The Interactive Side of “Footnote.com” for Genealogists

is a great site for genealogists! There are over 57you like to the interactive collections on the site.
million original documents that provide valuable andYou may create your own gallery, annotate, save
rich information concerning our ancestors. This is aand control your contributions. Once you write
great resource of records that have previouslyyour articles they can be published directly on the
been available only at the National Archives. Nowsite. Within your gallery you are able to keep
the records are digitized, indexed and at yourtrack of the views to each item you have
fingertips on your home computer.published.
There is also another side of Footnote that manyAn example of what can happen to an article you
people are unaware of. now has the 1860 andpost is the following. My father lived for sixty-two
1930 Census’s, the Vietnam Wall, theyears. After he passed away I realized that he
Arizona Memorial and Footnote Pages (the Socialnever felt successful. His life did not go as he
Security Death Index) that are all interactive.pictured it would. My sister and I decided to
Anyone doing family history should be thrilled withcollaborate in writing his story. We gathered up
the ramifications of what Footnote has done. Ifpictures and documents to go along with it and
you have a shoebox full of information;published our father’s story on Footnotes
documents, pictures, hand written notes andwebsite: . Without the Footnote website his story
letters you now have a platform to share thesewould never have reached the 23,000 plus people
with family members and friends. Once thesewho have currently viewed it. My sister and I
items are scanned and uploaded they become abelieve our father would be very happy to know
permanent part (as long as the publisher wishes)that we have honored his memory by writing and
of the collections they are uploaded to.publishing his story. If you go to Google and type
Anyone can register for free on Footnote andin Willis H Bell, the article on Footnote will be at the
have full access to all member contributedtop of the page!
content and the creation of your own account.Our shared stories bring us together in meaningful
With that access you can upload an unlimitedways. Take a look at this site and get hooked on
amount of material and contribute as much ashistory!