I've discovered that the older I get, the more important it is to find out where I came from. Contact the State Archives for a search of state, county, and local court records for pre-1906 naturalizations. Contact the NARA regional facility that serves the state where naturalization occurred. Newspaper articles and books on local history can be found here (what was taking place during their life). The Allen County Public Library in Indiana has the second-largest collection in the United States. Ellis Island Records and Ancestry.com are two excellent resources for immigration records.
If you're like me, you didn't think it was important to look beyond your mother and father to find out where you came from when you were young.
I've discovered that the older you get, the more important your ancestors become. I have no idea why. Perhaps I now have a broader perspective on things. Maybe I'm just curious as to whether there was nobility in my family. Perhaps I'm looking for some skeletons in the closet.
Whatever my motivation, I find tracing my ancestors fascinating. It's fascinating to learn about other people's lives, what they did, and who they knew. But I've also discovered that most people have no idea what resources are available to them beyond the obvious - interviewing family, checking birth certificates and newspapers, and so on.
So I've compiled a list of 25 resources for you to use if you're serious about discovering "where you came from."
1.The obvious is interviewing family members; not just mom and dad, but aunts, uncles, and distant cousins as well. Begin by sketching a quick family tree going back only two generations and then begin making calls, sending mail, or sending emails. Here are some fundamentals you should be aware of:
Names in their entirety (married and maiden names)
Addresses in their live birth records
Service in the military (when and where)
Marriage registers (even attendants, if possible)
Property documentation (state and county)
Death certificates (where)
Old photographs, especially those with names and dates
2.Bibles for the family. While it does not appear to be a common practice these days, families used to keep their bibles forever, often keeping track of family members, births, marriages, and deaths on pages within the bible.
3.Antique family letters. Once again, technology has rendered the art of letter writing obsolete (what will our children and grandchildren have to look back on in years to come?). However, older generations were more likely to keep important letters. These letters can be extremely useful in tracing your ancestors. They may include important dates, facts, and locations that will be useful. For information, look at return addresses and postmarks.
4.Legal documents are an excellent source of information. Deeds (property addresses), wills (names of kin you may not have known about), marriage licenses (notice the witnesses), birth certificates, voter registration, adoption records, and even judgements are examples of such documents. Begin your search for these documents with state and county records.
5.What about any associations to which your ancestors may have belonged? Churches, clubs, veterans groups, and lodges are examples of organizations that may be able to provide background information for your search.
6.Data from the census. After 1840, the Census collected information such as age, birthplace, occupation, personal wealth, education, spouse, children, hired hands, and even immigration. Copies of the original decennial census forms from 1790 to 1930 are available for research on microfilm at the United States National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC (http://www.archives.gov/), Archives regional centers, and select Federal depository libraries across the country.
Naturalizations are records of naturalizations.
Contact the State Archives for the state where the naturalization occurred to request a search of state, county, and local court records for pre-1906 naturalizations.
To request a search of Federal court records, contact the NARA regional facility that serves the state where naturalization occurred.
Following 1906, the courts forwarded copies of naturalizations to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Naturalizations from Federal Courts are processed at the NARA's regional facilities for the Federal courts in their jurisdiction. More information: http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/naturalization/
8. Graveyards. Dates and possible family names will be engraved on headstones.
9.Libraries. Newspaper articles (look for obituaries and birth and marriage announcements) and books on local history can be found here (what was taking place during their life). Many libraries are available online. Several libraries also have genealogy information, with the Allen County Public Library in Indiana having the second largest genealogical collection in the United States. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT is another excellent resource.
Message boards for genealogy. Join a genealogy message board by searching "genealogy message boards"—there's a wealth of information available!
11.Military files. There are several online sources, including NARA (http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/).
12.Yearbooks from high school and college. These sources can assist you in locating a relative or provide additional resources for your search. Look it up on the internet.
13.Family ancestors. These are already linked family groups in a computer system. Accessing a person's family group sheet in a linked pedigree gives you access to all of the records that are linked to that person. Kindred Connections (http://www.kindredkonnections.com/index.html) and the Family History Library (http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset library.asp) are two excellent resources.
14.Immigration records in the United States. Ellis Island Records (http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/) and Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=40) are two excellent resources.
15. Death Index from Social Security. This is a database of people who died and had their deaths reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) starting around 1962. RootsWeb.com is the best source (http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/?o xid=0028727949&o lid=0028727949&o xt=41534187).
Now that you're an adult and interested in discovering your "roots," these 15 resources should help you get started. It'll be a rewarding and enjoyable adventure.
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