Writing out locality guides as an aid for future research projects has been another project goal for my genealogy research this year. Using a locality guide to document where a particular record set exists not only helps keep you on track but also can point to potential new sources.
Excellent resources for building a locality guide can be found at FamilyLocket or GenealogyPants.
I started out by taking my pedigree chart and making a Google sheet of my surnames, their location (county/state), year settled, any notes and an indicator of whether or not I'd created a guide. My paternal LeMaster line, for example, starts with me currently residing in Grant County since 2001. Prior to that, my direct line had been in Madison County since 1968, was in Delaware County in 1967, and Jay County since 1854. My maternal Wright line has been in Madison County since 1867. Anywhere it was possible to have created genealogical records should have a research guide.
My Indiana roots go back quite a ways, particularly on the maternal side, but as I chart out these localities that I can use for later research, it didn't take long to list out places in Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, etc. The great thing about the locality guides is by understanding the history of the local area you can get a better feel for where your ancestors lived and what records they might have created.
Even those counties where there was not much family activity will have locality guides because eventually they might come in handy when a new branch is discovered or when I've helping someone else out research a particular area.
I'm modifying the templates and suggestions used by others to make the locality guides relevant. Including maps of the townships and neighboring counties has been helpful in getting a sense of how the area was settled. Documenting the hours and locations of the libraries and archives will make my future research trip planning easier and not such a 'shotgun' approach.
Noting any record loss that occurred in the county will be quite helpful in understanding limitations on research in those counties.
