If your ancestors had a business or created literary or artistic works, consider trademark or copyright research.
Marks of Distinction
If the old family business carries a company logo, distinctive name
or labeled products (maybe Great-uncle Luigi's wines?), trademarked
genealogy may be waiting for you. The Official Gazette of the United
States Patent and Trademark Office chronicles business marks such as
the familiar Coca-Cola symbol — others may be from your past. To access
the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS), go to <www.uspto.gov/web/trademarks> and choose Trademarks from the Select a Search Collection pull-down menu.
Right Ideas
Your pastor-ancestor's solemn church hymns or the drawing-room
comedy of your distant cousin's stage plays might still exist among the
120 million-plus books, periodicals, broadsides and other literary
works at the Library of Congress.