| If you're like me, when you were young,
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| | 6.Census data. After 1840 the Census
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| looking beyond your mother and father to
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| | collected age, place of birth,
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| find out where you came from just wasn't
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| | occupation, personal wealth, education,
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| important.
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| | spouse, children, hired hands, and even
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| Well, I've found that the older you get,
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| | immigration information. Copies of the
|
| the more important your ancestry becomes.
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| | original decennial census forms from 1790
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| I'm not sure why. Maybe I have a
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| | through 1930 are available on microfilm
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| broader perspective on things now. Maybe
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| | for research at the U.S. National
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| I'm just curious as to whether there was
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| | Archives and Records Administration in
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| nobility in my family. Perhaps I'm
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| | Washington, DC ( at Archives regional
|
| looking for some closet skeletons.
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| | centers, and at select Federal depository
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| Whatever my reasons, I do find tracing my
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| | libraries throughout the United States.
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| ancestry fascinating. It is so
| |
| | 7.Naturalizations records.
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| interesting to learn about other
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| | For Pre-1906 Naturalizations:
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| people--how they lived, what they did,
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| | Contact the State Archives for the state
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| who they knew. But I've also learned
| |
| | where the naturalization occurred to
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| along the way that most people haven't a
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| | request a search of state, county, and
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| clue what resources are available to them
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| | local courts records.
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| beyond the usual - interviewing family,
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| | Contact the NARA regional facility that
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| checking birth certificates and
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| | serves the state where naturalization
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| newspapers, etc.
| |
| | occurred to request a search of Federal
|
| So here I've compiled a list of 25
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| | court records.
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| resources you should take advantage of if
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| | For Naturalizations After 1906:
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| you're really serious about finding out
| |
| | After 1906, the courts forwarded copies
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| "where you came from."
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| | of naturalizations to the Immigration and
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| 1.The obvious, of course, is interviewing
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| | Naturalization Service (INS).
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| family members; not only mom and dad, but
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| | Naturalizations from Federal Courts are
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| aunts, uncles, distant cousins. Start by
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| | held in the NARA's regional facilities
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| drawing a quick family tree going back
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| | for the Federal courts for their area.
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| just two generations and start making
| |
| | Learn more:
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| calls or sending mail or emails. Here
| |
| | 8.Grave sites. Headstones will give
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| are some of the basic things you'll want
| |
| | dates and possible family names.
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| to know:
| |
| | 9.Libraries. Here you'll find newspaper
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| Complete names (married and maiden names)
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| | articles (look for obituaries, and birth
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| Addresses throughout their live
| |
| | and marriage announcements) and books on
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| Birth records
| |
| | local history (what was taking place
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| Military service (when and where)
| |
| | during their life). Many libraries can
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| Marriage records (even attendants, if
| |
| | be accessed online. You will also find
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| possible)
| |
| | genealogy information in several
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| Property records (state and county)
| |
| | libraries, the Allen County Public
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| Burial records (where)
| |
| | Library in Indiana having the second
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| Old pictures, especially if they have
| |
| | largest genealogical collection in the
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| names and dates
| |
| | US. Another good source is the Family
|
| 2.Family bibles. While it doesn't seem
| |
| | History Library in Salt Lake City, UT.
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| to be such a common practice these days,
| |
| | 10.Genealogy message boards. Google
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| in the past, families kept their bible
| |
| | "genealogy message boards" and join
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| forever, often keeping record of family
| |
| | in--you'll find a wealth of information
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| members, births, marriages, and deaths on
| |
| | available!
|
| pages within the bible.
| |
| | 11.Military records. You'll find several
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| 3.Old family letters. Once again, with
| |
| | sources online, including NARA (
|
| technology, we've all but lost the art of
| |
| | 12.High school and college yearbooks.
|
| letter writing (what will our own
| |
| | These sources can help locate a relative
|
| children and grand children have to look
| |
| | or provide other resources for your
|
| back on in years to come?). But older
| |
| | search. Check online.
|
| generations tended to preserve letters of
| |
| | 13.Family pedigrees. These are family
|
| importance. These letters can oftentimes
| |
| | groups already linked in a computer
|
| be of great value in tracing your
| |
| | system. Accessing an individual's family
|
| ancestry. They may contain important
| |
| | group sheet in a linked pedigree will
|
| dates, facts, and places that will be of
| |
| | also give you access to all of the
|
| help. Check return addresses and
| |
| | records that are linked to that
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| postmarks for information.
| |
| | individual. Two great sources are
|
| 4.Legal documents are a great resource.
| |
| | Kindred Connections ( and the Family
|
| Such documents include deeds (property
| |
| | History Library (
|
| addresses), wills (names of kin you may
| |
| | 14.U.S. Immigration records. Two great
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| not have known about), marriage licenses
| |
| | sources are Ellis Island Records ( and (
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| (note the witnesses), birth certificates,
| |
| | 15.Social Security Death Index. This is
|
| voter registration, adoption records, and
| |
| | a database of people whose deaths were
|
| even judgements. Your search for
| |
| | reported to the Social Security
|
| these documents should begin with state
| |
| | Administration (SSA) beginning about
|
| and county records.
| |
| | 1962. The best source is (
|
| 5.What about associations your ancestors
| |
| | Now that you're all grown up and
|
| may have belonged to? These would
| |
| | interested in finding your "roots", these
|
| include churches, clubs, veterans groups
| |
| | 15 resources should get you well on your
|
| and lodges, all of which may be able to
| |
| | way. It'll be a fun and rewarding
|
| provide background information for your
| |
| | adventure.
|
| search.
| |
| |
|
