So, I'm planning my road trip to Gibson County, IN and need to think about what places I want to visit while I am there.
One of the places is definitely going to be the local cemetery. My great-grandparents are buried in the Owensville IOOF Cemetery. My great-great-grandparents are buried in Maumee Cemetery. Since I had done this research many years ago, before I was interested in the cemeteries, I hadn't recorded where other family members are buried so I'll want to update that information before I go. Also, because I am a big fan of http://findagrave.com/, I will look to see if there are any "requests" for photos from those cemeteries and take that information along as well.
Another place I like to visit is the local library or genealogical society. Some years back when I was just starting out with my research, I wondered what had happened to my great-aunt's research as a lot of it was missing. Imagine my surprise to find it all in the library's genealogical section! I had to pay 10 cents a page to copy it but I gladly did!
When I go to visit places like that, I don't take time to read everything I'm copying but just copy as much as I can if I'm convinced it's relevant and then sort it out when I get home. A weekend trip doesn't leave you with a lot of time and you want to accomplish as much as possible.
I have also been very fortunate to be able to determine from old letters, postcards, obituaries, land records, etc. some of the addresses of where my ancestors lived so I can take photos if the house is still standing. I always ask permission of the current residents, of course.
If time permits, I walk around downtown and try to see the town as my ancestors may have. With some places, that is very possible. In others, not so much. A trip to Manchester, Iowa, for example, is totally different than a trip to Cincinnati. When I went to the courthouse in Manchester, I was blown away to see my ancestor's names on a huge list on the wall of citizens who helped pay for the bell tower!
I also pack my "genealogy backpack" with special items: a water bottle, small, soft whisk broom, scissors, and paper and pencil - all items that can help read old headstones. A long time ago, I carried a camera with both color and black and while film because you sometimes got better results with the black and white film when trying to make out really faded headstones. Nowdays, it is very easy to use my photo software to make them brighter, darker, larger, even a negative, in order to make out the letters.
When my children were small, even before they started school, I would let them help me find headstones by explaining what letters I was looking for. My daughter was able to find "ROBB"s while I looked for "BEHYMER"s. Little legs don't get as tired as fast, either, and as long as I could see her and we were in a place where I wasn't worried about snakes and such, the kids were a huge help. They still are (even though my son would LIKE to find the snakes now)!
The important thing to remember is that if you are going someplace you may never visit again, try and think of everything you'll want to get, make a detailed list before you ever leave the house, and find out where those places are.
I'll write more about my road trip once I've actually taken it and let you know how it turned out!
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