How can I find out the history of the lot I live on?

We live in an older state; one of the first to settle and civilize in America. I'm always outside plodding around, looking for remnants of history beneath the pine straw and rocks in the woods, but I don't know exactly what I'm trying to find. I've googled a ton of different keywords, but I'm stumped. How can I find (online) the history of the land my neighborhood is on? We happen to live in a historical area of the state as well, so what would I search? Could I try the name of my neighborhood, city, state, and history? I have no clue! Help would be greatly appreciated, and please, no rude comments. Thanks!