I see to be on a common theme here, talking about underused resources, following yesterday’s post on Special Collections.

I’m also a bit astounded because in pre-internet days, family histories were a godsend to anyone getting started in genealogical research or looking to crack some brick walls.

Today, on the other hand, I rarely hear anyone mention a great find in a family history book, which is a shame.

Upfront, understand that, in some respects, a published family history, whether ancient or recent, is no more to be accepted as truth as those ubiquitous family trees with a zillion errors in them.

Not to be overlooked, though, is the possibility that a family historian might (1) have personally known the ancestor you’re currently researching, especially if the book was written in the 1800s (2) that same family historian might have had access to non-publicly held records, documents and even photos and (3) a more modern family historian might have had a network of researchers helping and contributing to the family history.

Two of my favorite websites for locating family histories are, not surprisingly, FamilySearch, and Internet Archive. However, if I’m not successful at those sites, I try a general online search for “surname + family history,” and I’ve had some success with that technique. Remember, though, that those general online searches have more chance of success with a surname like Stufflebean rather than Williams.

The weakness in many early – 1800s – family histories is a lack of cited documentation. Sometimes, though, the author will state something like “County records have been helpful,” which directs the reader to checking out county deeds, court and probate records, which can be properly cited. At other times, a seemingly innocuous clue like “the grandfather was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia” can help extend your own original research.

Family histories were probably most popular in the late 1800s, after the U.S. Centennial in 1876 and then rose again with the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. However, many family histories were written in between those dates.

Many of the family histories written by 1927, but not all, are out of copyright and can often be found in digital format online.

Don’t assume, though, that just because a book was written after 1927, or even at the turn of the 21st century, that it can’t be accessed online. It all depends on the author. I did extensive research on my Astle and Adams families and on my husband’s Whitmer and Williams families and self-published booklets and a book. I’ve also given permission to FamilySearch to make my donations viewable online from home. Some other authors have done the same.

The only “cost” involved is a few minutes of search time.

Don’t be one of those people who mindlessly copy and paste information without doing any of your own research. You’re missing out on 99% of the fun of genealogical research and increasing the odds that you’ve pasted errors into your family tree. There are thousands of family histories out there and, odds are, your family will be in some of them.