| Dear Fellow Genealogist,
Country singer Toby Keith sang, "Should've been a cowboy." With National Day of the Cowboy coming up tomorrow, genealogists have the perfect excuse to find out whether anyone in the family actually was one, or at least owned enough cattle to leave a paper trail.
In today's newsletter, we highlight an article that explores cattle brand registrations and the clues they can provide about your ranching ancestors. We also look into a investigation by the Photo Detective, Maureen A. Taylor, on the identities of two cowboys pictured on an old postcard.
In today's premium article, we share a guide to homesteading records, including the documents that can help you trace an ancestor's efforts to claim land, improve it and build a new life.
So saddle up, head west and start searching. Your next research success might be hiding in a brand book, a land-entry file or several hundred pages of federal paperwork–because even the Wild West had bureaucracy.
Riding off into the sunset,
— Katharine, Digital Editor of Family Tree Magazine
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| Photos |
| Real Cowboys or Make Believe? |
| Maureen continues her investigation into who these two handsome cowboys are. With the help of facial comparison technology and census records help her solve the case? |
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