Google has a feature where results of searches of the form "history of..." can be displayed chronologically in a timeline format.
For example:
history of neo-paganism - Google Search
This has limitations; it is not going to pull up any results that Google wouldn't ordinarily find, but may be a good way to find early source materials for a wide variety of subjects.
This can help in the evaluation of spurious histories, as mentioned in the Silver Ravenwolf thread.
While legends can be fun, the facts are often even more interesting.
I hope everyone finds this useful.
Sincerely,
SanDamiano