In previous posts of this series, “Tracing Your 19th German Ancestors,” we began searching in America to learn everything possible about our ancestor before researching in Germany. In part 4 we learned steps for reading German-language records. In part 5 we will finally take a virtual trip to Germany. We will first show how to search Archion, the German website for Protestant records, in hopes of finding the baptism record for Burkhard Schlag (our example German-American). Next, we will explore the German mega-site, CompGen.de to locate German Genealogical Societies, German State Archives, OFBs (town family books) relevant to our German,...
The Missouri History Museum operated by the Missouri Historical Society. See “The Jefferson Memorial Building and the intersection of Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue after the completion of construction for the River des Peres Sewerage and Drainage Project in the area, 25 September 1930,” Wikimedia, (https://commons.wikipedia.org : accessed 17 April 2021). Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about exploring the major state repositories for Missouri research. We discuss some of the major record collections at the Missouri State Archives, the Missouri Historical Society, and State Historical Society of Missouri. We look at the Missouri Digital Heritage website and...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to research in state-level archives. Join us as we talk with Senior Archivist at the Maine Archives, Sam Howes. Sam is a genealogist who received a master’s degree in Archives Management and has been working at the Maine Archives for several years. He shares exciting news about the launch of the Maine Archives online catalog. Links Maine State Archives Maine State Archives Catalog Maine, State Archive collections : COLLECTION RECORD, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch All records from the Maine Archives in the FamilySearch catalog Samuel Mayall Petition – item description in...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about finding records for the friends, associates, and neighbors of your ancestors in archives. Melissa Barker, the Archive Lady, teaches us all about archives. Tune in to learn more about different types and levels of archives, what you might find there, and best practices for using them. Links What Your Ancestor’s Neighbors Can Tell You – handout by Melissa Barker RLP 55 – It’s Not All Online: Researching in Archives with Melissa Barker – previous podcast episode with Melsisa RLP 56 – Researching in Libraries and Archives: The Do’s and Don’ts with...
FamilySearch recently announced a new partnership with The Permanent Legacy Foundation. The announcement described the foundation as providing “a service that allows people to upload document, photo, audio, and video files in a secure, permanent place for current and future generations to enjoy and cherish.” My initial question on reading about this partnership was “Why would I choose to upload and store materials in a Permanent Archive at Permanent.org when I am already uploading memories to FamilySearch?” Immediately on the heels of that question came the question, “Why store my digital items at Permanent.org as opposed to other cloud-based storage...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to prepare for a visit to a library or archive. These repositories hold valuable records for genealogists – but many of us have not visited one before. Today we’ll talk with Melissa Barker, the Archive Lady, about how to make the most of your visit to any library or archive. Links A Genealogist in the Archives Blog http://agenealogistinthearchives.blogspot.com/ Melissa Barker’s Legacy Family Tree Webinar Presenter Page for Webinar and QuickGuides https://familytreewebinars.com/melissabarker The Archive Lady on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheArchiveLady/ Melissa Barker on Twitter https://twitter.com/TNArchivist Melissa Barker, Certified Archives...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about finding records in archives. Maybe you have already exhausted all the online records and are ready to find those additional records that haven’t been digitized yet. In repositories like courthouses and archives, you may be able to find unique and relatively unknown records. Join us as we talk with Melissa Barker, the Archive Lady, about how to find records like manuscript collections, voting records, photographs, school records, loose records, and more. Links A Genealogist in the Archives Blog http://agenealogistinthearchives.blogspot.com/ Melissa Barker’s Legacy Family Tree Webinar Presenter Page for Webinar and QuickGuides...
Have you wondered what is behind the scenes at an archive? Any idea what work goes into preserving the records that we use for our genealogy research? I recently presented a class on using probate records at the Family History Workshop sponsored by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service and was treated to a tour of the archived records. My guide opened an innocuous door and when I entered the archive I was shocked to see the boxes extending five stories high! Glen Fairclough, the Utah Public Notice Website Administrator, has worked at the Utah Archives for over...
You’ve searched Find A Grave and Billion Graves. You’ve visited your local cemetery and taken photos of the headstones. What’s left for your cemetery research? Answer: the records kept by the cemetery office or sexton’s records. You may be surprised at the details in these records. I recently discovered a collection of cemetery records at the Utah Archives for my Kelsey family and today I’m sharing what I found. I’ll also give you three tips for locating cemetery records of your own. First of all, why go after the cemetery records? Isn’t all of the information for an individual on...
Have you ever wondered what is at your state archives? Tucked away in a corner, could you find a clue to your ancestor’s life? Every state has a physical location that hosts a treasure trove of artifacts, documents, books, and more. The National Archives provides a list of state archives and don’t despair if you don’t live near the one where you need to research. Many of them are digitizing their collections and making them available on their websites. Some of the state archives will respond to research questions and for others you might have to hire an onsite researcher. I needed experience...
