Lesson Two - Sources

There are a number of sources of Genealogy material and historical records. Here is a list of
just a few:

• US Federal Census Records (We will cover these in the paragraph below)
• Vital Records (Birth Certificates, Marriage Licenses, Death Certificates, etc.)
• Land Records
• Old newspapers
  • News papers include some of the following, obituaries, historic records, articles
    about family members, wedding announcements, etc.
• Old photographs
  
  

US Federal Census Records

The United States government takes a census of the population every ten years. The
following census records are available for documentation and Genealogy research.

The 1890 census records burned in a tragic fire on January 10, 1921.

Census Information

• The U.S. federal censuses for the years 1900-1930 include a date of immigration for immigrants. Use that date to narrow your search for your ancestor’s passenger arrival record in the Immigration Collection.
• Pinpoint your ancestor’s location from the census on a map, and then look for churches, cemeteries, and other places where your ancestor may have left records.
• Be sure to locate your ancestor’s adult siblings in census records. It was common for extended family to live in the same household or near other family members. You may find a parent, grandparent, or other family members living either with them or nearby.
  
• If you’re having a difficult time locating your ancestor, try searching using only given names and other details like birth year, residence, family members, place of birth, etc.
  
• Occasionally, census takers only recorded initials in place of the given name. Using only a first initial will bring up these records.
  
• Census takers didn't always have the best penmanship or spelling, so if you’re having a hard time locating your ancestor, write out the name and try replacing some of the letters with letters that look similar, or use the Soundex.

Limitations

The 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 census have Soundex indexes, but there are limitations. The 1880 census is only indexed for families with children under 10 years old. In addition, the 1910 census is only indexed for the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Next

In our next class we will discuss where this information can be found easily, and many other sources of Genealogy information.

Next Lesson