Romerikslaget i Amerika

Internet Websites: for BASIC Genealogy Research

Updated May 2017 by Deb Jarvar

These websites are only a sample of what is actually out there on the net, and it changes daily. Try the name you are researching in Google or other popular search engines. Try using quotation marks to limit the search to only the words typed in the order in which you typed them. Sound confusing? Here’s an example:
“Hans Fretheim”

NOTE: It is critical that you verify all information gleaned from the Internet. What you find is only as accurate as the person entering that information.

Cyndi’s List – contains over 333,000 genealogy related websites. This should be your starting point in basic genealogy research.
www.cyndislist.com

Latter Day Saints (Mormon or LDS) website – search by name to find out if anyone else has already done research on your family.
www.familysearch.org/

Ancestry - requires membership for any more than a very basic search, however, many public libraries subscribe to Ancestry.com and it is free on library computers to library cardholders. It contains a wealth of information from census and immigration records to completed family trees.
ancestry.com/

RootsWeb - is a free genealogy website supported by Ancestry. This would be a good place to post a message on your research efforts. It also has family trees under WorldConnect, similar to Ancestry and more.
rootsweb.com/

Norway Heritage – Ships passenger lists pre-1875. Photos of many ships and more.
www.norwayheritage.com/

Ellis Island – search here for immigrants entering the United States through New York, you must register but it is free. Ellis Island opened in 1892. Check Castle Garden prior to 1892. The actual website is:
www.ellisisland.org/

Castle Garden – in New York, this was the United States entry location for many immigrants from 1830 to 1892. Contains a searchable database.
castlegarden.org/

Passenger Lists on the Internet
One of several, The Ships List: Passengers, Ships, Shipwrecks.
www.theshipslist.com/

The Wisconsin Historical Society – a searchable database, click on the blue box Family History for many useful databases including birth, death and marriage pre 1907.
wisconsinhistory.org/

Public Libraries –Many libraries subscribe to Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest (US census information from 1790-1930). Some also offer newspaper searches worldwide through ACCESS.

US Genweb Project – provides extensive free genealogical information for every county in the United States. Some counties are maintained better than others.
usgenweb.com/

Digital Archives of Norway – The BEST Norwegian research website. Includes Norwegian census and parish registers among other useful databases:
arkivverket.no/eng/content/view/full/629
(or easier, type “digital archives norway” into Google, it will be the first one on your screen. Once you have the website on your screen, click on English in the very top bar)

Wisconsin Scandinavian Obituaries – A collection of western Wisconsin Scandinavian obituaries, searchable.
freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wisobits/

NHDC – Norwegian Historical Data Center, in Tromsø, Norway, census information, click on “easy version”.
www.rhd.uit.no/indexeng.html

ISTG – Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild, a searchable database.
www.immigrantships.net/

Google Translate – a wonderful service that allows translation of many different languages.
translate.google.com/

NAHA – Norwegian American Historical Association, searchable database.
www.naha.stolaf.edu/

Norwegain-American Bygdelagenes Fellesraad – A bygdelag is an organization of people who have ancestors or an interest in a certain county in Norway. This site links to all of them.
www.fellesraad.com/

Ancestor From Norway – by John Føllesdal, lots of resources on Norwegian genealogy. For a translation of parish register column headings, click My Articles, then #8 - Norwegain Kirkebøker – Parish Records. Census headings are #9 – Norwegian census records.
homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~norway/

NAGA – Norwegian-American Genalogical Association, located at the MGS Genealogical Library, 1185 Concord St. N., Suite 218, South St. Paul, MN 55075-1150. At this time they do not have a searchable database.
www.norwegianamerican.org/

NAGC – Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library in Madison, WI is a leading research center for Norwegian–American genealogy. They will do genealogy research for a fee, members receive a discount. Some searchable databases for a subscription fee. A great resource.
www.nagcnl.org/

Vesterheim – located in Decorah, IA. Has a searchable database for Norwegians in the Civil War
vesterheim.org/CivilWar/

Visit Norway – Excellent map of Norway. Scroll down to map and keep zooming in to find farms.
www.visitnorway.com/

Find a Grave – Searchable database of many (but not all) cemeteries and graves in the US and many other countries. Often includes a photo of the grave. Volunteers add the information, you may also request a photo of a grave if it is not listed.
www.findagrave.com/