Family Tree Magazine will help point the way toward the best research tools and practices to trace your family's history. Each issue includes tips on locating, collecting, and preserving photos, letters, diaries, church and government records, and other documentation, plus fun articles about creating scrapbooks, organizing family reunions, and vacation ideas that combine history with leisure!
Family Tree • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2026 / VOLUME 27, ISSUE 6
out on a limb
Letters to the Editor
Web Highlight: A Tutorial of JewishGen
5 QUESTIONS with: Michael L. Strauss - Military Historian
DNA News Roundup • PREMIUM UPDATES FROM THE ‘BIG FOUR’ COMPANIES
New Ancestor-Mapping Tools • FOUR SEPARATE BROWSER-BASED TOOLS for visualizing your ancestral places and migrations have come online. Three are developed by Jason Duncan (also known as WebJMD) <www.webjmd.com/mymapbuilder> a fourth, TreeAlive. <www.treealive.com>, is made by a standalone company and compatible with both GEDCOM files and the FamilySearch Tree.
Holiday Specials
Hudson Valley Homecoming • When they find an ancestral home on Airbnb, a father and daughter bond over new family memories in an old family town.
Scraps of HISTORY • An old hobby is making an inspiring comeback—and this time, it’s more about stories than stickers.
A CLOSE READING • Analyze records—and fulfill your ancestral quest—by understanding these key (sometimes conflicting) best practices
The (Genealogy) Hero’s Journey
COUNTING BLACK SHEEP • A SHOCKING DISCOVERY HIGHLIGHTS WHAT TO DO WITH (AND HOW TO FIND) THE UNSAVORY “BLACK SHEEP” IN YOUR FAMILY TREE.
IOWA
MAINE
Find Your U.S. Ancestors
BRITANNIA RULE THE WEB • Sail the seas of time with these top web resources for English and Welsh genealogy.
BUILDING BLOCKS • Make a smartphone your best research tool with these 13 foundational genealogy apps.
More Load-Bearing Apps • Searching records, building family trees, telling family stories—these are just some of the research tasks you can do from your smartphone. Below are more roles a smartphone can play; your phone likely has default apps for each, but we’ve also included some third-party suggestions.
Birth Records
Woman of Uncertain Age • Photo format and clothing suggest a birth year for the subject of this daguerreotype.
X-DNA and Your Ancestors
Exploring the New Bureau of Land Management Website • The Bureau of Land Management General Land Office site <glorecords.blm.gov/s> got a fresh new look in July 2026. Boasting more than 5 million land title records from 1788 to today, this resource can provide genealogists with valuable information about the public land that their ancestors owned. Access them for free at this government website.
Saving FamilyTraditions • Some of the most important family traditions are more about intangible memories than keepsakes that you can hold in your hand. Special foods, silly games and groan-worthy jokes can become legendary among relatives. Preserve those memories with just as much care as you do grandmother’s silver service.
NOW WHAT?
Best Beginner Genealogy Websites
You’ve made it to the end of the magazine! Now what? • Test your knowledge with these exercises.
ROOTSMAGIC • Build and Manage Your Family Tree