FAMILY HISTORY - GETTING STARTED

- Ask family members for names, dates, places, family stories 

- Take thorough notes, details that might seem unimportant may offer helpful clues

- Take photographs, record audio, or shoot video of people and conversations 

- Make copies of photographs and records 

- Offer to share your findings with family members

- Use printed or online family group sheets 

- Find worksheets in genealogy applications 

- Use family chart forms through online services like familysearch.org or ancestry.com (find free access in the State Archives research room) 

- Note information still needed, gaps in family charts, or conflicts in names and dates

- Make a list of research goals

- Develop questions based on goals

- Set a list of priorities for research goals

Explore family history resources:

- familysearch.org 

- ancestry.com (free access in research room) 

- Kansas ancestors in our collections on  

- ancestry.com (gain free online access to Kansas resources  

ancestry/drivers/dlverify) 

- Kansas ancestors  

in our names and military indexes (15899) 

- Kansas ancestors in our newspaper collection on newspapers.com (free online access to  

Kansans) (ancestry/drivers/dlverify) 

- Selected pre-1923 newspapers in  

Chronicling America 

Kansas census, from 1855-1925, is a great source to track your Kansas ancestors. 

Kansas newspapers are great sources for family stories, births, marriages, and deaths. 

- Plan your visit to the State Archives research room in Topeka 

- Find Kansas newspapers on microfilm (post-1923) 

- Find county records on microfilm 

Note specific dates and places to browse Kansas newspapers on microfilm, a great source for family stories, birthday, marriages, and deaths.