The internet is a boon for finding out such information. I have had a blast for the past few years collaborating with my cousin in Australia, 9000 miles away from me, to help rebuild our combined family history in a place 5000 miles from me and over 10,000 miles from her. We have found wonderful, sometimes tragic, newspaper articles, tithing records, property titles, travelogues, etc about people we were not even aware were part of our extended family. There are many sites out there to help and thousands of folks willing to expend the time to help you expand your horizons.