(All links will open in a new window)
1930 Census
The National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has another new 1930 Federal census
related microfilm publication that you may be interested in. It is publication
# M1931, Index to Selected City Streets and Enumeration Districts, 1930
Census. The entire set consists of 7 rolls of microfilm. Make a note to ask
your genealogy library or
Roll 1 -
Roll 2 -
Roll 3 - Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland
Roll 4 - Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York (part)
Roll 5 - New York (part), North Carolina (part)
Roll 6 - North Carolina (part), Ohio (part)
Roll 7 - Ohio (part), Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Learn more about the 1930 federal census and this microfilm publication at the
link below.
http://1930census.archives.gov/
Some of the most
difficult research to conduct is in the area of adopted ancestors. Because
adoption records have been sealed to protect the privacy of the natural or
birth parents, access can be all but impossible. Petitioning a court on the
basis of genealogical "need-to-know" is seldom effective. There are
numerous Web sites focusing on the issue and processes that can be helpful.
One of the best for genealogists is Genealogy Today's "Resources for
Individuals Seeking Birth Parents" at http://genealogytoday.com/adoption/index.html
. Their free database to help adoptees locate birth parents is a helpful
facility, but the list of Helpful Research Sites and the message boards are
among the best online.
Ancestry.com, the
leader in online genealogical database content, has announced the launch of
the Ancestry Historical Newspaper Collection. The collection opened with one
hundred thousand historical pages from newspapers in New York City between
1851 and 1866, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1861 and various years from 1905-1921,
and a number of Nevada newspapers published between 1875 and 1923.
Ancestry.com's commitment is to add one thousand pages per working day to keep
the collection growing. With over 50 million pages slated to be posted,
Ancestry.com's Historical Newspaper Collection subscribers will soon have
access to the largest collection of historical newspapers ever assembled. http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribeplanstx_v5.asp
Louisiana
has a strong Catholic
background dating from French Colonial times. The present Archdiocese of New
Orleans includes the eight civil parishes in the greater New Orleans area:
Jefferson; Orleans; Plaquemines; St. Bernard; St. Charles; St. John, St.
Tammany; and Washington. The Web site for the Archdiocesan Archives provides
online access to information about four major areas of their collection:
historical research materials; genealogically significant sacramental,
cemetery and orphanage records; publications including sacramental records and
other historical publications; and details about its extensive preservation
program. In addition to housing materials for the eight civil parishes, the
archives also holds Louisiana-wide material from earlier periods when the
archdiocesan boundaries included all or most of the state.
When you locate a
family obituary in a newspaper, it can be helpful to scan the entire paper for
two to three days before and after the issue in which the obituary was
printed. Sometimes a person may have died as a result of some newsworthy
event, and decorum dictated that the cause of death not be included in the
actual obituary. I found an obituary for the second wife of a great-uncle, and
the item seemed quite ordinary. By going back one day in the paper, however, I
learned that the woman had been poisoned and that her only daughter had been
arrested for the crime. Subsequent research revealed a host of family details
that were released during the ensuing trial, including names and vital dates
for my great-uncle and his parents.
"If you are a
practicing genealogist, wish to become one, or otherwise are interested in the
profession of genealogy, we invite you to join the Association of Professional
Genealogists (APG)." So begins the text at APG's Web site. As a
genealogist or family historian perhaps considering turning your hobby (or
addiction) into a profession, you may want to consider joining APG. The APG
Quarterly presents articles and ideas to help you expand your knowledge of
professional genealogy, and as a member you receive a copy of the member
directory containing names and contact information of others who you may
engage for research or with whom you can network. Check the APG Web site for
complete information about the organization. http://www.apgen.org/
If you are
interested in the Federal census and the changes reflected in the year 2000
enumeration, and back to 1960, you will be interested in CensusScope, a
product of the Science Data Analysis Network. Information on different ethnic
populations, marital status, and distributions across the
As we discussed day
before yesterday, city directories can provide vital pointers to other record
types that help bring down your research brick walls. A likely place to locate
city directories is the public library system in the place in which your
ancestors lived. However, the City Directories of the United States of America
Web site provides an important place to look for specific directories. You can
select a state and a list of primary cities will be displayed. Select and
click a link, and a list of available years' directories, locations where
copies may reside, whether they are available on microfilm, and in some cases
you may be able to order lookups/copies. This is an invaluable service,
especially when local libraries have not retained a copy of the original
directories. Also at this Web site are information about census records and
other helpful resources to help you with your directory research. http://www.uscitydirectories.com/
DAR Patriot Lookup Service
If you are
considering joining the Daughters of the American Revolution or the Sons of
the American Revolution, you may want to determine if your ancestor has
already been documented in the DAR Patriot Index. The DAR provides a Patriot
Lookup Service at its Web site. If you are interested in knowing whether your
ancestor is recognized by the DAR as a Revolutionary Patriot, you can click on
a link at their Web site, complete an online form, and one of the DAR
volunteers will check for you at no charge. http://www.dar.org/cgi-bin/natsociety/pi_lookup.cfm
Directory of Genealogy-Related Forums
If you want to
discuss genealogy with other people sharing your interest, GenTalk.org has
created a Web site that acts as a gateway for you to find discussion groups.
The site has three categories of forum links: state/country, surname, and
topics (which includes cemeteries, obituaries, surname origins, societies, and
photos). Select a category and you will be presented with a list of forums and
mailing lists. The links will take you all over the Web, but this is an
excellent starting point to locate old, familiar sites and many new ones. http://www.gentalk.org/
We often encounter
words in our genealogy research that are unfamiliar or have a specific
connotation for a genealogical context. Xlation has a directory of almost 1700
glossaries that may be useful in your family history research and in other
areas as well. This simple page provides pull-down menus for choosing
glossaries by topic or by language. Listings include the language of the
glossary, glossary title, date the material was last checked, and sometimes
additional details.
Persons with Irish
ancestors will appreciate the directory of Irish genealogy Web site. First
published in 1990 and online since 1998, the directory contains an excellent
collection of materials to further your research. The Beginner's Guide is an
introduction to Irish genealogy research with guidance to reference and
general sources of all types. The Register of Irish Emigrants helps fill some
gaps in records, and there are several informative articles, book reviews, and
a collection of other Web helpful links. http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/dir/index.htm
DoHistory: Piecing Fragments Into a Story
A huge challenge for
family history researchers is piecing together the fragments of information
left behind by our ancestors into a coherent and meaningful story. One Web
site that can help you do just that is DoHistory. Regardless of whether you
are compiling records for a pedigree chart, tracing ancestral descent for a
heritage or lineage society, or in the process of writing a biography, the
site provides an excellent study of the framework you can employ to construct
a strong picture of your ancestor or family. Using Martha Ballard, whose
diaries covered the last 27 years of her 77-year life, the site illustrates
how an excellent picture of an ancestor can be created. Great site! http://www.dohistory.org/
If you have
ancestors of Scottish descent whose surnames begin with 'Mc' and 'Mac', such
as McKnitt and MacTavish, you may find them suspiciously absent in records
where you are almost positive they should be appearing. Sometimes the Mc or
Mac may have been omitted by the person making the record or the record may
have been misfiled under the second half of the name. Look in the records for
both the full name and for the shortened version of the name. Learning to
misspell and fracture your ancestors' surnames can sometimes help you find
those missing links.
On
Members of the
public can get documents from Federal agencies based on the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). The FOIA was established to make the Federal
government accountable to the public for its actions, and prevents agencies
from having secret policies. The Social Security Administration has produced a
guide to the records it maintains and describes the process for making a
Freedom of Information Act request for records which might be of help in
pursuing your genealogical research. The process, the time period
expectations, and the fee structure are all discussed at this site at http://www.ssa.gov/foia/foia_guide.htm
FreeREG
The FreeREG
Project's objective is to provide free Internet searches of baptism, marriage
and burial records, which have been transcribed from parish and non-conformist
church registers in the
Genealogy and Copyright Law
Many people
erroneously believe that just because something is on the Internet, it is fair
game to use. Many genealogists also erroneously believe that the data they
have gleaned from public records and compiled into pedigree charts, family
group sheets and other standard format genealogy formats is copyrighted. Both
are incorrect assumptions, but the issue is often not clear and
straightforward. If you are considering publishing any genealogical material,
or have been challenged by another genealogist for posting data to which he or
she thinks they own a copyright, you will want to refer to two online
references. The article titled "U.S. Copyright and Genealogy" offers
an excellent overview on the subject. The definitive reference point is the
Library of Congress' U.S. Copyright Office Web site at http://www.loc.gov/copyright/. When
in doubt, consult a legal representative.
A guide to
genealogy research in birth, marriage, death, divorce and adoption records
around the world including what you will learn, where to find them and tips
for getting the info you need. http://www.myfree.com/r/NPL/NPL0105.asp
Genealogists are
always searching for marriage records for their ancestors. One Web site that
makes this process easier is GenWed.com. This site is " focused on
marriage records, which are a great resource for finding other genealogical
records and documents. They can lead to newspaper announcements, county
records, and sometimes church records that give little clues and details about
the daily lives of our ancestors." This is a new and growing site, so
check it now and check back often for new additions. http://www.genwed.com/
http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/index.html
The History Toolkit
Web site consists of short essays designed to help the beginning historian
conduct and organize his or her own historical research. Essays marked with a
page icon include forms you can print and use in your own research. Important
topics include how to use primary sources, how to read 18th Century writing, a
step-by-step to collecting and recording oral history, how to read probate
records and deeds, and many more great how-to articles. Excellent content
abounds here to help you build your own toolkit of knowledge. http://www.dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/index.html
Most of us have a
collection of old photographs that are part of our family's photographic
heritage. Seeing the images of our ancestors and the places they lived and
visited can often provide excellent insights and clues about them. If some of
your old photographs are in need of restoration or preservation, the
ScreenGenes Web site provide excellent instructions for preservation, as well
as a primer on scanning and working with digital images of your family's
photos. http://www.screengenes.com/
Interment.net offers
over 2,800,000 cemetery records from over 5,400 cemeteries all over the world.
The front page is set up like a searchable subject index with geographical
areas as categories. You can select a category and a further breakdown by area
will be displayed. Cemetery information shown includes the address as well as
the latitude and longitude. Burial record information includes the person's
name and the date of death. Occasionally other information is included,
primarily taken from tombstone inscriptions but occasionally data is supplied
by contributors. http://www.interment.net/
The Illinois State
Archives has made available at its Web site a database of the state's death
certificates issued between 1916 and 1950. The database is searchable by
surname (required) and additional options are by first and middle name to
fine-tune the search. The site also contains descriptions of what contents on
the death certificate you can expect to find and instructions on how to obtain
copies. The
If you're
researching marriages in
Italian Genealogy Homepage
Italian genealogy is
a burgeoning hobby, and the resources available on the Internet are expanding.
The Italian Genealogy Homepage has been around for some time, but it is
important to revisit the site periodically to see the expanded materials
available there. These include an excellent introduction to Italian
genealogical research, an Italian surname reference, an article about the
genealogical research environment in Italy, an Italian surname database of
data submitted by researchers, a list of civil records repositories in Italy,
and a 'toolbox' of handy reference tools for the Italian genealogical
researcher. http://www.italiangenealogy.com/
http://www.labo.net/cognomi/genera.html
http://www.eskimo.com/~chance/toc.html
http://www.pubblinet.com/nomi/
http://www.ingeneas.com/free/index.html
http://www.citynet.net/mostwanted/surlinks/surnames.htm http://italianculture.miningco.com/library/blisc.htm
http://genealogy.org/~palam/ia_index.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~rosters/index-13.html
http://www.italians-world.org/Italy/BancaDatiGb.htm
Label Group Photographs Using Tracing Paper
Use tissue or
onionskin typing paper to outline the head and shoulders of all the people in
group photographs. Then, number each head, and use your word processor to type
up a list of each person, in numerical order. You can cut this to fit beneath
the outlines, lay or tape it to the tissue paper and photocopy (or scan) the
tissue paper onto plain white paper. You now have an index to all the people
in the photograph.
Lasting Links
A new and developing
resource for evaluating genealogical products, services, and Web sites is a
site called Lasting Links. Lasting Links states that its mission is "to
help fill that vacuum by providing access to the most trusted family history
services and products on earth and to promote involvement in family history
worldwide." Its goal is to bring together and connect users to the
leading, customer-rated genealogy providers in one place. There are seven
areas of focus: Identify My Ancestors rates and connects you to the leading
online Web sites; Professional Help provides links to professional researchers
and services; there is a How TO Do Genealogy collection of educational
materials and providers; Linking Sites are compilation Web sites that can
provide great guidance; Products to Buy links you to genealogical supply
vendors; and Reunions and Travel can help in the family reunion service area.
Reviews are being developed. http://www.lastinglinks.com/
The venerable
Library of Congress (LOC) in
The venerable
Library of Congress is
If you are
interested in locating images of your ancestors' hometown or other places of
historical interest, you might want to consider using the Google search
engine's massive graphics search facility. Google, the largest and fastest of
all the Internet search engine, has indexed more than 330 million graphical
images in Web pages and those not on Web pages but on Internet FTP servers.
From Google's main page, click on the Images tab and simply type the name of
your ancestors' hometown in quotes. For example, type "
‘Lutheran Roots' Genealogy Exchange
If you have Lutheran
religious ties in your family tree, the "Lutheran Roots" Genealogy
Exchange can provide an online venue for making family genealogical
connections. The site is a family name registry and message board for those
researching surnames or specific individuals with Lutheran connections. You do
not have to be a member to browse the surname registry or to post messages,
but you must be a registered user to add or update registry files and data.
The site also boasts an extensive collection of Web Site Channels to related
sites of Lutheran interest. http://www.aal.org/LutheransOnline/Gene_Ex/
Microfilm Rental
While your library
may not have microfilm of the Federal censuses you want to view, that does not
mean you cannot gain access to it. Your library may be able to help you rent
microfilm for a one-month period from Heritage Quest. Not only are U.S.
Federal censuses available, but the Heritage Quest catalog includes Canadian
census, some military records, Native American records, African American
records, Soundex and Miracode, ships' passenger lists, and other materials.
Typical rental cost for a roll of microfilm is $3.50, plus other nominal
charges. Check with your library to determine if they can help you with this
rental program.
Migration Resource Centers
The Migration
Resource Centers are fee-based Web sites at Genealogy Resources at http://www.genealogyresources.net/
. There are centers for English, Irish, and German migrations, with others for
The State of
The State of
This
is an ongoing project of the Federation of Family History Societies, and the
initial CD was issued earlier this year. Countless volunteers, coordinated
through local family history societies, input the information. There are about
five million names from 1538 to 2000, and coming from most of
The National Library
of Scotland boasts one of the Web's ten largest collections of online
cartographic images. There are three categories. Maps of
If you are searching
the Internet for an obituary, the National Obituary (NOA) may be just the
place to start. Boasting over 56 million entries, you can search by first and
last name, location, and date and date range to refine a tight search. The
result will provide dates of birth and death, locations, and some textual
descriptions. The source of much of the information is the Social Security
Administration, but the actual online obituary link may also be available from
a link at the site. http://www.searchbug.com/peoplefinder/graves4.asp
Nevada
Archival Records
Nevada
is one of the fastest
growing states in the
The venerable
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has completely redesigned
its Web site. The new Web address is http://www.archives.gov.
The index on the left side of the page can be helpful, but the "Where Is?
How Do I " drop-down box on the upper right is terrific to. The
information has been reorganized a bit and is more logically grouped, but the
same excellent
Researchers with
ancestral ties to
If you are
interested in obituaries, the Obituary Daily Times is a daily index of
published obituaries across the world. Hosted by Rootsweb.com, you can
subscribe to the mailing list for the Obituary Daily Times and receive one or
two E-mails daily, usually up to 2,500 obituary line listings total. If you
prefer not to join the mailing list, you may still search the database at any
time. You can learn more about the mailing list and search the database at the
Obituary Daily Times Web site.
Ohio
Memory Online Scrapbook
The State of
Olive Tree Genealogy Site
The Olive Tree
Genealogy Web site has been around for half a dozen years, and continues to
grow. All of the information in its databases is free to access, and includes
Genealogical.com, a
subsidiary of Genealogical Publishing Company and the Clearfield Company, has
recently moved several hundred of their publications into a new online
Genealogy Warehouse where books are discounted by at least 40 percent, and
often sometimes more. The prices are reduced permanently, not just for a short
time on sale. The titles cover the
Online Newsletters and Columns
Check the
"Magazines, Journals , Columns & Newsletters" Web page at
Cyndi's List at the link at the bottom of today's tip. Continue your
self-education and become more knowledgeable every day. Genealogical research
is a fascinating odyssey, and one that can last a lifetime. I wish you
continued Happy Hunting! http://www.cyndislist.com/magazine.htm
You can save a great
deal of time by making bookmarks or Favorite places in your preferred Web
browser. However, if you just keep adding new Web sites to the collection, you
are sure to get lost or overwhelmed by them at some point. Invest some time in
creating a Genealogy category and then subcategories into which you can move
and re-file your bookmarks. Some of the categories might include: Civil War
Sites, Census Resources, Maps & Gazetteers, Churches, Cemeteries and
Obituaries, Charts & Forms, Libraries and Archives, and How-To Resources,
among others. You might even create categories by the surnames you are
researching and file links to message boards and people's personal Web pages
so you can easily return to them. Get organized!
An interesting site
is Origins.net, which provides access into English, Scottish, and Irish
databases. The English Origins database has been created in association with
the Society of Genealogists; the Scots Origins in association with the General
Register Office for
The natural
landmarks we recognize in cemeteries today may not be there tomorrow. These
include trees, shrubbery, lakes, ponds, and other plantings. In addition,
fences and walls may be added or removed, and other man-made structures may no
longer be there. When you photograph ancestors' graves in a cemetery, consider
taking a distance shot to show the gravesite in relation to other permanent
structures, such as nearby houses, the cemetery entrance, and larger, more
prominent markers. These photos can help you and your descendants locate the
gravesite more easily in the years and decades ahead.
Portals to the World
is another Library of Congress Web site which contains selective links
providing authoritative, in-depth information about a number of nations and
other areas of the world. They are arranged by country or area with the links
for each sorted into a wide range of broad categories. The links were selected
by Area Specialists and other Library staff using Library of Congress
selection criteria. When completed, the project will include all the nations
of the world. In the meantime, the site can provide you with an impressive set
of historical, geographical, statistical and other data to expand your
knowledge of the places of origin of your ancestors. http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html
You can get ready
for your work with the 1930 Federal census population schedule microfilm by
determining in advance the correct enumeration district to check. If you can
consult a telephone book or city directory from 1930 or shortly before, you
can locate your ancestors' address. Then, by gaining access to the Enumeration
District (ED) microfilm released earlier this year, you can get a jump on your
research by homing in on the district in which your ancestors would have been
counted.
Your family's
precious treasure trove of 35mm slides should not be ignored. While you may be
working to catalog and preserve the family photographs, the slides may be
languishing and deteriorating. They need to be checked for damage from acidic
conditions, heat and humidity. They can be remounted in new mounts or scanned
to computer files, which can then be transferred to disk or burned onto
CD-ROM. You might also consider having a professional convert them to or copy
them to videotape or create a self-playing DVD. These slide treasures are as
important as other family photographic treasures. Don't forget them.
The old tintypes
from the 19th Century are wonderful images of the past. They were tremendously
popular among Civil War soldiers, and may provide the only image of an
ancestor who died in the conflict. They also were the rage among the ordinary
people who admired well-to-do people's ability to afford painted portraits.
Tintypes are highly light-sensitive, however, and prolonged exposure can cause
them to continue 'developing.' Over time, they will turn completely black.
Even scanning the tintype can damage it. You can have a professional
photographer take a picture of the tintype and make a contemporary print for
you, which is much more stable. Then you can store the original in a dark,
dry, and moderate temperature place for posterity. And don't forget to label
the picture with the ancestor's name.
Questions Asked in the 1930 Census
The questions asked
in the 1930 U.S. Federal census reflected the conditions at the time. The U.S.
Census Bureau Web site provides an interesting look at that census, and
provides a list of all 34 questions asked of respondents. The four new,
additional questions asked included: Do you own a radio set? What is the value
of your home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented? What was your age at at
the time of your first marriage? Are you a veteran? Visit the Census Bureau
Web site for a complete list of the 34 questions. http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/1930facts.html
ScottishDocuments.com
ScottishDocuments.com
has made available on the Web a site at which you can conduct research using a
searchable index of over 300,000 names in Scottish wills from 1500-1875. Both
a simple search (using only forename (given name) and surname) or an advanced
search (using forename, surname, date range, and/or occupation) are available.
Future plans include providing the ability to purchase digital copies of the
wills from the site, but that option is currently not available. Other
research tools at the site include handwriting hints and lists of famous
Scots. http://www.scottishdocuments.com/content/default.asp
If you are looking
for online access to public records on the Internet, SearchSystems.net will be
a welcome addition to your online toolkit. The site claims to have more than
7700 FREE searchable public records databases. It includes the
The Sons of
Confederate Veterans is an organization whose goal is to preserve history. In
particular, they believe it is important to do so in order that "future
generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause."
The group is a membership society open to male descendants of Confederate
soldiers, and is a direct heir to the original United Confederate Veterans. As
such, the group can point researchers to research resources in particular
areas and may, in rare instances, help you locate UCV records if they still
exist. You can learn more at their Web site at http://www.scv.org/.
One way to promote
the sharing of family stories is to start your own private family mailing
list. Compile the E-mail addresses of all the family members who have access
to email and publish the whole list to everyone. Then, send an email to
everyone asking the question, "What is the one trait or story you
remember most about Aunt Mary?" Start with your own account to get the
discussion started, and then make copies of the stories you receive.
Incorporate the information into your genealogical research with a source
citation of who it came from and when. Use these stories as pointers to
possible published sources.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ssghs/
Swiss Genealogy Resources
Persons tracing
their ancestry to
Tennessee Place
Names and Post Offices
Online place name
dictionaries and maps are important reference resources for genealogists. The
Tennessee State Archives Web site has compiled a list of post offices in the
state, along with their dates of operation, which may be of assistance in
locating unincorporated places, places which no longer exist, and places whose
names changed. This list is based on records at National Archives listing
postmaster appointments from 1832 to 1971. The name of the place, the county
in which it was located at its time of operation, and its opening and closing
date are listed. This is an excellent online gazetteer for the researcher with
The Computerized
Ancestor Web site is an Internet database furnished by Yates Publishing, which
indexes over 800,000 family group sheets submitted over the years to the
Family Group Sheet Exchange. There are several search options available. You
can search documents by husband's surname or wife's maiden name. A search by
surname is available, and you also can search by author name. Using the search
results, you can potentially contact the author or order a copy of the family
group sheet from Yates Publishing. http://www.sanbachs.net/cdi.html
America Online has
created the Government Guide: Government Services Made Easy. In one of its
sub-collections on the Web, there is a group of materials concerning census
materials. This collection includes a glossary of census terms, contemporary
and historical census information and statistics, and links to a number of
official
The Internet Public
Library has, for a number of years, been a first-stop site for information
resources for librarians and researchers alike. Their redesigned Web site
which debuted in June has organized their materials for easier use. Of
especial interest to genealogists are the Newspapers online, which is the
largest collection of links to online newspapers anywhere on the Web,
organized geographically for easy access. The Associations on the Net can help
you locate unions to which your ancestors may have belonged, as well as
fraternal and religious organizations. The Almanacs, Biographies, Calendars,
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Geography links are a treasure trove too. And
there are links for Style & Writing Guides to help you with writing that
family history and/or citing your sources. Great site!
If you had ancestors
who arrived in
A new agreement
between University of Cincinnati University Libraries and the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center will create a library of valuable history
about the Underground Railroad. According to a press release on
The United Daughters
of the Confederacy was formed in 1894, an outgrowth of the many local and
regional groups supporting the Confederate veterans following the U.S. Civil
War. Some of its roles were to honor these veterans, provide volunteer
services to veterans' homes, and to commemorate the Confederate dead by
placing monuments and maintaining cemeteries. They were also responsible for
the creation and award of the Confederate Cross of Honor medals to Confederate
veterans. The society still exists with many of the same goals as in previous
years, however, they can help point you toward records that may still exist
for Confederate soldiers and, in some cases, to records of their local
chapters. Visit their Web site at http://www.hqudc.org/
With the release of
the 1930 U.S. Federal census this month, there is a renewal of interest in
working with all types of census records. Ancestry.com has long made a number
of forms available online for free. They recently have added an extraction for
the 1930 census. That form and others for the 1790 through 1920 census are
available at their Web site, along with an Ancestral Chart, Research Calendar,
Research Extract, Correspondence Record, Family Group Sheet, and a Source
Summary. All forms are free and only require the use of the free Adobe Acrobat
Reader software in order to view and print the form files. http://www.ancestry.com/save/charts/census.htm
Virginia Civil War Home Page
Another virtual
repository of Civil War information on the Web is created and maintained by
Jeff Weaver, whose Virginia Civil War Home Page contains a substantial number
of Confederate information resources. The Virginia Confederate Pension Rolls
provides digital images of actual roll cards. The lists of military units
include a number of links to Web pages, and a separate Information by County
or City organizes military units by their place or origin and by name. The
link to Confederate Navy Sources actually takes you to the Index of Civil War
Naval Forces - Confederate and Union Ships, an excellent collection of
materials. http://members.aol.com/jweaver300/grayson/vacwhp.htm
Many counties and
municipalities maintain their voter registration records for extended periods
of time. While censuses were taken every ten years, a voter registration roll
may provide verification in those years in-between to help you verify that
your ancestor may have been in an area. It also is helpful to do a little
preliminary research into the voting laws at the time. If your ancestor was on
a voter roll and the voter residency requirement at the time was one year,
that knowledge can verify that your ancestor was in a location for at least
that long. By the same token, if a decennial census record shows your ancestor
at a location and not on the voter roll, it could indicate that he may have
been a newer arrival and had not been there long enough to meet the residency
requirement.