Kentucky Research Roadmap: Step by Step Plan to Find Kentucky Ancestors – Cheri Daniels

SESSION: NGS2104-STA-02 TRACK: States

SPONSOR: Kentucky Historical Society

In the formation of the United States, Kentucky served as a very popular gateway to the west. Many settled here, yet many others passed through via migration routes. While Kentucky is fortunate to have a wealth of records available, finding Kentucky ancestors is not always easy. Some of the biggest questions we receive focus on broad research goals that hamper success right out of the gate. This session will provide a step-by-step research plan to achieve the best results.

As a previous part of Virginia, Kentucky’s history is rather complicated. Many researchers get to a certain point in time and don’t know whether they should look in Virginia records or Kentucky records. The simple answer is: check both places. Despite the harsh nature of the landscape and the challenges to form a stable government, most researchers may be surprised that Kentucky has many records that date back to pre-statehood. For instance, we have marriage records that go all the way back into the early 1780s. While early Kentuckians did not attempt to record birth or death records until 1852, they were very interested in recording those marriages!

This session is great for researchers of many levels. Beginners will benefit from the basic information given, and yet, seasoned researchers will benefit from the strategies provided to find ancestors who did not give any clue as to their settlement location within the state. One of the first things attendees will learn is that location and time period of settlement greatly impacts the research approach.

Lastly, for those who want to continue their education in the area of Kentucky research methodology after the conference, they need to visit our website for digitized content, library holdings, and our free genealogy publication, Kentucky Ancestors Online. New for this year: In February, we launched a TV series that solves the family history mysteries of several families from across the country. Be sure to check out the Kentucky Ancestors TV show via local Kentucky stations through June, or via our Kentucky Historical Society YouTube Channel! And for those with Kentucky brick walls, we are taking applications for family mysteries to feature in future episodes.

BIO: Cheri Daniels, MSLS, is the Head of Library and Archives for the Kentucky Historical Society and Editor of their free genealogy publication, Kentucky Ancestors Online.

The Virtual NGS 2021 On-Demand! Viewing Starts 15 June

This lecture series is available to view from home on your computer or mobile device and offers you the opportunity to develop exceptional genealogy skills with a highly comprehensive set of on-demand webinars from NGS’s expert conference speakers. On-Demand! packages of audio-visual lectures are now available for purchase.

Select from the 20 or 40 On-Demand! lecture packages with over 85 sessions to choose from. Watch starting 15 June 2021 through 31 December 2021. Both packages come with access to two full days of NGS 2021 Live! from 19-20 May 2021, the virtual conference syllabus, and sponsored bonus sessions. Plus, view the sessions from NGS 2021 Live! and any sessions you did not choose from the breakouts (nine more) beginning 15 June. All sessions will be closed captioned.

To learn more about the NGS 2021 Virtual Family History Conference’s week-long events, 17-21 May, visit the conference and download a copy of the program brochure.