| Your Family Search may eventually be hampered | | | | chunk of Utah to join the Union in 1864. It also |
| by the changing geography. There are several | | | | included parts of New Mexico and Arizona |
| reasons why the places where our ancestors | | | | Territories. When Arizona and New Mexico joined |
| resided are hard or even impossible to find. | | | | the Union in 1910 and 1912, respectively, they |
| Natural disasters have periodically wiped out cities | | | | took back the area that had been claimed by |
| and towns throughout history. Floods, tornados, | | | | Nevada. I bet the postman got dizzy with the |
| hurricanes, earthquakes, and forest and prairie | | | | change of address forms. Not Really. Those |
| fires have wiped away many hometowns and | | | | towns on the borders just "moved" from 1 |
| homesteads. One of the main problems with | | | | territory or state to another. |
| natural disasters is that the records at the | | | | Progress has also rendered a few towns and |
| courthouse are cleaned up after the broken | | | | homesteads non-existent. As electric power and |
| bodies, the broken houses, broken water mains, | | | | flood control dams were built, towns were |
| broken trees, and broken power poles. Of course, | | | | flooded and/or moved. Luckily these town |
| now we have electronic, off site, backups of all | | | | closures were planned and the records were, for |
| those records. The old data that has yet to be | | | | the most part, saved. Those towns, not rebuilt on |
| microfilmed is damaged and gone forever. That is | | | | higher ground, moved the vital records were |
| the tragic loss. | | | | moved to a nearby town. |
| As the American territories became states and | | | | You will need to use a little resourcefulness in |
| joined the Union, boundary lines were drawn and | | | | your family search, but your answers are out |
| redrawn. The Nevada Territory carved off a large | | | | there. Keep searching. |