In our neighborhood, there are several new houses under construction. The foundations are set, and the frames are up. It won't be too long before new families move in.

Constructing a genealogy is a bit like constructing a house. Family traditions and pedigrees that we find on the Internet are like the foundation of a house. Hopefully, the pedigrees are accurate. Otherwise our house will collapse.

Censuses and vital records are like the framework. They show us the outline of our ancestors.

A family cannot live in a house that only has a foundation and a framework. The house needs walls, ceilings, plumbing, utilities, and furniture.

Our genealogy needs more than traditions, Internet pedigrees, censuses, and vital records. We need to look for the documents created around our ancestors and their associates. Those associates are important. Our ancestor may have walked to the courthouse with a neighbor and signed a naturalization petition. Our ancestor may have had dealings with a store owner who kept a journal of everything that was purchased. Our ancestor may be mentioned in a neighbor's deed, and this will allow us to locate where he lived.

We need to look for land office records (state and federal), tax records, court cases, local church records, local histories, and all of the records that were kept in the area where they lived.

We need these documents to fill out the daily details of our ancestors' lives. We also need them because there will be clues in the documents that will lead us to their siblings, their parents, and their ancestors.

For instance, when our ancestors moved, they usually had to sell their land and property to obtain the funds for the move. Who bought their property? Who did our ancestors ask to be witnesses to the deed? Does the deed tell anything about who was the original owner of the land or who were the neighbors? Did any of the neighbors sell their property at the same time in anticipation of making the move with our ancestor?

One of the best places to look for these records is in the catalog of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, online at www.familysearch.org. Do a place search for the county where your ancestors lived. Have land records and probate records been microfilmed? Go to a local Family History Center and order the microfilm. When it comes, read the documents that will fill in the details of your ancestors' lives.