I know there are a lot of my followers and others as will that would like to know where I get all my information. Well I’ll tell you my secret, it’s ( Key Words ), yes I know we all use them, that’s true but for my kind of researching I have to think out of the norm. Many of you looking for ancestor will use key words like; The surname + county, State, town or city, Army or Navy. These are all good words to use and I use them myself. But as I have stated I have to think out of the norm. Many of you are just looking for one or two names, where I’m looking for thousands. My site is built on surnames and I’m hunting for them ever day, so I have to, as they say think ( Out side the box.)
I have many sites I use I call them my ( Index’s. ) When I’m looking for a subject or a surname to write about I use these out of the norm ( Key Words.) I have spent many hours looking out the window thinking of a new ( Key word.) I know why spend so much time thinking of a (Key word ), well if I hadn’t come up with these out of the norm words this site would look mighty bare. I have been at this for over eight years now and have been asked many times to look for a surname. When looking for a name for someone I use the same ( Key words ), just like any one else.
When dose one use these out of the norm words. Well lets say your looking for a ancestor, and you know the town, county and state, what’s the first thing you do? You put in the their full name and the town, county and state. But after looking at all those pages on the web and finding nothing you give up and try to decided what to next.
First what do you know about this ancestor, what kind of work did he do, did any thing happen to him? Was he a lawyer, Judge, lawman, was he Killed, Shot or hung, just knowing what was going on in their lives could be a clue to that ( Key word .) Here is an example: Hangings Maryville Maryland 1800, and so on. Use what you know about your ancestor could be used as a ( Key word.) Now we all may not need these out of the norm words but at some point in time you may.
I built may site to help as many people as I can and to that I need to keep finding those surnames. I enjoy hunting these names not only do I enjoy reading about them but the historical events they may be in. There are many other hobby researchers that feel the same way. When we researchers are looking for a person to write about or a historical event and not sure want we will be writing about we need these out of the norm words.
When I’m looking for something interesting to write about I go to sites that has a vast amount of information and allows for key word searches. Some of the sites I look for are the old Newspapers sites, Civil war sites and any other war sites and the many Government sites. When I get to one of these site I may not know what I’m looking for, so I usually stat with a surname. I may have gotten the name off the web or a book or I may just make up one like Goodal, Older, Wentworth and so on just to see what may popup. If I find something interesting I well put it on my site. If I find noting of interest I well start with the out of norm ( Key words ), like ( horse ), I have found many stories of soldiers having their horse shot out from under them. Then again I may find a story about someone being put on a horse and hung. By reading the story I may learn his name and why he was being hung and what happen after the hanging.
Well now you know how I work, about the only thing I can leave you with is this; There has not been a person that has not been written about his or her name is on some piece paper some where it’s just finding the right ( Key word.) The following are the key words I have used over the years and still to.
Horse, Dog, Pig, House, Farm, Swamp, Cattle, burn or burnt, Saloon, Shot, Shooting, Hung, hang, Lawman, Marshal, servant, Child, Children, Wife, Husband, Son, Daughter, sharpshooter, Sheriff, Brother, Sister, All army and navy ranks, Death, Died, Grave, Lightning, Mr., Mrs. Miss, Train Station, Robbery, Murder.
I use all these out the norm words and many more, maybe you can come up with some of your own, you may be surprised on what you will find. Just remember to think out side the box.
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