Because land doesn't move, it's one of the few elements of our ancestors' lives that we can always count on. Consider an old photograph: Buildings may have changed but the surrounding landmarks such as hills, valleys and rock formations still stand today and can aid in identification.

Let's start using Google Earth by searching for an address that you probably have to get a feel for what I mean by this: the house where one of your sets of grandparents lived.

1. In the Search panel type the address in the Fly To box and click the magnifying glass icon.
2. The globe in the 3D viewer will start to turn and very quickly will zoom in to that location.
3. Place a placemark on that location so you keep track of the exact spot by clicking the Placemark button in the Viewer Toolbar.
4. When the New Placemark box opens, label the placemark with the exact street address and your grandparents' names.
5. Click OK.

You have now located your first ancestral home on Google Earth. Great job! 

Friday, June 25, 2010 12:49:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]