Anita Wells
Heritage Travel: To Grandmother’s House We Go(ogle)
1. Ancestral quest: Where to go and what to see in ancestral travel: discovering houses, churches, cemeteries,
museums, and other places that are extant and relevant to both ancestor and self; finding locals to help
Preliminary research into places and dates from your records: finding juncture locations (births, marriages,
births of children, deaths, travels/immigrations, historical events); identify records needed or already
available (Norway story)
Google locations, learn history of towns through Wikipedia, FamilySearch locales
Use Google maps to check distances, proximity to travel plans; Google Earth historical layers
Research through travel and Pinterest sites: TripAdvisor, TripIt
Findagrave.com/Billiongraves.com cemetery information
Discover historic hotels, local foods, antique shops, historical societies, libraries, museums, hours open,
email historians/residents, Facebook second cousins
Case Studies:
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Nebraska: Lincoln, Chester, Hardy, Superior: finding 19th century pioneers’-20th century grandpa’s
homes, churches, cemeteries, businesses as well as a new cousin along the way
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Pennsylvania: finding 18th-19th century German ancestors’ farms, graves, churches, inn, and
understanding ancestors in the Johnstown Flood
2. Organizing research to create a viable trip
Charts, schedules, Word documents, Excel; ancestral info/bios/photos to bring
Travel plans, Google maps, Evernote
Case Study: Denmark: Fjenneslev to Borglum: finding homes, churches, and understanding the land of
19th century immigrant ancestors
3. Sharing this information with those who may want to travel with or follow footsteps later
Powerpoint presentations at reunions; sharing virtually and via social media (blogger, Instagram,
Facebook); Waterlogue/Brushstroke app to create and frame photos
Case Study: Lessons learned from Audlem, England compared with New Zealand
4. Insights gained and further research possibilities
Understanding the land, the motivations, the people better; questions raised for further research
Case Studies: Wasungen Germany cousins found; Ffestiniog, Wales discoveries, problems, and new
directions
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