Vintage

OWNERSHIP
Who owns Alabama Pioneer?

Donna Causey owns Alabama Pioneers. I have been interested in genealogy all my life and started actively compiling data for my family lines over fifteen years ago. In August, 2007, I had over 40, 000 people on my computer related to each other, I realized that all my work would be in vain unless I shared it with others.

I made the decision to create www.alabamapioneers.com in October, 2007 to share my freely share my genealogy data with others

GOALS
What is the purpose of Alabama Pioneers?

Through Alabama Pioneers we are creating a virtual Genealogy and Alabama History Library with free and easy access to research documentation.

The first goal of www.alabamapioneers.com is to freely share my information with others. I was lucky when researching my family tree. Many of my ancestors had completed a good deal of documented research and this data saved me a considerable amount of time in my own genealogical endeavors. I didn't have to "reinvent the wheel" as they say. I only had to extend the research already done by others to my generation and better document the work my ancestors had done. Alabama Pioneers is a way to return the favor.

The second goal of www.alabamapioneers.com is to provide other family genealogists with a website to share their Alabama Pioneer family trees and documentation.

A third goal has evolved over time and that is to share the rich memories and history of Alabama. We now have several authors, sharing their family stories and memories in Alabama Memories. If you have stories to share, email Donna at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , You could be an author too. You do not have to be a great writer to share your memories.

SUBMITTING YOUR GENEALOGY INFORMATION

May I  submit their genealogy information to www.alabamapioneers.com?

Yes, I would love to have documentation, pictures and family research of Alabama Pioneers. Please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to provide your information. I am particularly looking for actual court records, Bible, Wills and photographs.
 

Early Alabama Pictures, documents, etc. are great! Please send pictures in jpg format if possible. To convert your large documents, pictures etc to a format for the computer just take a picture of it with your digital camera and download it to your computer...then email of your picture with identification to Donna at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

If you still have questions about how to send your information, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I will be happy to assist you.

FRIENDS OF ALABAMA PIONEERS

Who are the Friends of Alabama Pioneers and can I be listed as a Friend?

Friends of Alabama Pioneers is a way to acknowledge the genealogy contribution of others. To be listed as a friend, a person must have contributed significant genealogy assistance, genealogy information, or a monetary contribution to Alabama Pioneers.

REGISTRATION

Why does www.alabamapioneers.com require Registration to access the Documents in the Library?

Registration is like a Public Library Card and is required to maintain the integrity of the site and keep spammers off.
It is free and there are no strings attached. You just have to register with your email address and make up your own User Name and password. It does not have to be your real name.

Email addresses are confidential, not shared, transferred or sold to any organization.  If you forget your USER NAME and PASSWORD, I will be able to assist you in logging in. Just send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it requesting help logging in.

NAVIAGATING ALABAMA PIONEERS

There is so much information on Alabama Pioneers, how do I navigate the website?

1. You can always put a word in the SEARCH BOX to get a list of items on the webpage.

2. The Blog on the webstie always lists the most recent items added with any new surnames posted. However, remember to log in first before reading the Blog . Some items are visible to everyone and some items are visible to only members...so you must log in to see all the genealogy information on www.alabamapioneers.com

3. Sign up for the newsletter, it is emailed to you twice a month and will include all the Blogs since the last newsletter.

4. Follow www.alabamapioneers.com on Twitter.com. We will post new the new genealogy items daily on Twitter.com Just type alabamapioneers to find us on Twitter.com

CREDIT FOR GENEALOGY INFORMATION
Who receives credit regarding the documentation and genealogy research I would like to share with www.alabamapioneers.com?

All genealogy research shared with www.alabamapioneers.com will be downloaded to the website and credited to the originator of the research with the contributor's name listed. Email addresses will be listed on the website only at the author's request. Contributors will be listed on FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY unless the contributor wishes to remain anonymous. 

ERRORS IN GENEALOGY INFORMATION
I found an error in a GEDCOM document and have actual evidence to prove the research is incorrect. How can I correct it?

Please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it GEDCOM documents should never be used as the final word in your research. They should only be considered a starting point. Genealogy documentation is always evolving with each new record and this website will do the same. It does not hurt my feelings if you find an error. I want www.alabamapioneers.com to be as accurate as possible so I welcome your comments and corrections.

FUNDING OF ALABAMA PIONEERS 
How is www.alabamapioneers.com funded?

At the present time, the website is funded personally by me and limited advertising. Donations are always appreciated so we can continue to expand and may be made by a credit card on the HOME PAGE . Even a samll amount helps. Advertising is limited on the web page so we are also trying to raise additional funds through the sale of items in the store. The items available are from my (Donna Causey) genealogy research only and includes the sources, census records, pictures etc. of the individual person listed.  Currently we are offering a free CD of your choice from the store with a $15 donation to Alabama Pioneers.

LOG IN PROBLEMS
I completed my registration for Alabama Pioneers but cannot Log In ....what do I need to do?

All accounts must be activated before you may use them and you might be blocked from using your account until you activate it. This is for your protection to ensure that no one is using your email address without your knowledge! When you registered, an email from Alabama Pioneers was sent to the email address you registered.  Check your email account and follow the directions from Alabama Pioneers to Activate your account.  It will take you back to Alabama Pioneers and you will be activated and registered.
 
Be sure to login with the USER NAME you registered and the PASSWORD,  not your email address and use Capitals or small letters. The login is case sensitive.  You will find both your USER NAME and YOUR PASSWORD in the email Alabama Pioneers sent to activate your account.  If you did not receive the email, your SPAM filter may have blocked it so check your SPAM file. 

If you have checked these things and still have trouble Logging In...contact Donna at

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

HINTS FOR UTILIZING THE SEARCH BOX

We recently upgraded and now have a new improved search engine. Sometimes it may appear slow but that is because at times we experience many active users searching at the same time and the search engine may be overwhelmed. If this happens to you, try using the search engine a few minutes later. There are many other pages on the website to browse while you are waiting, such as the message forum, Alabama memories and Biographies and of course all the documents in the Pioneers Resource Library.

How can I efficiently search on Alabama Pioneers when I have limited time?

Alabama Pioneers is a virtual library. Think of the search engine as the librarian in a public library. If you ask a librarian to list all the places the name John Smith can be found in the library, she/he would probably want to show you the exit to the library but if you have an unusual name, she may be able to guide you to some locations. It is still up to you to determine whether the results are relevant.

The search engine on Alabama Pioneers is better than a librarian but not perfect. You can ask it a question with the push of a button while dressed in your PJ's and drinking a cup of coffee and in the comfort of your home. But you still have to have some patience to find what you are looking for.

When given the name John Smith, the search engine is able to scan everything on the website with the word “John” or “Smith” and list them for you and in desperation, it may throw in a few results with part of the name included such as the name “Smitherman.”

If you put the name in quotes...such as “John Smith.” The search engine scans everything looking for the two words together but it may miss J. Smith, Johnathan Smith, or John N. Smith or even the initials J. S., John Smyth, John Smythe, etc. In Genealogy are were spelled (and misspelled) many ways.

The only certain way to ensure that you have covered everything is to try many different spellings in the search engine for the name you are seeking and to look at each and every result just as you would search books in a library. You have to be methodical if you want to get results but to avoid repeating your search each time you visit Alabama Pioneers, you might keep a record, (just as you would if you visited a public library) of the articles, pages, blogs, documents etc. that you have reviewed for information on your ancestor. Then you could refer to it when you visit Alabama Pioneers again.

One great advantage Alabama Pioneers has over a public genealogy library is that it doesn't matter if a book doesn't have an index. The search engine will scan every document, article, or biography matching the keyword you list.

Has the following scenario ever happened to you?

“I visited a genealogy library in a neighboring state and had a week to complete my research on an individual but to my chagrin many of the old books in the library did not have indexes.....I desperately perused 400 page books, many with small print that could possibly have information on my ancestor, sometimes I was successful in finding a little information..but as in all genealogy research it led to more research...Since I was running out of time, I asked the librarian if the book was available for inter-library loan, only to be told that since the book was so rare, it was not. The end of the week came all to quickly and I returned home with many questions unanswered.”

If you have been involved in Genealogy for a while, I'm sure you have experienced something similar.

The search engine on Alabama Pioneers is like an index for articles, books, letters, and documents on Alabama Pioneers. Sometimes you have relevant information and sometimes you will not but at least your research can be done in your own time frame. Just remember to record the areas on the website you have researched so you do not repeat your work and remember to check back frequently because we add new information each day.