Research roadblocks, obstacles,
brick walls, or dead-ends are inevitable in genealogy. This
applies regardless of how proficient you are in your research
techniques. The records listed below tend to be the most
valuable yet overlooked records and sources to overcome
research challenges.
1) Home Sources:
Original copies of
birth certificates, newspaper clippings and other bits of family
history are often in the possession of a family member. Other
options include looking for diaries or journals, behind the
frame of old family photos, inside old trunks in basements or
attics, in your grandmother's jewelry box, or on that high shelf
in your aunt's closet.
2) Court Records: Don't assume that because your ancestor wasn't a
criminal, you won't find anything in court records. Matters
brought before the jurisdiction of a court can often involve
dozens of litigants and defendants, many of whom may be related,
or nearby neighbors of your ancestor. Different than the
proceedings of criminal court, civil court records include deed
transactions, estate inventories, name changes, wills, custody
papers and other useful information for genealogists.
3) Draft Records:
Most genealogists look for service records for their military
ancestors, but did you know that there are also military records
for people who never served? Draft registration records contain a
wealth of information on millions of men between the ages of 16
and about 45. The WWI draft records are by far the biggest group
of such records in the U.S., containing names, ages, and date and
place of birth for more than 24 million men. The National Archives
also holds draft records for the Civil War.
4) Newspapers: They are an excellent source for information on
recently deceased individuals. Obituaries may include a wealth of
details on living and deceased relatives, dates, places and other
items of interest. Newspapers contain other types of significance
to research. Everything from the gossip column to the local police
blotter may provide interesting clues about your ancestors.
5) Social Security Death Index (SSDI):
This index includes death details for over 75 million Americans,
and it can be searched for free. The Social Security Death Index
is a computerized index for the Death Master File from the Social
Security Administration, with information on every individual
whose death has been reported to the SSA since 1962. It is an
excellent source of information for birth and death
dates, and by requesting the original Social Security application
you can obtain other useful clues.
6) Voter Records:
Voter application forms can be very useful to genealogists because
they typically ask for a great deal of information, including
proof of citizenship for voter registrations after 1906. Voter
rolls, which document that a person voted in a given area during a
given year, also serve as confirmation of your ancestor's location
between decennial census years. Voter records may be kept for only
a few years, or go back for more than 100 years, and are typically
found at the county or city level.
7) Supplemental Census Schedules:
The U.S. Federal government has used many supplemental schedules
to collect non-population data, including information on farming,
manufacturing, veterans and deaths. The Mortality Schedule,
available for the 1850-1880 censuses, provides details on people
who died during the twelve months prior to the census.
8) Funeral Home Records:
If you can locate the funeral home that handled the burial of your
ancestor, you may have uncovered a rich source of genealogical
details. Funeral home records vary greatly by time period and
location, but usually contain basic information such as where a
person died, the manner of death, names of surviving relatives,
and the place of burial. Some funeral homes collect further
details, such as names of parents and siblings, occupation,
military service, and even the deceased's insurance company.
9) Land Records and Entry Case Files:
Land records such as deeds, mortgages, releases of dowry, etc.,
are one of the most under-utilized records types yet they contain
extremely valuable pieces of information. Before homesteaders,
soldiers, and other land patent recipients received their land,
some government paperwork had to be done. Individuals obtaining
land through military bounty land warrants, preemption entries, or
the Homestead Act of 1862, had to file applications, giving proof
about military service, residence on and improvements to the land,
or proof of citizenship.
10) PERSI:
Someone may have already researched at least a portion of your
family history, and their research may even have been published in
a genealogical quarterly, journal or magazine at some time. That's
why every genealogist should turn to the Periodical Source Index (PERSI),
a subject index to more than 6,500 genealogy and local history
publications created and maintained by the Historical Genealogy
Department of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne,
Indiana.
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