Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Sometimes you gotta browse

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Sometimes you gotta browse recordsI was going crazy looking for my great great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Igleheart, and his family on the 1880 census. None of my searches of various sites turned him up. I really wanted to find that census, because I knew from the 1900 census that his wife, Mattie, had given birth to 11 children, only three of whom were alive in 1900. I had found five of them, but I assumed that finding the 1880 census would reveal the names of more. (Mattie was 25 in 1870.)

So I decided I would browse my way through the census looking for the family. I had a good idea they were living in McLean county, Kentucky, where he lived before the Civil War. (He fought in that war.) I knew that in 1870 they lived in Arkansas, something I initially doubted but was confirmed in his Civil War pension record. But since they had a child born in 1881 in Kentucky, I felt comfortable trying Kentucky first.

I had found Ben’s mother and stepfather in the 1880 census in Sacramento, McLean, Kentucky, so I started there. I browsed forward a page at a time, scanning the handwritten names. After a few pages, I decided to start looking the opposite direction, so I went back to his mother and started scanning a page at a time backward. Sure enough, just two pages behind his mother, there they were! The words “Igleheart, B.F.” jumped right out at me. His age and his family members’ names and ages matched up. Eureka!

So why didn’t they show up on a search? A simple transcription error. The name had been indexed as “Lylehuist.” When I look at it, I can see why. (I bet you can too, if you squint at the image above.) In Ancestry, where I found the document, I edited the record to add the name Igleheart in order to help others. I don’t see that record coming up on a search of Igleheart, though.

The 1880 family included two children, born in the 1870s whose names I didn’t have. They’ve now been added to my family-tree software. I still have four more children to find.

I have to say, it was really exciting to spot this family. I was in a college library among strangers, so I managed to keep from shouting out.  I did raise both arms in victory, though!

Walking the paperless walk

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nofilesI’ve been blogging here through the years about my growing disenchantment with paper. I’ve stopped printing out documents I find digitally and instead save them to my computer and file them by surname. (That’s what works for me…you may choose to file differently.) I’ve started scanning notes and other genealogy paper that comes across my desk and discarding much of it after scanning. I do keep original documents as well as documents I’ve sent away for. But the vast majority of my genealogy information is not in my paper files

Last week when I was at the Allen County Public Library–I promise I’ll stop talking about that trip soon–I didn’t photocopy a single thing. Instead, I used the library’s copying machines to scan the documents I wanted to take home. I brought along a flash drive for that purpose and the process was very easy. The machines even allowed me to put all the documents from one source into a single file, rather than a file for each page. It does mean I had to rename each file and drag it to the appropriate folder on my hard drive. But I didn’t have a bunch of paper to process when I got home! Nor did I have paper to lug home. Or carry to the hotel from the library. Moreover, I was able to easily zoom in text to read it more easily. Not once did I wish I had a magnifying glass.

And here’s the kicker: The library (understandably) charges for paper copies. But they don’t charge a thing to scan to a hard drive, which was literally no more challenging than making a photocopy.

I feel better and better about limiting  paper in my genealogy research. It’s kind of amazing to me that just 3.5 years ago I was still printing much of what I found.

I was really pleased that my paperless inclinations were reinforced on my library trip!

Photo by Tom Woodward via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.

Hats off to pre-internet genealogists

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marriageindexIn my week at the Allen County Public Library, I was struck by how great it is to be a genealogy enthusiast in the era of the Internet. We can search for our ancestors with a few keystrokes and uncover documents and clues to further our research. We have unprecedented access to digital copies of actual primary documents. We can see original handwritten marriage certificates, for example, and interpret the handwriting ourselves, rather than trusting the indexer.

I looked at many indexes in written, bound form at the library. The snippet above is from a 1937 marriage index of Hopkins County, Kentucky. My 3rd great grandparents, David Adams and Mary Ray, are listed there. I was delighted to find this documentation of the date and county of their marriage.

Many of the bound indexes I consulted were typewritten. Some dedicated person had gone to a courthouse and written down all the entries in a marriage book, for example. I picture then squinting at the handwriting, taking their best guess at the names. (We often have an advantage when we’re looking for the names of our ancestors, because we know what we’re looking for.) They probably wrote them down on a sheet of paper, took them home and typed them up. Then they published them in book form or, sometimes, in the newsletter of a genealogy society or family newsletter or elsewhere.

When the genealogist researching a family found their ancestor’s name (or a facsimile of it) in one of these indexes or newsletters, they would then write the county courthouse to ask for a copy of the record and wait for it to arrive in the mail. This is how I imagine was how genealogy was often done. It was labor intensive. It was painstaking. And it was tedious.

Now, thanks to the hard work of our predecessors and, of course, to modern technology and the great work of thousands of volunteer indexers and organizations that are digitizing these documents, most of us can sit at our computers and get a whole lot of information without leaving our homes. It’s up to us to properly document it. And, if we want, to share it.

But, as I discovered at my week in the library, it can be really important to step away from the computer and do some off-the-internet research. Go to the cemeteries and find elusive gravemarkers. Go to courthouses in the counties where your ancestors lived and see if you can find the documents you haven’t been able to find online. And, yes, go to libraries and get big clues on furthering your research.

To our older relatives who were dedicated to genealogical research in the days when it was very labor-intensive, I offer my admiration and sincere thanks.

The joys of a research trip

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acplsignI just returned from my four-and-a-half days of genealogy research at the Allen County Public Library. (I went there on a National Genealogical Society research trip.) I’d been eagerly anticipating the trip and it didn’t disappoint.

Without a doubt, I made progress on my genealogy research. Some of that progress I can quantify:

  • I added 56 people to my family tree.
  • I added 28 sources to my family tree software.
  • I broke into a new generation three separate times.
  • I nailed down at least four maiden names of ancestors.
  • I found the identities of a bunch of children who passed away between censuses.

I didn’t have any huge breakthroughs, but I did have lots of little ones.

Beyond tangible progress, there were some other less tangible benefits to my getting out of the house and committing a week to library research. I’m a big proponent of snatching little pockets of time to do genealogy research, but having four full days of research without the distractions of everyday life was really wonderful. It made me feel closer to my ancestors. And it allowed me to scratch some itches, if you will. When I wondered about something, I was able to explore it. I did try hard, however, to stay focused on my Adams line, along with the Indiana portions of my Jeffries line.

Since I was at a really great library with a huge number of printed resources (as well as electronic ones), I wanted to make good use of my time there. I tried to identify in advance the items to explore that I couldn’t find elsewhere. One thing I came to realize, though, was that it was okay for me to use Ancestry or Family Search while I was at the library, even though I have access to those at home. The point was to make progress and take advantage of my dedicated genealogy time. I didn’t want to ignore a robust resource just because I could use it at home. So I found myself finding indexes in books that I would then use to more easily find digital versions of primary sources online.

Having two terrific genealogists, Pam Eagleson and Pat Stamm, available to us for consultation was great. They provided terrific ideas for furthering research when I was stuck. They also gave me confidence that was on the right track, which is always appreciated. As a bonus, they offered an optional lecture each day.

I’m eager to go back to the Allen County Public Library and when I do, I’ll probably focus on a different line. Staying at the Courtyard by Marriott just a couple of blocks from the library and near plenty of good restaurants makes it really easy. Next time I go, I know how easy it will be to get right back in the swing of things. I’ll miss my NGS buddies, though!