My Ancestry tree? A glorious mess from my “baby genealogist” days—multiple GEDCOM imports, mystery citations, and formatting chaos. I’ve made it private (for good reason!) and I’m slowly cleaning it up, one "unsourced citation" at a time.

I'll be one of the speakers at this year's New England Regional Genealogical Consortium (NERGC). The conference is taking place October 29–November 1, 2025 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The pre-registration is closed but they also take walk-ins. I am excited about the presentations I'll be giving: Wednesday, Oct 29, I'll be providing a workshop on "Using Google's MyMaps as a Research Tool." I will show the attendees maps I've made for various uses on Google Maps.

Back when I was a beginner, I trusted. A lot. I believed everyone out there doing genealogy on the same families as me had been doing it longer and therefore must know more than I did, must have found the records already, and therefore their pedigrees, family group sheets, and trees posted online were correct. What a sweet summer child I was!

Another step I take when working back through my research from when I was a babe in the genealogical woods, is finding the low-hanging fruit. When I started, there wasn't a lot online. I wrote letters to libraries and courthouses, genealogical societies, sent forms in for vital records, etc. I think many of us in the field who started in this before the internet for genealogy really took off remember those days.

"One binder trick I love: census originals on one side, my transcription on the other. Quick, clear, and easy to revisit. #GenealogyTips #CensusRecords #FamilyHistory"

Perspectives on Life in the South, 1777-1899

"I’m revisiting my early genealogy work and bringing my binders up to today’s research standards—citations, organization, and all. My future self will thank me (instead of cursing me) later!" #GenealogyJourney #FutureSelfThanksYou #FamilyTreeFun

"Every genealogy journey starts somewhere—I began as a ‘baby genealogist’ 25 years ago. Today, I’m revisiting that work with new skills and fresh perspective. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #ResearchTips #KeepLearning"

"What happens when you revisit your early genealogy work with 25 years of experience behind you? Spoiler: It's humbling—and a little anxiety-inducing. I'm diving into old files, disproving family myths, and finally catching the fruit I missed the first time." 🔍 #GenealogyJourney #FamilyHistory #GenealogyResearch #ResearchProcess #GenealogistLife #RevisitingOldResearch #ThenAndNow

A card said my George Long served in the War of 1812. The timeline—and the records—say otherwise. Resolving conflicting evidence isn’t optional. It’s necessary. Here’s how I tackled a classic case of mistaken identity. #GenealogyResearch #WarOf1812 #GenealogyTips #ConflictingEvidence #FamilyHistory

I recently wrapped up a deep dive into identifying the right George Long out of twelve possibilities in Ohio—yes, twelve. Along the way, I found a Civil War pension card attached to dozens of trees... but the man in that file died after my George did. This blog post is a look at how I applied "reasonably exhaustive research" and why original records matter more than ever.

Getting detailed about Samuel Cook Dimick's timeline.

In and out tables are fun...

Comparative timelines...one person or two?

Think about your goal when setting up a timeline.

Why are timelines so great? Let me share...

I love timelines. They have so many benefits when it comes to genealogical research. It helps you see an ancestor's life in order. We get so many records, bits of information, and other clues, that putting them in time order helps me to see their life. It also helps to solve some genealogical problems such as if you're working with one man or more of the same name, like my 12 George Longs.

To keep track of the data, and to be able to visualize the information I was dealing with, I successfully used a mind map on this project. I shared a very zoomed out view in a previous post. I identified 12 George Long candidates! I had to figure out some way to keep track of them, determine which George Long a particular record belonged to, and compare information so I could eliminate the wrong men.

So, after combing through all of the George Longs that just didn't fit the parameters of the George I identified in Hancock County (i.e. age, wife, names of children, etc.) I found only one that could have been the man who moved to Hancock County and bought land there in 1848. There was a George Long who owned land in Coshocton County.

While trying to determine WHICH George Long was William's father, I discovered two George Longs in Hancock County, Ohio, of similar ages. George W. Long, Amanda Township One George Long used the middle initial W. He lived in Amanda Township with his wife, Elizabeth. He obtained 160 acres on 20 April 1837 through a cash sale.1 That patent refers to him as of "Franklin County" which is several counties to the south and east of the original cluster of counties from which Carroll County was created.