As I look out my office window, I can see the snow falling, and I’m grateful to be bundled up in a warm blanket, rather than outside in the frigid temps. I can’t believe we’re just a week away from Christmas and two weeks from a new year. Where does the time go?

A lot has changed in the world since we looked hopefully at a new 2008, and while the news reports will probably focus on the more negative aspects of the year, I want to focus on the good. While we’ve certainly had some rough patches in our family, we also have much to be grateful for and that is what we will be celebrating this holiday season.

I’ve also had some good news in my family history, and as a community, we’ve seen some great new resources added to the collections at Ancestry. I browsed past newsletters to select some of the highlights to include in this article, and after going through the entire year I found that I had copied seven pages of URLs. I was going to either have to scale down a bit or this was going to be a VERY long article.

All told, Ancestry added 1.3 billion names to its collections and 52.9 million images. Wow! That’s a whole lot of scanning going on! Since this will be the last newsletter of the year, let’s look back at just a few of the collections that had us doing the happy dance this year.

Naturalization Records
Because of the nature of the naturalization process, locating naturalization records can be challenging. An immigrant ancestor may have begun the process in one location and completed it in an entirely different location, perhaps even another state. And for many years, they had various options when it came to the courts in their area. They may have naturalized in a criminal court, federal court, circuit court, or marine court, among other options. Because of the scattered nature of the records, the search can be challenging and some records might never be found. (more…)

There are times when I search all Ancestry.com databases at once, while other times I like to search a specific database. The global search at Ancestry.com is useful, especially when the name is somewhat uncommon, but it doesn’t serve every purpose. If I’m researching a common surname, or if I need to perform more intricate or precise searches, I find that mining one database at a time is preferable.

The problem with searching small individual databases is finding them. That problem can be solved with the Card Catalog. Using this search, I have found databases I wasn’t aware or had completely forgotten about.

I performed several searches of the Card Catalog and was pleasantly surprised at the materials that were in the collection–especially records of a local nature that had slipped beneath my radar.

Filter by Collection
There are several ways search filters can be applied to the Card Catalog. You’ll find them on the left side of the Card Catalog page. The Filter by Collection feature allows you to sort based upon what type of content the database contains and can be helpful when you are searching for only military records, only immigration records, etc.

Filter by Location
We’ll focus on location filters, as it is a great way to discover and locate relevant materials t Ancestry. It is located just below the collection filter that we just discussed.

The locality filter allows you to choose one geographic level at a time. Keep in mind that to facilitate this search, some standardization of locations had to be done. As a new location is chosen for the filter, the results on the right hand side of the screen will be updated with new titles and the “filter by” areas of the left hand side will be updated as well.

Let’s walk through an example. I want to see what collections are available for Coshocton County, Ohio, so I scroll down the page to Filter by Location and first I select United States. As I do so, a layer is applied to the filter that eliminates all non-U.S. titles. Next I select Ohio and that eliminates more titles. The updated screen indicates that there are 9,419 titles classified under Ohio (at least for now). When I then choose Coshocton County, the results narrow to eighteen databases. (more…)

As I was winterizing the house and wrestling with a particularly stubborn storm window, it came crashing down and, of course, broke. With snow and frigid temps in the weather forecast, the hubby peeked in my office today and asked me where the phone book was so he could call the hardware store and see about getting the glass replaced. Phone book? I gave him that blank stare that told him I had absolutely no clue and turned back to my computer to Google the name of the hardware store.

Years ago, even before the telephone became widely used, directories were the way to go when it came to locating people and businesses. For family historians, they’re also the way to go when you want to locate your ancestors. As I mentioned in last week’s column, I have been anxious to dive into the new collection of U.S. city directories that were posted last week, and last night I finally got my chance. I spent quite a bit of time browsing through an 1879 directory of Brooklyn, New York, and was quickly reminded of just how much directories have to offer–and how much we may miss if we only focus on that one little line that gives our ancestor’s name, occupation, and address. While this article will use the Brooklyn directory as an example, others typically followed a similar format and you may find comparable content in other areas of the U.S. and around the world.

The Joys of Online Access
When I’ve been in libraries looking through city directories on microfilm, I have to really discipline myself because my time is limited. I need to pull as many of my family names and addresses as I can in the short time I have before closing time.

As I spin through the film, my eye catches sight of advertisements for local businesses. “Ooh, is the Tobin’s hat shop advertised in this one?” It’s like dangling something shiny in front of a child. Next thing you know I’m completely distracted from my purpose and reading the directory page by page. With these directories now available online, I can sit here in my jammies and browse to my heart’s content–page by page, or skipping ahead by changing the image number.

Navigating
These directories are searchable, so you can put in your ancestors surname and jump right to that page, but it can be worthwhile to take the time to browse. Because the index was created by OCR (which means a computer reads the print), unusual fonts (especially those used in advertisements) or heavy print and smudges can cause you to miss some references.

The first thing I look for is the title page in the front of the directory. This tells me the publisher and typically what kinds of things I can find in the directory. In the 1879 directory I looked at, the title page reads, “The Brooklyn City and Business Directory for the year ending May 1st, 1880, containing also A Street and Avenue Directory, A Municipal Register, and a New Map of Brooklyn.” Yeah!

Some directories will also include a table of contents with page numbers. This directory didn’t have one for the entire book, but there were indexes for some of the sections that gave page numbers. For example, on image 21 of 774, I found an index to all the advertisements. Alas, I quickly found that the Tobins didn’t advertise here.

Although the pages of the directory won’t match up with the image numbers, with a little bit of math, you can estimate how far ahead you need to jump to get from the index to the desired page. Just bear in mind that there are two directory pages on each image when you’re doing your calculations.

Introductory Information
The 1879 directory of Brooklyn included a preface from the publisher, who strongly recommended that owners of his guide attach it to their counters with chains to deter those who might “borrow” the book, rather than purchase one. The preface also often includes tidbits on what is going on in the city and this volume mentions the long-awaited Brooklyn Bridge, which would open in 1883. Look for this section to learn what was happening in your ancestor’s city.

Other introductory material I found included a page of “Names too late for insertion in regular order,” and a list of abbreviations used in the directory.  (more…)

In 1828 punishments for breaking the law in Britain included being sentenced to death, transportation, whipping, or the payment of a fine. Jails (gaols) existed to hold people prior to trial. There were few prisons (also known as bridewells or houses of correction), all with dreadful conditions. The forty-year-old settlement of New South Wales was the destination for thousands of people convicted of crimes back in Britain.

The authorities in New South Wales kept careful track of all inhabitants of the colony and also assessed its capacity to be self-sustaining. To do so the colonial administration regularly counted the population in total or in various groups (e.g. convicts, settlers) using a muster system. A muster was a physical reckoning, similar to the way regiments of the army or militia were brought together and counted. Soldiers and colonial officials and free citizens were usually recorded at the same time. However, in November of 1828 the count of the population was done, for the first time, by means of a census because it had been determined that free people could not be compelled to muster.

In preparation for this enumeration forms were issued to magistrates in every district and constables went round to each habitation, usually accompanied by a clerk. In some cases a household member would fill out the form. The work was carried out between November 1828 and January 1829. Military personnel were not enumerated at this time.

Transcriptions of the Forms
Within the next year or two the information in the household returns was transcribed into two sets of volumes; one set of seven volumes went to London in February of 1830 and the other set, six volumes, remained in Australia. The former is held by The National Archives (TNA) of the United Kingdom, and the latter by the State Records Authority of New South Wales (SRNSW). It is uncertain which of these versions was the earlier of the two.

The two versions remained more or less in obscurity until the twentieth century. Discovery and transcription by hand of the UK set of volumes occurred first, shortly before World War Two. The Australian volumes remained out of site in Sydney and did not become accessible to the public until the 1970s.

Comparisons between the two versions have revealed differences. The order of entries is not the same. In addition, the 1828 census at TNA has more duplicate entries and some additional information. It is these differences that make it necessary for genealogists to consult both versions. Ancestry now has indexes to the NSW listings, and both images and indexes to the TNA volumes.

Contents
A household census form recorded the name of the householder and others in the house–both family members and servants. For each person facts noted were the place of residence, age, condition, ship of arrival, year of arrival, sentence, employment, and religion. It also recorded whether someone had been born in the colony. The original census form, on the reverse, sought information about land cultivated, cattle, sheep and horses. Only a portion of the original forms survive. The volumes into which the information was transcribed contain about 35,000 names in all. (more…)

A popular tradition found in many American families is the one pertaining to an unknown Native American ancestor. It is usually the great-great-grandmother with a common given name who supposedly was a “full-blood” [fill in the tribe]. It piques our interest and off we go–but in the wrong direction. All too often, we find that the oral history that has been handed down is not accurate, so it’s important to keep an open mind.

If the name of the tribe is known with certainty, you will be able to take a shortcut and go directly to the tribal records. The U.S. Indian Census Schedules, 1885-1940 (click on the image to see an example from Ancestry.com), or the 1900 population schedule with its “Special Inquiries Relating to Indians” section, and will in many instances provide the name of the tribe and degree of blood. In the case of the 1900 census one question asked the degree (percentage) of white blood an individual had. In many instances, the answer is incorrect. One of my ancestors is listed as 1/8th white, when he actually was 1/8th Cherokee and 7/8th white. Another relative and his children are all listed as white in the 1900 California census, when in fact the children were 1/2 Indian.

You may have Indian blood although your ancestor left the tribe long ago and intermixed with other ethnic groups. Tribal membership and Indian bloodlines are not synonymous. Indian ancestry does not of itself entitle an individual to any special rights or benefits or guarantee eligibility for tribal membership today. Additionally, Indian census lists do not prove tribal affiliation–you must find the enrollment lists and then make the genealogical link that proves that a particular George Wolf or Mary Pumpkin (for example) on that list is yours. (more…)

Unless you can unplug yourself completely from the outside world, you’re probably being inundated with reminders of the upcoming election. Here in Indiana, “inundated” is an understatement. I have to say though that it’s heartening to see such interest and passion, with so many people so engaged and involved in the political process.

Last night I spent a little time exploring the political ties of some of my ancestors. I know that several of my ancestors dabbled in politics through newspaper articles and that’s where I started my searches. I found one family mentioned repeatedly in the Brooklyn Eagle online as a delegate from the 5th Ward in Brooklyn to the state Democratic convention. Another article mentioned some hard feelings between him and the powerful mayor of Brooklyn at that time.  The Brooklyn papers are full of mentions of him in attendance at weddings and funerals, and other events.

Although our ancestors may not make it into the history books with their political activities, they will often make it into newspapers, local histories, and other records where we can uncover them.  Here are some resources that can help you seek out your ancestor’s political ties:

Resources

• Historical Newspapers at Ancestry
• Political Graveyard
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005
• Biographical Directory of the American Congress
  

Articles

• Hunt Down Your Family Politicians, by Mary Penner 
• Chasing Random Thoughts and Brooklyn Politicians, by Juliana Smith 
• “Tracing the Politics of Past Generations,” by Candace L. Doriott
  Genealogical Computing, October 2004
• Using Ancestry: Inside the California Voter Registration Database, by Denise Platt Stewart 

Voter Records at Ancestry

California

• California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968

Illinois

• Chicago Voter Registration, 1892 Census & Voter Lists 
• Chicago Voter Registration, 1890 Census & Voter Lists
• Chicago Voter Registration, 1888 Census & Voter Lists
• Bureau County, Illinois Voters and Tax-Payers Directory, 1877 (more…)

My last article discussed how to use Meyers Orts (a German gazetteer) and the German Topographical Maps at Ancestry.com. These finding aids were crucial in resolving conflicting birth information for one of my ancestral families.

American sources provided the names of several German locations relative to the origins of my Trautvetter family, who immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. The problem was that the places appeared to be inconsistent with each other. Before I moved to the conclusion that the entire family was crazy and trying to “hide” their origins, I dug a little deeper. Here’s what I had:

• According to his 1930 death certificate, George Trautvetter was born in 1842 in Wolmuthausen, Germany. 
• That same document indicated his father, John George, was born in Wildbrechtroda, but his 1855 declaration of intent indicates he was born in Salsungen. 
• The 1930 death certificate said that his mother, Sophia, was born in Wolmutahausen[sic], while her death record gives the birthplace of Helmershausen.

I don’t have any other U.S. records that provide places of birth for these immigrant family members. In fact, I was fortunate to have the locations I did have.

Using Maps and Gazetteers 
Maps of the relevant areas are always important and may explain away apparent inconsistencies. It is possible that the locations provided are actually fairly close together and not as conflicting as originally thought. Instead of providing the actual birth place, one of the records may actually have given the name of a nearby larger village. It is also important to remember that the information obtained so far is secondary and could easily be completely or partially incorrect.  
 
Finding foreign villages is not always easy, even with the Internet and a variety of online finding aids readily available. If you’re lucky, the provided spelling is close enough to being correct that finding the village is not difficult.

There are times where it is not so easy. The village may no longer be in existence or may have been renamed.  The place may not be “where you think it should be” or may now be located in a different country or political region.

Incorrect spellings are one of the most common handicaps researchers face in locating places. One of the most common reasons for these misspellings is the writer’s attempt to Anglicize a non-English location.
 
Searching for names or places that are in a foreign language is somewhat easier when one has an approximate idea of how the names or places would have been pronounced by the native speaker. Learning more about native pronunciations may be helpful.

Information on the German language, alphabet, and pronunciations can be found on Omniglot.com and Intro2German.com focuses on pronunciation. You could also post questions about locations in the native language to the appropriate mailing list at Rootsweb or to the message board at Ancestry.
 
In the case of the Trautvetters, pronunciation was the reason for the spelling variants. The places of Wolmuthausen and Wolmutahausen were actually references to Wohlmuthausen. In this case, the “h” was silent and not written by the non-German clerk.  Wildbrechtroda is actually Wildprechtroda, a simple substitution of a “b” for a “p.”

In some cases you may find that a word in front of the town name is missing. Salsungen is actually referring to Bad Salzungen (although it sometimes is just written as Salzungen). (more…)

Back in August, George Morgan wrote about genealogy “staycations.” Many people have taken staycations this year rather than the usual travel vacation. In case you are not familiar with the new buzz word, staycation means a vacation at home due to the family budget and the cost of travel.

My Dad recently turned 89 and my present to him was our own staycation of guided family history tours around the St. Paul and Minneapolis area to places where various family members lived over the years. Another part of the gift will be a tour to the various places he and my late Mother used to work. We didn’t even have to pack a suitcase for this staycation.

Locating the Addresses
We remembered some addresses of the homes we wanted to visit, and what the houses looked like. Others had to be looked up in city directories and censuses. Deciding where to go brought up many family stories, as did the actual driving trip.

At the Minnesota Historical Society I reviewed older city directories that list the head of the family with address and occupation (and sometimes the employer). Around 1930 the name of the wife was included. As children in the household went out to work or to college they were added to directory listings. In the World War I and II eras, I saw men in the family listed with a designation such as USA-meaning they were in the armed services. I made a list of the names and addresses to visit and have a reserve list for another tour.

I wanted some more detail on exactly when they were living at the addresses. Many of our families were renters and moved frequently. City directories were often compiled with information gathered before the year listed for that directory. Thus, the 1911 directory listing for an ancestor generally meant that they were living at that address in 1910. It is possible they had moved by 1911. If they stayed in one place for several years, it is easier to estimate the time span.

The Minnesota State Censuses
Ancestry has Minnesota state censuses online as part of the U.S. Collection. The 1895 and 1905 enumerations listed the address for each household in St. Paul. Checking the actual date of the enumeration, I was able to tell the address on that date. U.S. censuses
for 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 also list the street address for St. Paul residents. Check the actual enumeration date at the top of the page to see what day and month your family was at the address. (more…)

Here in the Midwestern United States, we’re thoroughly convinced that construction season was invented to make us appreciate winter. This morning I took my daughter to school and by the time I picked her up, my alternate route was closed off, forcing me to find an alternate alternate route. In the afternoon I have to take an alternate alternate alternate route lest I risk driving through a neighborhood at precisely the time that an elementary school is being dismissed. (I made that mistake once. Never again.)

To top it off, I cannot figure out what they are doing in some of these places. I am convinced that no work is being done whatsoever except that every night some gremlin gleefully rearranges the cones and hides somewhere so that he can watch as confused commuters try to guess which lane they’re supposed to be in–and I’m a terrible guesser!

As we work on tracing our ancestors, we may find ourselves facing similar challenges. In determining what route our ancestors took in immigrating to a new country, or moving to a new destination, we may find that they too took some detours. In last week’s column, we talked about how some immigrants to the U.S. detoured through Canada. I also alluded to multiple names that have been given to the town where my great-grandmother’s family lived. That provides another geographical challenge. Changing borders, county lines, street names and numbering, and population expansion into new territories have made some of the places in which our ancestors lived all but unrecognizable.

Fortunately, historical maps are becoming increasingly available online. Ancestry has a fantastic collection of historical maps, gazetteers, and atlases that we can use to get a better view of the landscape as it was in the days of our ancestors. Here are a few of my favorites:

U.S. Land Ownership Maps and Atlases
There are two databases that feature land ownership maps and atlases for the U.S.

• U.S. County Land Ownership Atlases, c. 1864-1918
• Historic Land Ownership and Reference Atlases, 1507-2000

Both databases are browsable by state and then by city or county. I found several New York City and Brooklyn maps that I didn’t even know were available. For example, there is an 1850 Map of New York City. On it you’ll find lists of hotels, including the infamous Tammany Hall (which I just realized happens to be very close to where my Irish Kellys were living in 1850), public buildings, squares and markets, cemeteries, charitable institutions, schools, parks, and churches. (more…)

Knowledge about the places in which your ancestors lived is key to genealogy research. With it you can fit the ancestor in appropriate historical context and search for the correct locations for additional records. Ancestry has two guides that will assist researchers with Germanic origins, particularly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, although clues found in the materials will also help researchers of other time periods. The guides, available to Ancestry members with World Deluxe or Ancestry.de memberships, are:

• Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire (or Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs in German)
• Germany, Topographic Maps, 1860-1965

Getting the Most from the Databases
Getting the most from any database requires the user to become more familiar with the database, particularly the purpose and organization of the original record.

Meyers Orts
Let’s start with Meyers Gazetteer, or Meyers Orts as it is commonly called. Gazetteers are geographical directories, and you won’t find a map in Meyers Orts. Read its description on the database to help you to use the gazetteer. A more detailed usage guide is also available through FamilySearch.org. This reference provides information on the gazetteer’s original format and assistance in reading the Gothic script.

Meyers Orts on Ancestry can be searched for place names appearing in the book and some of the names in its place descriptions. I searched for the village of Wiesens, which is in the north of Germany. A keyword search for “wiesens” quickly located the entry. There is only one matching result that appears to be the village of interest. (more…)