Family Tree

Family Tree Magazine will help point the way toward the best research tools and practices to trace your family's history. Each issue includes tips on locating, collecting, and preserving photos, letters, diaries, church and government records, and other documentation, plus fun articles about creating scrapbooks, organizing family reunions, and vacation ideas that combine history with leisure!

Family Tree

out on a limb

TREE TALK • We asked about your favorite mobile app for genealogy. Here’s how you responded.

5 QUESTIONS with: Cyndi Ingle - Creator, Cyndi’s List

‘Preserve the Pensions’ Returns

NEW U.S. ARCHIVIST CONFIRMED

Genealogy and AI

NEW DNA PAINTER TOOL

APPEALS COURT DISMISSES CASE AGAINST ANCESTRY.COM

Finding Home(s)

Close to Home • Living in an ancestral home continues to spur new family history discoveries.

Crown Jewels • These 101 Best Genealogy Websites will give your family history the royal treatment.

75 Best State Websites of 2023 • Each year, we also publish a list of the best websites for each US state and territory. All the websites here are free, making them first-rate research destinations. See the full list (including short descriptions about each) at .

THE GIVING TREE • Tap into the resources of the massive FamilySearch Family Tree with these suggestions.

MONTANA

VERMONT

Find Your U.S. Ancestors

identity crisis • You’ll need more than a name to prove that a person in a record is your ancestor. These tips (plus a case study) will help you overcome common pitfalls for establishing identity.

SMART SCANNING • Some of today’s best scanners fit in the palm of your hand. Learn about the eight top smartphone scanning apps that can help you digitize family photos and documents.

Life Science • Discover how to apply the scientific method to your genetic genealogy questions.

Genealogy at a glance

treetips

Knit One, Purl Two • A photo shows a mother- and daughter-in-law hat-making team at work.

Service Records

Discovering Places and Stories with Historypin • Historypin  is a free online resource for gathering, tagging and sharing images, online videos, and other stories about historical topics—all linked to a place. It’s like Pinterest for history-lovers, and each pin is tagged with locations, dates, keywords and descriptions. Gather pins in various collections on different themes, and even create tours to share with others. A free user ID and login get you started.

Preserving Shoes and Footware

treetips NOW WHAT?

Sites for Finding Heirlooms

Endogamy and DNA Research

Genealogy Research Planner • Identify and track the records likely to help with a research question.

POLISH GENEALOGY