In the course of this research, materials which have continuing historical value in their own right were collected. Whether your ancestors landed at Plymouth Rock or Ellis Island, whether they were brought against their will or were native to this country, there are certain things you may wish to preserve in order to pass on to the succeeding generations the unique story of your family's part in American and local history. Genealogists have long been working in archives and historical records repositories of the world. This is not a guide to genealogical research. Rather, it is intended to guide you in preserving the documents located and created during your research into your personal or family history.
Family history is more than birth, marriage and death dates.
It is the story of personal interaction with a community and the impact of national, state and local events on generations of people. Sources for family histories can be written documents, photos, scrapbooks, diaries and other types of personal papers. Sources for family histories can be found in records of churches, schools, businesses, social clubs an other organizations whose archives document various activities engaged in by your ancestors. The records used to research family history can be an important part of our documentary heritage providing a direct link to our common past. All of the day to day materials document who we are, what we did and what was important to us.