Walter Isaacson revealed the following quote by Steve Jobs in an essay with Time Magazine (October 2011) that explains Jobs' motivation for authorizing his biography,
“I wanted my kids to know me. I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did.”
For a genealogist and family history researcher, this quote begs the question, “Did your ancestors feel the same way?” They may or may not have thought about explaining themselves or telling their stories to their descendants, but there are many resources that exist for you to find out more about your ancestors and their stories.
With the explosion of genealogy as the second most popular hobby, it is no wonder there are so many places online to look for your ancestors. However, not everything can be found online, and in fact, there is only a small percentage of documents and information online. Therefore, your search will consist of both online and offline searching, and here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Write down what you know and put it down on a pedigree chart.
- Start with yourself then work backwards.
- Write down where you get every little piece of information.
- Inventory any documents, photos, and heirlooms that you might have around the house.
- Make a list of members of your family who might know something about your family's history, and think about what you want to ask them about it.
- Go and visit with these family members.
Likewise, when it comes to doing genealogy and family history research, Houston’s residents and the surrounding area’s residents are fortunate to have quite a few places to look both online and offline to start researching their Houston roots.
- Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
- The Texas Local History Department (Texas Room)
- Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC)
- Houston Oral History Project
- The African American Library at the Gregory School
- Government Documents collection housed at the Houston Public Library
Unfortunately, not every ancestor left a biography behind like Steve Jobs to explain who they were and why they did what did, but finding out who they were can be done. Your ancestor may not have left notes, letters, and books detailing their lives and motivations, but, whether on purpose or not, they did leave behind clues and paper trails. Further, you can use these clues they left behind to search in Houston-area repositories to get a glimpse of their lives and perhaps get to know them.
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