Historical Context, W125, “The Most Prominent Citizens: Using County Histories in your Research,”11 am, Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Speaker: Cari A. Taplin, CG

Early in my genealogical journey, I was introduced to a county history of Wood County, Ohio, published in the late 1890s. Since my ancestors were in Wood County for a number of generations, this book was, and still is, a treasure trove of information on my family, for both direct and collateral lines. I was immediately amazed at the amount of information I could glean from this thick volume.

Using county histories as a research tool has helped me solve a number of genealogical mysteries. These books are a wonderful collection of the members of a community, giving not only a snapshot into that community in that time and place, but also a look back and how those individuals came together to build that community. I have found great research breakthroughs using county histories and want to share with the audience ways they too can utilize this source in their research.

Growing up, I was told I was related to Roy Rogers. I grew up knowing about a singing cowboy, details that no one in my age group knew. As a result, I have been working on my genealogical research since 2000. I am a native of Wood County, Ohio but migrated to Wyoming, Colorado and now Pflugerville, Texas which is just outside of Austin. After relocating, I began working with the Austin Genealogical Society on their educational classes. I have enjoyed sharing what I’ve learned over the years in the classes I teach.