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The Family History Compass
10/9/2000 - Archive

Periodicals of Various Shapes and Sizes
As family historians, we are constantly gathering information from a wide variety of sources. This information may be raw data about our ancestors, information on how to find raw data, or even information that helps us analyze the raw data that is available. The use of periodicals to disseminate this type of information is not new. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the publication of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, has been published since January 1847, and there are historical periodicals which predate this by several centuries.

There are various types of periodicals that can help us. Magazines, newsletters, publications of genealogical and historical organizations, and even familial group publications can give us the facts we seek in determining our ancestral origins. Some will give us background info, and some deal in hard facts, while some will even serve dual purposes. So let's talk about what we may expect to find in them.

How Do I . . . ?
You've hit a dead end and have explored all the records you are familiar with. It's time to explore some new record types. Where do you start? Periodicals are often filled with this type of information. Since you are reading this article about a particular resource type in an electronic newsletter, talking about information found in electronic newsletters and publications is kind of like "preaching to the choir," but for a long time these publications were overlooked somewhat. There are a lot of other fine publications available that can be delivered directly to your e-mail box, like the RootsWeb Review and sister publication Missing Links. There are also more specialized newsletters cropping up all the time. I recently subscribed to Gen Dobry! which is another free e-newsletter (or e-zine, as they are commonly called) that is affiliated with the PolishRoots site. Not only do these e-zines keep you abreast of the new additions to their affiliated sites and other sites, but often articles discussing new techniques (and old standbys) are discussed. Some include success stories sent in by other readers, which may give you ideas on new avenues to take with your own research.

Magazines like Ancestry Magazine and Genealogical Computing are also very helpful in keeping up with the ever-changing world of family history. Ancestry routinely runs articles like "American Courts: Mirror of a Nation," by Loretto Szucs and "Lands, Grants, Deeds, and Similar Sources," by Thomas E. Simmons. New techniques and resources are also explored, e.g., the articles on genetics in the January/February 2000 issue of Ancestry.

The periodicals of genealogical and historical organizations may also provide valuable information about the records you seek. The NGS Newsmagazine (National Genealogical Society publication) and Federation of Genealogical Societies' FORUM are two wonderful examples that are required reading for anyone wanting to keep abreast of current events and trends in the genealogical community.

Local organizations for your areas of interest and their publications are also worth checking into, since they will often contain more specialized information about the areas you are researching. Historical facts on the area may lead you to new records, help you understand the availability and/or coverage of certain resources, or explain why you couldn't find your great-grandpa's records where you thought they were. The impact of events and trends on communities may also be recorded in these publications. For instance, a drought that hit the region may have sparked the emigration of your ancestors, and knowing that it occurred may help you narrow down your search for them.

Data in Periodicals
The publications of many groups also publish raw data in their journals. In a few quarterly publications I pulled from a file drawer, I found the following:

In Where the Trails Cross, (South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society [IL]) Spring 1998, vol. 28, no. 3:

"1870 Washington Township U.S. Census Surname Index"
"1870 U.S. Census Extraction for Will Township," by Rea Reed
"1880 U.S. Census Extraction for Will Township," by Rea Reed

In A Tale of Mid-Cities, (Mid-Cities Genealogical Society) Summer 1997, vol. 18, no. 4:

"The History of the Ellis County Baptist Association"
James Horn House Letters

In Prairie Roots, (Peoria County Genealogical Society) Summer 1998, vol. 25, no. 4:

"'Columbia' Steamboat Sinking Special" (contained a wealth of information about the sinking, as well as stories from personal letters relating to survivors and news coverage and obituaries from the local paper)

These periodicals hold a gold mine of information for those with family in the listed areas, and they should not be overlooked.

Locating What You Need
So how do we find these gems? There are a number of indexes to periodicals, the most popular of which is the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) compiled by the Allen County Public Library. It is available in printed form in some major libraries, on CD-ROM, and on the Ancestry.com site (subscriber database). Once a reference is located in the index, a copy can then be requested from either the entity that published it or from the Allen County Public Library. More information on PERSI can be found in several of the articles listed in the Further Reading section of this article.

There are also other indexes available, and a detailed discussion of them can be found in Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records Chapter 10, "Genealogical Periodicals" by Kory Meyerink.

It is also important to keep in mind that no index is all-inclusive. Plus, these organizations are still cranking out new issues! By checking with local organizations and libraries, you may find more than you ever dreamed.

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