One of the best ways to break down those brick walls in our research is to try to place yourself in your ancestors shoes. To do this you need to learn a little about the times and places in which your ancestors lived. By doing a little extra digging, you can form a clearer picture of your ancestors’ lives, and you can pick up valuable clues that will help you to further your research.
A great place to start is with the information you have. Put all of your family correspondence, diary entries, and even family stories into a timeline format for your ancestor. Remember to keep family stories in perspective, as they have often been exaggerated and may have no basis in fact. (However, once more information has been collected and assembled, you may be able to substantiate part or all of a family tale.)
What if you don’t have any family correspondence, diaries, or family stories to assemble? Fear not, there are still other avenues open to you. Well known events like a war, the Irish potato famine, the Dust Bowl, a gold rush, or the Great Depression may have had significant effects on your ancestor’s life. Fill your timeline in with events that may have had bearing on his life. Compare the dates and events and look for clues. Did he disappear for a while, possibly during a war? Or maybe he went west in search of gold?