Very Interesting New Search Tools for Genealogists

OK, once in a while, I find some really interesting programs with a huge potential to help genealogists. Sometimes these programs work out and become popular and sometimes they sort-of disappear into the aether. Here are three utility programs that fill a definite niche in our online searches. They come from Blogger Randy Majors. He posted them in a blog post entitled, "AncestorSearch and the Historical Google Maps tools are back in action!" Here they are quoting from his blog:

AncestorSearch using Google Custom Search: searches using the full power of Google, and then filters exceptionally well so you're more likely to find mentions of ancestors you otherwise might miss buried in thousands of Google search results. Many people are surprised at what AncestorSearch finds, even for ancestors that they had searched for exhaustively over the years.

Historical U.S. County Boundary Maps interactive tool: find the correct U.S. jurisdictions for the place and historical timeframe you're researching. Then, overlay research locations on the map such as courthouses, cemeteries, churches, and libraries, and link right to them for more information.

Historical World Political Boundary Maps interactive tool: find the correct world country boundaries for the place and historical timeframe you're researching

I could have used all three of these multiple times in my classes this past few months. Take a look and see what you think.