5 Discovery Techniques for Your Family Tree

At this moment, my family tree has 83,293 people. That will grow this week as I expand my research into another town.

I have deep roots in a handful of neighboring Italian towns. There was a ton of intermarriage there. That means almost anyone with ancestors in my tree could be my DNA match. My goal is to provide countless people with a ton of documentation on their ancestors.

I can point to 5 discovery techniques that played a big role in building my tree. Use these 5 techniques and your family tree itself can help break through your brick walls.

Use these 5 discovery techniques in your genealogy research.

1. Start from a Solid Base

When I started building my family tree in 2002, all I had was the relatives who came to America. That's a small number of people for me. Half of my great grandparents stayed in Italy.

My earliest breakthroughs came when I discovered my ancestors' hometowns in Italy. This is priority number one! You may never get anywhere until you discover their hometowns with absolute certainty.

If you aren't sure of your ancestor's hometown, any search result you find could be the wrong family. Here's how I use the 4 Cornerstones of Genealogy Research to build a solid base for my family tree. That allows me to keep expanding with confidence.

2. Build on What You Know

If you don't have first-hand knowledge of your ancestors' names, you're at a disadvantage. Now imagine researching the in-laws. You don't know all the last names. You didn't grow up hearing them. How can you be sure you're not going off on the wrong tangent?

I needed to research my ex-husband's family tree because those are my sons' ancestors. I had no contact with that family when I started building my family tree, but I had a few clues. I decided to build on these.

From my first-born's baby book to an old relic in the attic, I began piecing together the family. Use extreme caution and verify everything with several sources. Here are my 5 Tips for Researching the In-Laws.

3. Understand Which Vital Records Are Available

My family tree research shifted into overdrive when Italian vital records came online. I said goodbye to viewing low-quality microfilm at a Family History Center. I started downloading high-quality documents on my computer.

Get very familiar with any vital record collections that apply to your family tree. I've had great success because I know:

• which years are available
• which facts should be on each document
• where else to look for answers

Because of that familiarity, I'm able to take a random person and fit them into my family tree. (See Drawing Inspiration from the Genealogy Pros.) And I was able to fix a case of mistaken identity once I spotted an error. (See Who Is This Man Who Isn't My Uncle?.)

4. Ask the Right Questions

Following the advice of Crista Cowan, I applied this technique to my DNA match.

Crista advises that you Ask One Question for Better Genealogy Results. This causes you to be logical and stick to the right path.

Here's my first question. "Is Concetta Saraceno from my DNA match's family tree Concetta Sarracino?" Sarracino is my grandmother's last name, and that would tie me to this DNA match.

Take a look at the link above to see how one question leads to another and helps you solve your mystery.

5. Follow That Hunch

Knowing the last names in your family tree can lead to unexpected discoveries. An 1898 birth record I found on the New York City Municipal Archives website struck a chord with me. Because of a bunch of misspellings, I almost ignored it. But I couldn't let it go.

Sometimes you must look past those misspellings and think of what the names might be. Think of these odd documents as clues. What else can you find to prove they are or aren't someone from your family tree?

In this case, a promising birth record led to a string of discoveries. See How I Stumbled on a Clue to Bust a Brick Wall.

Use these 5 techniques to make discoveries for your family tree. When it comes to family tree building, one discovery will lead to another and another.

6 Ways to Use City Directories for Genealogy

My grandfather's 1920 ship manifest shows him as an 18-years-old arriving in New York alone. It came as a surprise that he was heading to Newton, Massachusetts. I knew he spent years in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York City, but Newton, Mass?

The typewritten manifest says he was joining his "Uncle Pilla Di Gennaro" at 29 West Street in Newton. That wording confused me for a long time. Uncle Pilla Di Gennaro? Years later I realized this was his mother's brother Antonio Pilla, the son of Gennaro Pilla. I don't know why he didn't say he was going to Uncle Antonio, but I needed to research Antonio Pilla in Newton.

How City Directories Can Jump-Start Your Research

Take advantage of the 6 ways old city directories can help in your genealogy research.

While I was attending a genealogy conference in Boston, I researched Antonio Pilla. I began by searching the city directories for Newton. Here are the most important facts I discovered from city directories:

• Antonio's wife's name was Angelina.
• He was the manager of a company called Basilone & Co. in 1909. (Basilone is a common last name from his hometown in Italy.)
• Antonio and Angelina lived at 17 Jones Court from 1921–1925.
• He was a laborer from 1921–1932.
• They lived at 224 Chapel Street from 1927–1934, and Angelina was still there in 1940. (I never found them at 29 West Street, as listed on Grandpa's ship manifest. But West Street is one street away from Chapel Street and Jones Court.)
• The directory lists Angelina as Antonio's widow in 1936. To my surprise and delight, it includes his date of death: June 14 1934.
• The directory also lists their adult children Henry and Mary at 224 Chapel Street in 1940.
• The directory lists their adult sons Anthony and William at 224 Chapel Street in 1943 and 1945. Anthony is there in 1948, too.

Other helpful articles from Fortify Your Family Tree:

• My Cousin Has a Genealogy Surprise in Store
• How to Turn Your Family History into a Great Read
• One Simple Strategy to Avoid Genealogy Burnout

The city directories formed a solid foundation for my research into this family. I went on to find:

• Antonio's 1913 immigration
• his six children
• his wife's full name and place of birth
• her 1903 immigration as a baby
• her second marriage

Angelina still lived at 224 Chapel Street in 1941 and was likely there when she died in 1963. Google Maps shows me the house still stands today. The grave marker photo on Find a Grave shows Angelina buried with Antonio, not her second husband.

Harvesting Key Data Points from City Directories

Keep an eye out for unexpected details, bad indexing, and mistakes.

I found these and other city directories on Ancestry, but you can also find them for free on FamilySearch. Search their catalog for Keywords "city directory" and the country or city of your choice.

Here are 6 ways you can use city directories for your genealogy research.

1. Find your relative's address between census years. This may help you find them in the following census.
2. Track their occupation through the years. My grandmother's uncle had a different job every time I find him.
3. Discover their spouse's name and other family members' names. Look for the inclusion of adult children living in the household.
4. If the directory says your person is as widow or widower, you can narrow down the year of their spouse's death. Or you may get lucky and see the date of death as I did for Antonio.
5. Check the back of the book for abbreviations of occupations, first names, and street names. The abbreviation "do" means ditto. Don't miss out on any details.
6. Look for a street and avenue directory to locate no-longer-existing streets.

Sometimes you'll find a ton of city directory listings in your search results. Each one is worth a closer look. But don't rely on search results alone. If you know your person might have been in a particular place at a particular time, find the directory and search the alphabetical listings. When you piece these listings together, you can discover a lot about the arc of your relative's life.

Key Facts on Your Ancestor's Italian Military Record

As a child I heard that my grandfather was a prisoner of war in World War I. I heard he ate rats to stay alive. It wasn't until 2018 that I learned more.

That's the year I went to Benevento, Italy, to see his military record. (Follow the preceding link to find out how to do it.) There's a ton of information on this record.

My 2023 article, "Free Italian Military Records for WWI and WWII", has been popular recently. I owe you a detailed explanation of what you can find on your ancestor's Italian military record.

There's a detailed physical description of your ancestor on his Italian military record.

Most of the World War I era Italian military records follow the same format. At the top of the page is the record number, the soldier's name, and their year of birth.

Personal Data and Markings

The top of the left column says Date e Contrassegni Personali or Personal Data and Markings. This section tells you the names of the soldier's parents, his birth date and place of birth. There's a detailed physical description, including:

• Height (statura) and chest (torace) measurement in centimeters. My grandfather was 158 centimeters tall with an 80 centimeter chest.
• Color (colore) and type (forma) of hair (capelli). His hair was brown and curly.
• Color of eyes (occhi). His eyes were brown.
• Complexion (colorito). His skin was rosy.
• Condition of teeth (dentatura). His teeth were healthy.
• Art (arte) or profession (professione). He was a shoemaker.
• Whether he could read (leggere) or write (scrivere). He could do both.
• Draft number (numero nella leva) and place (comune) of registration. He drew number 51 in the 1891 draft in Baselice.

Continuing down the left column, we see where the soldier would be when home on leave. (Domicilio Eletto all'Atto dell'Invio in Congedo.) This is usually his hometown.

Next is Distinctions and Special Services (the heading is Distinzioni e Servizi Speciali). I've downloaded a lot of these records for soldiers who died in the war. I can't find any that have something written in this section.

The next section lists exemptions from service. (The heading is Annotazioni per il personale ascritto a corpi o servizi pei quali sono stabilite dispense dalle chiamate.) My grandfather's record says the army released him on 14 Aug 1926—long after he'd settled in New York.

The bottom of the left column tells you if the soldier ever left Italy. The heading means he obtained a passport without restrictions (Nulla osta per conseguire il passaporto per l'estero e rimpatrii). The military gave my grandfather clearance to go to New York on 31 Mar 1914 and 2 Apr 1920.

The large center column details the soldier's military information. Exact dates are in the right column.

Enrollment, Services, Promotions and other registration changes

The heading at the top of the center column is Arruolamento, Servizi, Promozioni ed altre variaziony matricolari. Military service was mandatory at age 20 in Italy at the time, so the first entry is for the soldier's enlistment.

Some parts of this column are handwritten, and others use a rubber stamp. You'll see phrases repeated. These include:

• chiamato alle armi (called to arms)
• lasciato in congede illimitato (left on indefinite leave)
• mandato in congedo illimitato (sent on indefinite leave)
• concessa congedo illimitato (granted indefinite leave)
• reggimento fanteria (infantry regiment)
• dispensato dalla chiamata alle armi (exempted from the call to arms). This can be due to illness or because he left the country.
• prigioniero (prisoner)
• rimpatriato (repatriated)

Merit Action Campaigns (Decorations, commendations, wounds, injuries, fractures, mutilations in war or in service)

The bottom of the page details service awards and injuries. The heading is Campagne Azioni di Merito; Decorazioni, encomi, ferite, lesioni, fratture, mutilazioni in guerra od in servicio.

The army awarded him the Inter-Allied Victory Medal and the Italian War Commemorative Medal. He was in New York at the time. I don't know if they gave these medals to his mother in Baselice.

What a gift it is to see a fallen soldier's military record or obtain the volume and record number.

Some of the specifics I learned about my grandfather's service were:

• He enlisted on 21 Mar 1911, before his 20th birthday.
• His first call to arms was on 23 Oct 1911.
• He received a medical leave on 20 May 1912.
• He joined an infantry regiment on 5 Dec 1913. They granted him unlimited leave on 21 Feb 1914 because of his honorable conduct. (That's when he left for New York City.)
• They excused him from the call to arms on 15 Jul 1914 and 23 May 1915 because he was in America with permission.
• He returned to Italy to answer the call to arms issued on 31 Aug 1915. (Not everyone did. His first cousin stayed in New York.) He joined the 40th infantry regiment.
• He joined the 134th infantry regiment on 14 May 1916.
• They promoted him to corporal on 1 Jan 1917.
• He became a prisoner of war in the Mauthausen, Austria, prison camp on 6 Nov 1917. Mauthausen was a concentration camp in World War II. It's the subject of a gut-wrenching film, "The Photographer of Mauthausen". His date of capture confirmed my earlier speculation. He was very likely among the 250,000 Italians taken prisoner during the Battle of Caporetto.
• One year later, on 6 Nov 1918, forces released him from the POW camp.
• On 21 Aug 1919, the army granted him unlimited leave. They cited his honorable service and faithful conduct.

I heard that he spent two years at home recovering before finally returning to New York. Now I have actual dates. He returned home shortly after his 6 Nov 1918 liberation, and the army approved his return to New York on 2 Apr 1920. That was 17 months later. Italy paid his fare.

My grandfather always conducted himself in a proud and honorable manner. His military record shows he earned that right.

No matter where your ancestor served, you can learn a lot from their military record.

And speaking of military members:

• Appreciate the Veterans in Your Family Tree
• Finding Your Family's Fallen War Heroes
• Does Independence Day Make You Think of Your Ancestors?
• An Unusual Find Triggers Historical Research
• Finding Fallen Soldiers in Your Family Tree
• Important Stories Wait for You in Military Records