Local History and Genealogy Blogs I Read

Over at Family Matters, Denise Olsen has challenged us to list the local history, family, and genealogy blogs we read that help us in our research. The post I'm writing today has a double purpose: to respond to Denise, and to highlight a new blog that I've recently discovered and desire to share with you.

First of all, most of my current research begins in Michigan, as that is from where my parents hail and where my ancestors have lived for as few as three and as many as seven generations, depending on the ancestral line. Many of the first-generation Michigan ancestors came from New York. Many others also came directly from the Netherlands.

Here's a list of blogs that have been useful in my research in those locations.

• *In Friese Pas - not a genealogy blog; but Grace walks all over the Province of Friesland on day trips with a friend, taking photographs and blogging about the quaint villages and their history. It's like taking a virtual trip to the homeland of my ancestors!
• *New York Traveler is another blog that takes me to the sights my ancestors may have seen, and is fairly new to my Reader.
  
• *News from Nancy, State Librarian of Michigan - knowing what is going on in the libraries in the state of Michigan is vital to any genealogy researcher whose roots lie in the Wolverine State.
  
• *Trace Your Dutch Roots - not so long ago, I posted about the great series Henk is writing for those of us with Dutch roots.
  
• *Upstate New York Genealogy Blog - this is the companion blog of the Upstate New York Genealogy website by Dick Hillenbrand, chock full of useful resources!
  

And now the "new kid on the block." I introduce you to Derek Davey, who just this month started his Genealogy - Southeast Michigan blog with a plethora of Michigan and U.S. history posts, research resources, and ideas for breaking down your brick walls. Derek, who also blogs at Genealogy - Northeast Ohio and Genealogy - Northwest Ohio, invites you to submit your brick walls to him. He'll make suggestions and post them each Saturday.