The ground is pretty much frozen here in Erie County, so extricating any roots from the ground would be difficult without some serious power tools. So, I guess it’s a good thing that that’s not the kind of root digging I’m talking about. I’m talking about poring through old tomes, winding through spools of microfilm, and getting back to the beginning. Or as close to the beginning as you can get. I’m talking about genealogy.
I’ve done a good amount of genealogy research in the past and managed to find and meet my mother’s long-lost first cousin. I also got as far back as the ancestors who were the first to come to this country, but I got stuck there and pretty much dropped it for a while. Recently, however, I got the bug to start some research again.
This time, however, I chose an easier subject: My House. I live in a relatively old home and was interested in its history. Who lived here before me? What were their names? What did they do? Did any of them die in the house? Okay, I admit, watching a little too much Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel over the holidays may have caused me to ponder that last question.
My first stop was the Erie County Court House to check the history of ownership of the house in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds. Once I had that, I toddled on over to the Erie County Public Library, went upstairs, and found The Heritage Room. The Heritage Room is where they keep all the old stuff — city directories, old newspapers on microfilm, and lists upon lists of obituaries. Armed with the names of the owners of the subject property, I started looking for obituaries for the previous owners. In my case, it was relatively easy. Although my house is approximately 100 years old, there had only been two previous owners.
It occurred to me while I was doing this research and everything was falling into place nicely, that this might be an ideal way for someone to begin learning how to do genealogical research. It’s extremely rare that a house is ever moved at all, much less moved out of a county, so all the research to be done is likely to be readily accessible at the local library without having to branch out to numerous counties, states, and, eventually, countries. Additionally, most of the homes in Erie County are well under 150 years old, which means that our library should have most of the records required to put together your home’s family tree.
If it sounds interesting to you, but you live in a newer home, why not pick an old home that interests you? You don’t have to be the home’s owner to find out about its past. Pick a house you think is interesting. There are some great old homes in the St. Vincent area, as well as downtown and on the lower east side. Is there a house you pass every day on your way to or from work that has always intrigued you? Research it.
Then, once you’ve gotten your feet wet on something where the records are sure to be contained all in one county, you can branch out and start researching your family. Start with obituaries, since they usually mention the names of the deceased’s parents, and work your way back. But be prepared for some frustration. Seemingly dead ends are common. Sometimes you just have to close up your research notebooks and step away from it for a while. When you decide to open the books back up, many times things you missed before will jump right out at you.
For more information on how to get started on genealogical research, check out some of these websites:
Ancestry.com (the Erie County Public Library has a subscription that is available to library card holders)
and, on of my favorites, Ellis Island
By the way, if you get to The Heritage Room at the library and you don’t know where to turn, which shelf to start with, where all the microfilm is, or how to use the microfilm readers, just ask one of the employees stationed there. I’ve always found them very helpful and pleasant.
