Family Tree Magazine Podcast

Episode: Celebrating the 101 Best Websites of 2025 – An Interview with David Fryxell

Date: August 1, 2025

Host: Lisa Louise Cooke

Guest: David Fryxell

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Lisa Louise Cooke interviews David Fryxell, the author behind Family Tree Magazine’s always-anticipated article, "101 Best Genealogy Websites"—this year with the Star Trek inspired tagline, “To Boldly Go.” The episode explores how technological advancements, especially artificial intelligence, have transformed genealogy research and website offerings. They discuss new and staple online resources for tracing family history, including best sites for newspapers, tech tools, genetic genealogy, and international records. The conversation is rich with tips and insights for both beginner and veteran family historians.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Genealogy (01:07–03:33)

• AI’s Emerging Role:
  David reveals how AI is now integral to major genealogy services.

  • FamilySearch uses AI to index previously unsearchable documents.
  • MyHeritage animates old photos with AI ("some people may find a little creepy," Dave jokes).
  • Ancestry’s AI Assistant answers questions on family history and DNA.
  • AI-driven tools are extracting information from historical newspapers and making discoveries faster and more accessible.

  Quote:

  "FamilySearch, for example, has used AI to make documents searchable that previously were unsearchable. The chore of actually indexing these things would have been impossible for mere humans, but apparently machines can do it." – David Fryxell (01:39)

  • AI as an "assistant" but not an infallible resource—human oversight remains essential.

  Quote:

  "We can kind of think of AI as being a competent assistant, but one that needs to be checked." – Lisa Louise Cooke (03:05)

Newspapers as Vital Genealogy Resources (03:33–07:51)

• Growing Value:
  Newspapers are now major sources due to mass digitization and improved searchability.

• Notable Sites:

  • Arcanum Newspapers: Broad coverage, including European titles.
  • Chronicling America: Continues to expand (Library of Congress).
  • GenealogyBank, NewspaperArchive: Extensive paid resources.
  • Old News by MyHeritage:
    • Multilingual and massive.
    • Integrates with user trees for tailored discoveries.
    • Finds not only obituaries but historical genealogical writeups—valuable clues.
  • Viridian Software Initiatives:
    • Publishes digital collections from their clients (e.g., Colorado Historic Newspapers, student publications, church records, National Library of Estonia).

  Quote:

  "Old News, great name, which is from MyHeritage and already has 12 language options and hundreds of millions of pages…every week or so I'm finding something in there." – David Fryxell (05:13)

  • Newspapers are now considered alongside "books and journals" as vital published sources.
  • Tip: Even free, obscure databases (thanks, Viridian) can yield hidden gems not found on Google’s first page.

Exciting Tech Tools for Genealogy (07:51–09:52)

• BirthParentFinder.com:

  • New platform helping adoptees trace biological families.
  • Offers consulting, DNA testing, search strategies, and success stories.

  Quote:

  "It's one of the rare things to help adoptees trace their family. So…it’s really worth a look." – David Fryxell (08:04)

• Cite Builder:

  • Helps genealogists generate accurate source citations.
  • Free and premium versions; alleviates the intimidation of source documentation.

  Quote:

  "It's a neat little thing for those of us who have trouble figuring out…how exactly should I record this in my genealogy software or whatever?" – David Fryxell (08:53)

• The list includes both broad "all-in-one" sites and targeted, problem-solving tools.

Genetic Genealogy Highlights (09:52–11:09)

• DNA Painter:

  • Highly visual interface for color-coded trees and ancestor mapping.

• GEDmatch:

  • Renowned for cold case breakthroughs and compatibility with all testing kits.
  • Boasts millions of user profiles.
  • Not just for crime-solving—it helps break through genealogy brick walls.

  Quote:

  "GEDmatch…even if you're not looking to solve…decades old murders, it can help you find your, your ancestors…What the genealogists came up with in narrowing who the killer might be, you know, turns out to be Right. And then they go in and make the arrest and, you know, suddenly genealogy gets a little cooler." – David Fryxell (10:28)

International & Specialized Resources (11:09–15:38)

• Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland:

  • Virtually recreates the destroyed Public Record Office; immersive, innovative.
  • Even non-Irish users will find the tech fascinating.

  Quote:

  "What a. That's really just a cool idea. So even if you're not Irish, it's kind of fun to, you know, play around with." – David Fryxell (11:54)

• Scandinavian Records:

  • Archive Digital (Sweden): Premium, full-color, huge collection.
  • Riksarkivet: Swedish National Archive; robust and free—good to try before paying for others.

• North American & Caribbean:

  • Passenger lists, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, New York Vital Records Project, National Archives, and Library and Archives Canada (with advice to check Canadian arrival records if U.S. searches fail; ancestors may have entered through Canada).

  Quote:

  "I found one of my wife's Norwegian relatives who, you'd think they just come to the United States, but nope, they came through Canadian Port and I finally found them." – David Fryxell (15:07)

• USGenWeb:

  • Still essential; volunteer-run, organized by state and county, deeply local expertise.
  • Free resource, excellent for finding elusive local records.

  Quote:

  "It's done by volunteers really out of the, out of the goodness of their hearts and interest in genealogy. So that's great to see." – David Fryxell (16:23)

Memorable Tips and Closing Thoughts (16:34–18:16)

• Lisa shares a practical browser tip:

  • Create bookmark folders for each category (like "historical newspapers") with one-click access.

  Quote:

  "You pick a category that you need like historical newspapers, you just go visit each one, drop it in your little folder, and then they are one click away…" – Lisa Louise Cooke (17:07)

• Genealogy is never done; new resources and deeper stories keep emerging.

• The ongoing relevance of Family Tree Magazine and curated lists like the "101 Best Websites."

  Quote:

  "Unless you've traced it back to Adam and Eve, you probably still need the magazine and you probably still need the 101 best websites." – David Fryxell (17:59)

• The richness comes not just from names and dates but from stories and new digital resources making history increasingly accessible.

Notable Quotes

• "[AI] was not really something that I had given a lot of thought to in terms of genealogy…But indeed it's sort of coming, you know, into our world too." – David Fryxell (01:32)
• "You need to check that, just like you need to check AI." – David Fryxell (03:25)
• "Every week or so I'm finding something in there…it’s usually not like, you know, groundbreaking for me, but they're little bits and pieces or relatives I didn't know…" – David Fryxell (05:18)
• "If you suddenly find that, you know, you have an ancestor in, you know, Podunk County, South Dakota, there might be a Podunk county, you know, U.S. gen website and some helpful person there…" – David Fryxell (15:52)
• "It's the depth of the stories that are becoming known to us through all this additional content…" – Lisa Louise Cooke (18:19)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:07 — Introduction to AI’s impact on genealogy
• 03:45 — Best newspaper websites and new developments
• 07:59 — New genealogy tech tools: BirthParentFinder.com & Cite Builder
• 09:52 — Genetic genealogy tools: DNA Painter & GEDmatch
• 11:36 — Favorite international and specialized sites
• 13:35 — Discussing US National Archives, Canadian archives, and arrival records
• 15:38 — The enduring value of USGenWeb
• 17:07 — Lisa's practical bookmark organization tip
• 17:31 — The ever-expanding genealogy web and closing remarks

Summary

This wide-ranging conversation between Lisa Louise Cooke and David Fryxell highlights the relentless innovation in the genealogy field, especially the influence of AI, the digitization of newspapers, and the expansion of specialized and international resources. David provides insider tips, explores new tools on the 2025 "101 Best Websites" list, and reminds listeners that genealogy is an ever-evolving journey—a treasure hunt that continually yields new stories, connections, and surprises.