AboutJay Magoo (a pseudonym) Expertise I can answer questions about how newspapers determine what is news and what isn`t, about protocol in dealing with editors and other reporters, about the best way to use news sources and public records, and about how to survive in the ultra-competitive world that newspapers exist in today.
Experience I worked for 28 years as a reporter and an editor. Most of my career was with two major metropolitan newspapers in the Northeastern United States. Now retired.
Organizations Sigma Delta Chi
Education/Credentials University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor of Arts in English
Question I will be grateful if you are able to answer this question. If someone was researching a city's or town's history to look up a family connection, where would they go? What would they be looking at?
Answer The first place I'd go would be to the county courthouse. There you will find marriage records, birth records, death records, property deeds, etc. Depending on how sophisticated their record keeping is, it could go really easy, or on the other hand you might have to wait weeks until they retrieve records from storage.
The court house would also have records of any legal actions, either criminal or civil. You might also see if the town has a historical society. Organizations like the Masonic Lodge or Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the American Legion generally know who their members are.
A resourceful researcher will try to think of any organizations a person might have belonged to and query them.
Churches are also good sources, as are professional groups like Bar Associations for lawyers, and social groups like country clubs.
I don't know exactly what you're looking for, but those general answers might get you started.
And you might ask the local police. It's amazing how much policemen know about the citizens they protect -- good and bad.
We are a social species, and if the relative was a joiner, your search should be easy.
