I'm pretty sure at one time or another that someone has told me to look at possible travel routes my ancestors may have taken. Routes in context to the travel options available in the appropriate time period, such as the railroad. At one time or another someone, maybe several someones, told me to map out the locations where I knew my ancestors lived. I might have even attended a class, or four, that stressed using Google Maps to help visualize our family in their locations. I apologize to each and every one of you, that shared that very valuable information with me, for ignoring your advice.
Had I taken your advice I might not have limited my searches to only the counties my ancestors actually lived in. I might have taken into account that they had to get from one place to another, thus crossing through other counties and states, possibly creating records in those counties as well. Lesson learned...finally!
