what research has been done, if a DNA project is underway, and what original information the group has access to. An example is the Estes family, which publishes quarterly the Estes family newsletter called “Estes Trails.” The annual subscription is $20. Make checks payable to Larry Duke at 700 W. South Park Blvd., Broken Arrow, Ok., 74011. This type of publication is probably not going to be found at many libraries. Years ago, I purchased the back issues of a similar Motley family publication. A huge stack arrived. When I finally plowed through them all, I found out that my Motley ancestor from Wake County, North Carolina, had moved late in life to Kentucky and was buried there.
Finding unusual sources in journals
You cannot always predict what records might appear in a genealogy journal. A Pickard family Bible was found at the house next to a family cemetery and posted on Find a Grave, not the first place one would look.
