Genealogy Research Tips and
Sahyun Library Updates
Genealogy Research Tip
I subscribe to several genealogy newsletters and blogs and one is Genealogy In Action, Julie has several parts to her site and blog, and one that she no longer has is a genealogy scavenger hunt. I subscribed to it for a fee for a couple of years. It was such […]
Have You Explored Our Webinar Archive?
Did you miss one of our monthly meetings or want to revisit a particular presentation? Our Webinar Archive has you covered. This members-only section contains recordings (and handouts if available) from our past three monthly meeting presentations.
But the archive offers much more than just recent meetings. It also includes:
A guide to Resources […]
Ancestors West News 50 Years in the Making!
Ancestors West next issue’s deadline for articles is MAY 1st.
We suggest you write about your FAVORITE GENEALOGY STORY OR EXPERIENCE. We always welcome any story you wish to submit. If you have suggestions for future topics, please let us know. We’d love to have your input.
As a reminder, […]
Old Photos and Dead Fred
Are you familiar with the website Dead Fred? Isn’t that a great name?
I’ve known about this site for some years but I don’t remember to use it often, however, I recently came into a couple of bags of vintage postcards, and mixed in were old photos, unidentified of course.
As a genealogist this […]
State Census
Between the Decades: Harnessing State Census Records for Genealogical Research
While federal census records often grab the spotlight, state census records are hidden gems brimming with invaluable information for genealogists. Discover how to unlock their potential and enrich your family history research:
Fill in the Gaps: Federal censuses are conducted every ten […]
Did You Know?
Santa Barbara Genealogical Society’s Sahyun Library is a Family Search Affiliate Library. What does this mean? It means that when you use a computer at the Sahyun you can access images you may not be able to see at home.
Search the FamilySearch Catalog for a location or subject […]
Why You Should Use Family Tree Software
Here’s an article that came in my morning emails: How Software Can Help You Build Your Family Tree
The title intrigued me because I have been saying this for a long time and at many Lunch and Learns. I think Family Tree Magazine has done a great job clearly stating the reasons why and […]
Gamechanger: Searching Handwritten Text
Have you heard about the new full-text search tool announced by FamilySearch at RootsTech? It searches selected handwritten document collections at FamilySearch. Currently, the collections include “U.S. land and probate records, some from the Freedmen’s Bureau, Mexican notarial records, and U.S. plantation records from the Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations collection. This tool is a […]
Guided Research by FamilySearch
Whether you are a beginning researcher or researching additional individuals in a complex tree, FamilySearch has a quick and straightforward way to access Birth, Marriage, and Death records for locales worldwide. It is “Guided Research.”
To access Guided Research, you first must have an account with FamilySearch. An account with FamilySearch is free with […]
Ancestors West Spring Edition Has Sprung
The Spring edition of Ancestors West is hot off the press and available to read and/or download on the Society Publications page. These great articles will motivate you to do further research, so you won’t want to miss them!
Table of Contents
2 From the Editor By Kristin Ingalls
3 An Introduction to the Sahyun Library […]
366 Days of Genealogy by Family Tree Magazine
I subscribe to several genealogy newsletters that arrive in my inbox on a regular basis. This newsletter from Family Tree Magazine arrived this morning and caught my eye because I like lists and guides.
It contains lists and guides for daily genealogy research tasks as well as weekly and monthly, not all of us can […]
New on the Shelves of the Sahyun Genealogical Library
February 2024 – post written by Chris Klukkert – Book Buy Chair
As I write this the rain has come. We need the rain, and maybe it is as good an excuse as we need to expand our genealogy research.
February is Black History Month, and coincidentally, I have been digging […]
Santa Barbara African American Life, Culture, and Contributions, 1890-1990
During Black History Month, let’s take a moment to reflect on Santa Barbara’s rich history, spanning back to the 1700s which includes people of African descent among early Spanish expeditions. In 2020, the Society, SBCGS, unveiled a digital exhibit titled “Santa Barbara African American Life, Culture, and Contributions, 1890-1990,” accessible on the Society’s website. […]
Newspapers.com Free This Weekend
Here’s your chance to find your ancestors in newspaper items and obituaries, Newspapers.com is offering free access to their site Feb 16th to 19th
The largest online newspaper archive, established in 2012. Used by millions every month in genealogy, historical research, family history, crime investigations, journalism and entertainment. Search for obituaries, marriage announcements, birth announcements, […]
February Monthly Meeting
Renate Yarborough Sanders – Exploring Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau: What’s In It For Me?
Our monthly meeting is a hybrid, held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at First Presbyterian Church at State and Constance and on Zoom if you can’t make it person.
If you can join us in […]
Member Orientation a Huge Success
On Saturday, February 3 the Society hosted a Member Orientation at the Sahyun Library, with nearly 30 new and returning members attending! The event provided members with an introduction the Society’s resources, including a tour of the Library, a presentation on subscription websites available to members, and valuable insights from key board members […]
African American Family History Research
In honor of Black History Month I’d like to suggest two sites to start your research:
The Research Wiki of Family Search
The Digital Library on American Slavery
Also our February Monthly meeting: Exploring Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau: What’s In It For Me?
How I Wrote About 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Do you feel a need to jumpstart your genealogy? I had that very feeling at the end of 2021. I had done research for many years and compiled oodles of records and documents. I wrote up in some detail the lives of those ancestors who interested me and shared their stories with family […]
Monthly Meeting
Have you made your New Year’s resolutions for genealogy, is one resolution or goal to organize your research, files and records? Well, you’re in luck because this month’s program is on just that, getting organized. Our monthly meeting is a hybrid, held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at First Presbyterian […]
Mining Old Issues of Ancestors West
Before the days of the internet and genealogical databases, the volunteers of many genealogical societies worked hard to transcribe books, cemetery inscriptions, tax lists, court records, and many other groupings of names, dates, and places. Their contributions were enormous, and you can see these early efforts in any local genealogical newsletter from the 1990s going […]
