The Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast

RLP 375: Preparing for Onsite Research - Part 2

10 snips
Sep 15, 2025
Discover the importance of thorough locality research and detailed planning for onsite genealogy investigations. Dive into contrasting experiences from Love County, Oklahoma, where meticulous preparation led to success versus the hasty approach in Hardin County, Kentucky, which caused challenges. Learn how the formation dates of jurisdictions and effective cataloging systems can shape research outcomes. Gain tips on creating focused research plans, utilizing newspaper clues, and prioritizing useful records for efficient onsite searches.
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ADVICE

Build A Complete Locality Guide

  • Do create a comprehensive locality guide covering formation dates, prior jurisdictions, and extant records before visiting an archive.
  • This prevents searching the wrong repository and reveals where undigitized records may be housed.
ADVICE

Prioritize Undigitized Holdings

  • Do identify which records are digitized and which remain undigitized, and list their holding repositories ahead of time.
  • Prioritize onsite-only materials so you use limited research time efficiently.
ANECDOTE

Love County Jurisdiction Discovery

  • Nicole researched Love County thoroughly and found it had been part of Pickens County in Chickasaw Nation before 1907 statehood.
  • That context explained why some land deeds dated before 1907 were recorded later in Love County records.
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