I would attribute my success in this genealogy project to a number of lucky breaks. Had I done this project even a year earlier, some of these sources would not have been available, and certainly without the Internet this would have been a long, tedious and expensive project. Here are a few of the sources I was lucky to have.
People
The first and most important source of any genealogical research is people, especially elderly people. Although they can't give you charts and numbers and their memory may be a bit spotty, they have information that you simply cannot find anywhere else. My aunt, Mary Robertshaw was one such source. I may have bombarded her with questions she couldn't answer at times, but what happened often is that the information she did provide, perhaps something I didn't ask, opened a door to more information. I did not think my mother would be a good source on information about my father's family, but I soon realized that living with him for 55 years, she knew quite a bit.
I am also indebted to my cousins who provided me with names and dates of some family I haven't even met yet. And finally the serendipitous finding of distant relatives. I found myself exchanging email with one third cousin and two fifth cousins. I've come to the conclusion that everyone from Sciara is related,
either by blood or by marriage.
Diane
One day, cruising the internet I found a webpage about genealogists who will do (some) research for free. This led me to Diane, who lives with her husband in Las Vegas. Diane uses the email address my_ranch@earthlink.net and she has the most incredible files for Sciara. Fortunately most Sicilian towns have vital records available on microfilm and most of these have been filmed by the Mormon church, which is major source of genealogical materials. Diane spent years with this microfilm making her own files covering Sciara from the early 1700s to 1910, where the available records end. It is she who provided me (for free!) with nearly all my information on people from Sciara.
Last year Ellis Island put all its passenger lists, which cover 1892-1923 on line. It's not perfect, in fact there are a few notable people I have not been able to find in Ellis Island records, but it has been very helpful to determine who came from Sciara to the US. I find the most fascinating bit of data on these lists is "if coming to stay with a friend or relative in the US, what is their name and address." This really helps to positively identify the immigrant and to connect them with other relatives.
Ancestry.com is the leading genealogy website on the Internet. Unfortunately, the vast amount of information available is of little use to me, since it pertains to the US before my family's arrival. I do subscribe to the US Census images on Ancestry.com and although I can go into a rant about their lack of indexing and the many tedious hours I paged through images, I must admit it is much easier to sit in front of a computer and do this than make trips to New York City to look up microfilm.
Libraries: The National Archives, New York Public Library, New Rochelle Public Library and Family History Centers
Yes, I do get out of the house to do this but most of the data that I have chased after, spending hours driving to New York, have been the small, but annoying bits of missing information. In recent years the National Archives has opened local branches, including one in New York City which I have visited to search the Census (and they
have indexes). I've also spent time in New York Public Library since they have many books I can't find elsewhere and also New Rochelle Public Library reading old newspapers. Much closer than New York City is my local Family History Center, attached to the local Mormon church. These local libraries are branches of the
Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Mostly what you do is order microfilm. There is a small fee, and you must wait for it to come in. Then you can do your research on their microfilm readers (no you can't take the film home) As I said earlier, this is how Diane compiled her files.