01 · Field route
Census
Use U.S. census schedules to build a household timeline
Open the guideCouncilon directory · records
Record Guides
Choose a record by the question it can answer, then confirm who created it, where the original is held, and what another source should verify.
Browse 13 guides
FIELDINDEX
Open the drawers
Find the right starting point.
Filter the directory by a place, record, or research technique. Every result is a guide—not a private-person profile.
02 · Field route
Birth
Locate historical birth records and substitute sources
Open the guide03 · Field route
Marriage
Locate marriage records across state, county, church, and newspaper sources
Open the guide04 · Field route
Death
Locate death records and corroborate identity
Open the guide05 · Field route
Property
Trace ownership and occupancy through deeds, tax rolls, maps, and directories
Open the guide06 · Field route
Court
Find historical court records by jurisdiction and court level
Open the guide07 · Field route
Military
Research service, pension, and related military records
Open the guide08 · Field route
Immigration
Research passenger, arrival, visa, and immigrant files
Open the guide09 · Field route
Naturalization
Locate naturalization declarations, petitions, and indexes
Open the guide10 · Field route
Newspapers
Search historical newspapers for names, addresses, events, and notices
Open the guide11 · Field route
City Directories
Use city directories to bridge years between censuses
Open the guide12 · Field route
Yearbooks
Use yearbooks as contextual clues and verify identities elsewhere
Open the guide13 · Field route
Obituaries
Use obituaries as leads while separating claims from evidence
Open the guideHow to choose
Follow the custodian, not the shortcut.
If two guides seem plausible, pick the one closest to the event that created the record. A birth record starts with a civil or religious custodian; an address story may start with a directory or deed.
Keep a negative-search log. Record the archive, collection, date range, spelling and filters you tried. “Not found” is useful only when another researcher can see where you looked.
Continue the trail
Keep the evidence moving.
Move to the next guide only when it answers a different question. That keeps the research plan focused and retraceable.
01 · Field route
Councilon
Plan a responsible search for a person, address, or historical public record
Open the guide02 · Field route
Start With What You Know
Turn known facts into a focused research question
Open the guide03 · Field route
Responsible People Search
Use people-search methods for legitimate, non-harmful research
Open the guide