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Genealogy Goulash
All Things Being Equal . . .
by Paula Stuart-Warren, CGRS
Have you ever heard the phrase "life isn't fair?" I can hear my mother telling me that she never said life would be fair. The lack of fairness applies to some genealogical records, too. I like to think about that other phrase, "all things being equal." Records we consult in our genealogical research are not created equally. Neither are the record repositories. But with some effort, you can learn about alternative records and how to interpret those you do find. Being prepared before you delve into specific records or visit a library will help overcome that unfair feeling.
Open Shelves for Browsing
Oh, how I love libraries with open shelves for browsing. Libraries that come to mind are the Daughters of the American Revolution Library in Washington, D.C., the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Of course, there are others with open shelves. But there are still many others where most items must be requested via the staff. Definitely not created equal. In some cases it is due to budget or space reasons. For those with closed stacks, check to see if there is an online catalog that you can study before your arrival. For a closed stack library that you visit often, keep a few library call-slips handy and fill them out before your arrival. While waiting for the books or boxes of material to be delivered to you, look around the room to see what general reference books do appear on open shelves. Many of these places have current issues of genealogical and historical periodicals on self-service racks.
Public Libraries of All Kinds
There are many large and small public libraries that cater to genealogists or at least have a specific department that does. Maybe I should move to Dallas so I can use the large and well-known Genealogy Section. I would swing by the Denver Public Library on my way. Or maybe I would stop at the Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, Missouri. And if I really went out of my way to Dallas, I would head east to the Allen County Public Library. How about a detour to the Boston or New York public libraries? If you live in one of these cities or ones with similar good genealogy sections in the public library system, you are fortunate. Don't rule out the library where you live. You may be surprised at the historical materials that are helpful to genealogists. For libraries that don't have an extensive genealogical section, check to see what you can order via InterLibrary Loan.
State Repositories of All Kinds
Some state historical societies and libraries have tons of books and records for their own state. Others have a collection that covers a much wider area. One of my favorites is the Wisconsin Historical Society. It has an extensive collection of history and genealogical publications for all of North America. Why, you ask? It also functions as the history library for the University of Wisconsin. My own home state historical society, the Minnesota Historical Society has a wealth of published material related to New England. The society's founders were New Englanders who donated their personal libraries when the society began in 1849 and continued to contribute for many years. To find a terrific state-level collection of historical publications in California, visit the state library (with locations in Sacramento and San Francisco). The collection includes historical materials from other states. Having publications related to other states is beneficial for research projects that often span several states and counties. Other state level historical societies and libraries have little for other states. 
Some states house local and state government records in different places around the state. They are known by different names including IRADs (Illinois Regional Archives Depositories), ARCs (Area Research Centers, Wisconsin), and in Ohio ONAHR (the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers). Generally these house records related to a group of counties that are near to the location. Some of these are on state university campuses and may also house the university archives. Even these are not created equal. I like the Illinois ones the best--mostly because there is an online listing of the records each holds via the Illinois State Archives website (www.sos.state.il.us). Don't file this info too far away if your ancestors weren't in these states; some day you may discover an ancestor or cousin resided there.
The Records Themselves
What other unfair things are there in genealogy? Many of my ancestors married in Minnesota. The marriage records give me the name of the couple, the date of the license and marriage, the person who officiated at the wedding, and the names of the witnesses. Contrast that to marriage records post-1877 in Illinois that tell me the number of marriages for each person, names of parents, birthplaces, and more. I have a 1903 Vermont marriage record that gives occupation, number of marriage, place of birth, and parents' names. These are good reasons to search for all members of the family--in case your direct ancestors were married in a state that lacks personal details in the various marriage records that were created. Maybe Uncle Joe's Illinois marriage license application will contain the elusive maiden name for your great-grandmother.
Size of Files
Have you ever requested a file at a courthouse, archive, or historical society and opened the box to find it filled with files all one-inch thick? Your excitement builds. You check for your ancestor's file number and find it is the one that slipped down a bit between the thick files. Yours is the thinnest one in the box. Doggone it! Whose ancestral records are in those thick files? If life were fair, it would only be the ancestors of genealogists who have those thick files. But don't walk away. Remember that other adage --"Good things come in small packages." Your thin file may still give you some clues for further research. It is important to check for all available records, no matter how thick or thin that file may be.
State Census Records
I wish I had South Dakota ancestry. It has a state census as late as 1945. That is World War II era and fifteen years later than the 1930 U.S. Federal Census, which is the most recent one opened to public viewing. That 1945 census has the basic info also found on the 1930 census but has a few more helpful items: military service and which war with state, company, regiment, and division listed; maiden name of wife; year married; and church affiliation. Florida has a 1945 census, but it contains much less detail than that for South Dakota. Not equal, but if your ancestors weren't in these states, maybe some of the distant cousins lived there.
Access
In some states it is exceedingly tough to obtain even an older death record. I won't mention those, but I will mention some that at least have online indexes and one with online images! The Arizona death index for 1878-1953 online and images via the Arizona Department of Health Services (http://genealogy.az.gov/). For Minnesota you won't find the death certificate images online, but at the Minnesota Historical Society website (www.mnhs.org) and at Ancestry.com indexes can be checked. A death index covering 1898-1944 for Maryland is found online as well (http://mdvitalrec.net/cfm/index.cfm). It pays to check back every so often to see what has been indexed for your ancestral states.
Won't They Be Surprised
Have you ever met a genealogist who is fairly "new" at this research business and who is so thrilled because they just found a website such as Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org that gives them one of their family lines back to the Mayflower? Or maybe they are on their first visit to the Family History Library and immediately find a will that clearly lays out all the children's names, including the married names of the daughters. You really don't want to burst their bubble, but you know they won't continue to find such gems. Records and families are not created equal, but you can be an important part of the future research for these folks when they come upon a family line that is more difficult. Encourage them to not give up, to learn more, and to do more work to discover more family history details that await them.
Help Yourself Around the Inequities
Read the guidebooks and listen to experienced genealogists so that you will be prepared to find and understand differences. The difference might be the cost of obtaining a record, in access restrictions, in record content, in repository hours, in copy cost, or something else. I don't approach a courthouse, library, or website expecting to find the same wonderful items or indexes as at the last one. I will be prepared, though, to be grateful for whatever family details the records hold. At least finding a record means it was not destroyed and that is positive for a family historian.
Paula Stuart-Warren, CGRS, is a professional genealogist, consultant, writer, and lecturer. She has lectured all across the U.S. and coordinates the Intermediate Course, American Records & Research at the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is co-author of Your Guide to the Family History Library and an author for genealogical periodicals including Ancestry Magazine. She is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota and spends many weeks each year at the Family History Library and the U.S. National Archives. Her roots include ancestors from seven different countries and researching them has given her broad experience and an occasional headache or two. Comments will reach her at PSWResearch@comcast.net. Paula is unable to answer individual genealogical research inquiries due to the volume of requests received.
Upcoming Appearances by Paula Stuart-Warren
(I enjoy meeting readers at these events.)
Copyright 2005, MyFamily.com.
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