Land Records Here We Come! Digging for Ancestors with Michelle Roos Goodrum

I am so excited about Michelle Roos Goodrum’s new book Digging for Ancestors: An In-Depth Guide to Land Records, not just because I know it will be well-written and researched, but because I NEED THIS BOOK.

I’ve been working with land records more and more and I’ve looked for a guide that would explain unfamiliar terms, give tips for transcribing and extracting information, and direct my research time for effective results. I can’t wait to “dig into” Michelle’s new book; from the topic list in the Table of Contents, it promises to answer a lot of questions:

Table of Contents

Introduction

Quick Start: Top Ten Tips
Getting Started with Land Records Research
Using Deed Indexes and Deeds
Transcribing Documents: Quick Answers to Why and How
Understanding Extracts and Abstracts
What are Dower and Dowry?
Using the BLM in Your Research
Baffled by Legal Property Descriptions?
Let’s Talk: State Land States
A Look at Cash Entry Files
Examining a Homestead File
Using Land Records to Solve Genealogical Problems
Cemetery Deeds: They’re Land Records, Too
Three Reasons to Visit the Old Family Home
Google Earth: See the Past in the Present
Fun with Land and Property Records
Appendix A: Resources for Land Records Research
Appendix B: Township Grid

As Michelle notes, the contents includes material from her “Timeless Territories” column published at The In-Depth Genealogist, from her blog Turning of Generations, along with new material and resources.

I have come to know Michelle from our shared interest in caring for family treasures; we both inherited a legacy of family photos, documents, and artifacts and have been working on digitizing and organizing the collections. Congratulations, Michelle, on your latest accomplishment. 

Digging for Ancestors is available now as a PDF download from the In-Depth Genealogist and for Kindle, Nook, and in Paperback.

Note: I was provided with a review copy from the publisher. I am an Amazon Affiliate.