Premier Genealogy Magazines Are Key

`So many books, so little time,” speaks an old wag.

Genealogists might amend that to read, “So many magazines, so little time.” But if you consider yourself a working family historian, then (in my opinion) you must regularly read the premier genealogy magazines and consider the newest addition to the lineup, FamilyTree magazine.

Heritage Quest is the grandfather magazine of them all. Begun in the fall of 1985, this publication continues to be worthy of your time. Each issue of the magazine has a theme. The November-December issue was devoted to “Organizing Your Research,” with feature articles by nationally recognized genealogists Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and Bill Dollarhide, plus nearly two dozen other articles and features.

The magazine’s three regular Questions & Answers features are Scandinavian, German and the British Isles, with experts answering questioning letters.

Annual subscription to Heritage Quest has remained at $28 for several years. Call (800) 760-2455 to subscribe, and consult the company’s Web site for more information: www.heritagequest.com.

Family History Source from Ancestry.com has been around since the November-December issue of 1993. The January-February 2000 issue had a Norman Rockwell painting on the cover, depicting a 19th-century mother spooning medicine into the wide open mouth of her quiltwrapped son.

The cover introduces features of the issue: “Genetic Codes Unraveled” and “Blue Eyes and Long Lives, the Benefits of Health Histories,” and using “genograms” to plot family health histories. Another article covers the 300,000 archived index cards of the American Medical Association recently acquired by the National Genealogical Society.

Annual subscription is $21. Call (800) 262-3787 or visit its Web site: www.ancestry.com

Family Chronicle came onto the genealogical magazine scene with the September-October 1996 issue and has quickly become dear to working family historians.

Each issue is packed with at least a dozen good articles colorfully presented with illustrations to really catch the eye. The January-February 2000 issue carried a super article on “Immigration at Castle Garden,” the immigration station in New York Harbor that predates Ellis Island.

A six-page article by Cyndi Howells explained how to “Research Your Roots Using The Internet.” Beverly Vorpahl, Spokane, wrote “Unjumbling Land Deeds,” which is a mysterious topic to many but made plain by Bev.

Annual subscription is $24. Contact it toll free at (888)326-2476 or visit its Web site: www.familychronicle.com

All back issues of Family Chronicle have been compiled in “Year One” and “Year Two Collections”; $25 for one, or $40 for both.

Add in “Family Chronicle’s Introduction to Genealogy” for a total cost of $60.

Here’s your summer reading and personal home studying plan in one neat package!

FamilyTree magazine is the newcomer of the lot, with the premier issue dated January 2000. Plenty of thought and money went into this colorful magazine. This first issue carried articles on “Coming To America Through Ellis Island,” by editor David Fryxell; “How To Start Unpuzzling Your Past,” by Emily Anne Croom; and “50 Family Tree Maker Secrets,” a unique article listing the 10 best national resorts for your next family reunion.

This magazine will be offered only over the counter, so look for it wherever magazines are sold. Cover price is $3.99. Visit the magazine’s Web site for more information: www.familytreemagazine.com

It costs $73 a year to subscribe to the three magazines listed above, but can you really put a price on the learning you can accomplish from them?