Our Ancestors and Their Descendants 1940 New Jersey Street Fairfield, CA 94533 How long has the Footprints Web Site been on line? - Footprints has been on line since 1996. How large is the Web Site? - Over 450 pages. What information is published? - Family histories, Private Genealogies, Vital Records, News Articles, Census Records, Photographs, Diaries, Old Bible Records, old letters, and just about anything that may be of interest to our readers. Where do you get your information? - In many cases, the articles are compiled or written by our readers, from information they have found through their research and investigations of articles, bibles, cemeteries, etc. In other cases, they are xeroxed from old publications. Our readers find them through out the country, from old books, county history books, Diaries, old Bibles, Vital Records from cities, counties, states, news articles, census records, cemeteries and just about anything they can find. Even information from interviews as well as photographs have been submitted. They normally make xerox copies of their information and send it in and we reprint it for the readers. Most of the published genealogies were published in the mid to late 1800's and early 1900's. It is these genealogies that provide us with most of our information. Most of us do not have the ability to check county histories in other parts of the country, which is why this is so important. By making this information available to our readers, it allows them to make possible connections to their ancestors that they would normally not be able to find. Through their articles others have been helped many times over. Some of the articles are done in fun, and even they have been a great help. How is the information submitted? - Some of the information is E-Mailed, but most are mailed to Footprints. When xerox copies of publications are sent in for use by "Footprints", we need the name of the publication, author and date if known. We would appreciate it if you would provide us with a copy of the page with the name and date of the publication. What surnames are used in Footprints? - We do not have a defined list of surnames that "Footprints" attempts to follow. We keep adding new surnames daily as all ascending and descending lines of all connecting surnames on the database are followed. By doing this, we have found many lines that cross other major surname lines, therefor we are able to tie many surname lines together more than one or two times. Most major lines in early New England (1600's) are followed by "Footprints". Most importantly, many of our readers have been able to advance their lines many generations through the work of others. With everyone submitting what they find, it has allowed us to locate and join many families that were not normally connected in most research articles. This in turn has created the largest single combined database program in the nation that (all related) covers a multiple list of surnames. Although some may have an individual line as far back as ours, none have combined the families and collateral names as this database has. It has grown to a database of over 159,390 names all related by blood or as an in-law. Do you use all the information sent in? - There is enough information available in this office at present to add close to another 100,000 names to the database, if not more. It is just a matter of time and long hours to get it all added. The new information actually comes in as fast if not faster than it can be added. All information is use. If there is a connection to other names on the database, we add all of the submitted information to the database, as well as publishing as much as possible on the Web Site. Those items that do not connect are not discarded, but are used or held for future use. Much of that data is still placed on the Web Page. What is the cost of the Newsletter? - The Footprints Newsletter has ceased operation. The last issue to be published was December 2001. Do you have to be a subscriber to access the information? - NO... you need not be a subscriber to make use of the information we have. We will still acknowledge all queries and help wherever we can. However, we would appreciate the addition of your first and last name on all E-Mail queries as all of our E-Mail notes are filed by the submitter's name. With out a full name, we place it in a Miscellaneous file and that is almost impossible to find as it is a file by date of receipt. Who writes the articles? - You will notice that most of the articles on the Web Site are either "By:", "Compiled By:", or "Submitted By:" an individual. Any information used will be listed in some way as being provided by an individual. Many of our readers not only provide information for the articles, but they also write articles. This is very important to us as we take pride in "Footprints" being a Web Site "by and for" all interested in Genealogy. We hope that you will join us in writing articles for the benefit of others. These articles can be of your personal research, the problems that you may have encountered, the things you have found, or even reports on a Family Reunion that you may have attended or plan to attend. If you would like to compile the history of a person from different sources and write an article on them, you are more than welcome to do so. One of my favorites is an article written by Debora Wright on "Capt George Wright". She described his activities and followed him all around New England in the 1600's. The article was a delight to read. We have had many individual histories followed in the same manner, as well as journals, diaries, etc. Remember, none of us are professional writers. It is just the enjoyment of putting it down in print. Do you answer all inquiries? - At times, I may miss answering a letter, note, or E-Mail, or miss doing something that I am suppose to do. Some days I am working on so many different projects (all genealogy) that I lose track of what I am suppose to be doing. A good example is my office". If this happens, PLEASE REMIND ME. I don't mind being reminded. It is as important to me as it is to you, so don't hesitate to remind me, even if it takes more than one time. How do I subscribe? - You do not have to subscribe to enjoy the use of the Web Site. However, many have sent us a brief description of their research as well as a photograph of themselves. We maintain a folder on each person we are in contact with, saving all printed e-mails, photos, etc. This helps us to remember the persons we are working with. I have four 4-drawer and two 2-drawer filing cabinets with information on most that we have dealt with since 1987. Some folders are 4 inches thick, others have only one or two sheets in them. We do hope you will join us in our search for our "FOOTPRINTS OF OUR PAST". We may be contacted by US Mail, Phone, or at webmaster@footprints.org
Don P. Wright (or Footprints)
Phone: 1-707-425-2711 
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