Tell me more about Family Papers

Family Papers is a unique and exciting new service now being offered to the family historian. Family Papers adds an exciting new dimension to the pursuit of genealogy; providing people with additional information on their ancestors, while at the same time helping them to locate, own and preserve authentic family heirlooms.

It’s a fact that there exists today, hundreds of thousands of antique documents and letters lying forgotten on shelves or in file cabinets of hundreds of antique stores and paper ephemera dealers across the United States, and indeed the world. These are documents legally available for purchase in the public domain and are not associated with established libraries or government archives. Sadly, in recent years the interest in owning these pieces of history has increased dramatically and many of these documents are rapidly disappearing into private collections.

The goal of Family Papers is locate these documents and "reunite" them with people interested in preserving their family’s past. What Family Papers does is provide people interested in family history with a tangible heirloom to be treasured for generations to come. Not a photocopy...not a microfiche copy, an authentic document linked directly to a family’s past...the "real McCoy!"

Family Papers maintains a unique Ancestral Registry and conducts multiple, on-going searches with established paper ephemera dealers, in an effort to make a successful match. The typical document Family Papers looks at are land deeds, township records, tax receipts, military service/payroll records and letters. Just about every document available involves two or three people, either directly or indirectly. Some records, such as military documents can list forty or fifty different names. This dramatically increases our ability to make a successful search. Many of these documents may actually signed by the ancestor we are looking for!

Many people, whose family tree includes a notable historic figure, are interested in obtaining an document or letter of that particular individual. While the papers of prominent figures are, usually, more easily located, it is still possible to locate some type of document relating an ancestor’s life regardless of their prominence.

Impossible? Not really. I have, personally, been involved in the collecting of historic manuscripts for nearly thirty years and have successfully located letters, documents and photographs related to my ancestors. I have done this not only for my family, but I’ve also helped friends interested in learning more about their family’s past. I can tell you from personal experience, that these family heirlooms are among the most treasured possessions I own.

For more information on Family Papers and how you can begin looking for your family's papers, please spend a few minutes exploring our Web Site. Feel free to send us an E-Mail or give us a call at (503) 968-6595.

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This page last updated: 10 May 1999