Genealogy is...
the study of family history including the tracing of lineages. Searching your history and discovering your roots can be very satisfying, but can require a great deal of time and effort depending on the depth of your research.
Getting Started
To get started, you simply need to record what you currently know about your family. For example, you can record the names and birth dates of your parents, siblings and grandparents. From there, you can ask your parents about your great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. You may record your work digitally through a site such as ancestry.com or you may prefer to record your work by hand by creating a family tree.
In addition to asking family members, you might look at old scrapbooks, cookbooks, diaries, legal documents, newspaper clippings, vital records, and pictures. Public records can be accessed through the internet to find dates of birth, dates of death, marriage, and divorce.
Once you have gathered information about your immediate family, you should decide which branch of the family you will begin with. There are four possibilities: the ancestors of your mother's mother, your mother's father, your father's mother, or your father's father. Of course you can come back to the other branches, but it is helpful to pick a starting point.
Tips to save time
A lot can be found online. Use the web.
Use charts to help with organization. Ancestral Chart
Contact your local genealogical library to inquire about location, hours, etc.
Augusta Genealogical Society 1109 Broad St. Augusta, GA 706-722-4073
Online Resource Guide
www.ancestry.com (This is a subscription account through Augusta University that you may utilize in the library)
Other Resources
Local newspapers
City Directories and Telephone Books
Cemetery Books
Courthouse records
Vital records
City and County Histories
Local Church Histories
Census records
Photo of the Danforth Family, Augusta, GA, 1910. Reese Library Special Collections, Augusta University
Family from the Summerville neighborhood, Augusta, Georgia
Step 1: Separate fact from fiction.
Step 2: Set a goal.
Step 3: Decide on sources.
Step 4: Record information.
Step 5: Evaluate information.
Step 6: Use results.
Step 7: Organize and reorganize.