Overview of Urban Research - Revision history

Murphynw1: refs

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:54:44 GMT

refs

Murphynw1: /* State Guides */ table

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:43:59 GMT

State Guides: table

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:43, 26 December 2012
Line 114:		Line 114:
	FamilySearch staff and community volunteers have prepared detailed guides for each state. They have been published in the FamilySearch Research Wiki and are constantly being updated:		FamilySearch staff and community volunteers have prepared detailed guides for each state. They have been published in the FamilySearch Research Wiki and are constantly being updated:

-	{\|border="1" style="font-family:Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif,Georgia,serif;"	+	{\|border="1" width="100%" style="font-family:Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif,Georgia,serif;"
	\|-		\|-
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arizona Arizona]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arkansas Arkansas]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/California California]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Colorado Colorado]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Connecticut Connecticut]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Delaware Delaware]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/District_of_Columbia District of Columbia]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Florida Florida]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Georgia Georgia]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Hawaii Hawaii]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Idaho Idaho]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Illinois Illinois]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Indiana Indiana]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iowa Iowa]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kansas Kansas]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kentucky Kentucky]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Louisiana Louisiana]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maine Maine]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maryland Maryland]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Massachusetts Massachusetts]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Michigan Michigan]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Minnesota Minnesota]~~
-	~~\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]~~
-	\|-
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arizona Arizona]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nebraska Nebraska]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nebraska Nebraska]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arkansas Arkansas]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nevada Nevada]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nevada Nevada]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/California California]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Hampshire New Hampshire]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Hampshire New Hampshire]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Colorado Colorado]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Jersey New Jersey]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Jersey New Jersey]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Connecticut Connecticut]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Mexico New Mexico]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Mexico New Mexico]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Delaware Delaware]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York New York]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York New York]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/District_of_Columbia District of Columbia]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Carolina North Carolina]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Carolina North Carolina]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Florida Florida]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Dakota North Dakota]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Dakota North Dakota]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Georgia Georgia]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ohio Ohio]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ohio Ohio]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Hawaii Hawaii]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oklahoma Oklahoma]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oklahoma Oklahoma]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Idaho Idaho]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oregon Oregon]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oregon Oregon]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Illinois Illinois]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Pennsylvania Pennsylvania]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Pennsylvania Pennsylvania]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Indiana Indiana]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Rhode_Island Rhode Island]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Rhode_Island Rhode Island]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iowa Iowa]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/South_Carolina South Carolina]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/South_Carolina South Carolina]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kansas Kansas]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Tennessee Tennessee]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Tennessee Tennessee]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kentucky Kentucky]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Texas Texas]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Texas Texas]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Louisiana Louisiana]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Utah Utah]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Utah Utah]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maine Maine]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Vermont Vermont]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Vermont Vermont]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maryland Maryland]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia Virginia]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia Virginia]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Massachusetts Massachusetts]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Washington Washington]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Washington Washington]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Michigan Michigan]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/West_Virginia West Virginia]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/West_Virginia West Virginia]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Minnesota Minnesota]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wisconsin Wisconsin]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wisconsin Wisconsin]
		+	\|-
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wyoming Wyoming]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wyoming Wyoming]
	\|}		\|}

Murphynw1: /* State Guides */

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:39:31 GMT

State Guides

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:39, 26 December 2012
Line 115:		Line 115:

	{\|border="1" style="font-family:Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif,Georgia,serif;"		{\|border="1" style="font-family:Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif,Georgia,serif;"
-	\|- ~~style="font-weight:bold"~~	+	\|-
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]

Murphynw1: /* State Guides */

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:39:11 GMT

State Guides

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:39, 26 December 2012
Line 142:		Line 142:
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]
	\|-		\|-
-	~~\|style="font-weight:bold; color:#333333; background-color:#AFBC22;"\|Name of family head only~~
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]
	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]		\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]

Murphynw1: /* State Guides */ table

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:38:43 GMT

State Guides: table

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:38, 26 December 2012
Line 114:		Line 114:
	FamilySearch staff and community volunteers have prepared detailed guides for each state. They have been published in the FamilySearch Research Wiki and are constantly being updated:		FamilySearch staff and community volunteers have prepared detailed guides for each state. They have been published in the FamilySearch Research Wiki and are constantly being updated:

-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]	+	{\|border="1" style="font-family:Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif,Georgia,serif;"
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]	+	\|- style="font-weight:bold"
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arizona Arizona]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arkansas Arkansas]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/California California]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arizona Arizona]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Colorado Colorado]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arkansas Arkansas]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Connecticut Connecticut]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/California California]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Delaware Delaware]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Colorado Colorado]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/District_of_Columbia District of Columbia]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Connecticut Connecticut]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Florida Florida]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Delaware Delaware]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Georgia Georgia]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/District_of_Columbia District of Columbia]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Hawaii Hawaii]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Florida Florida]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Idaho Idaho]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Georgia Georgia]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Illinois Illinois]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Hawaii Hawaii]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Indiana Indiana]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Idaho Idaho]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iowa Iowa]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Illinois Illinois]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kansas Kansas]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Indiana Indiana]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kentucky Kentucky]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iowa Iowa]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Louisiana Louisiana]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kansas Kansas]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maine Maine]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kentucky Kentucky]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maryland Maryland]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Louisiana Louisiana]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Massachusetts Massachusetts]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maine Maine]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Michigan Michigan]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maryland Maryland]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Minnesota Minnesota]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Massachusetts Massachusetts]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Michigan Michigan]
-		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Minnesota Minnesota]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]	+	\|-
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nebraska Nebraska]	+	\|style="font-weight:bold; color:#333333; background-color:#AFBC22;"\|Name of family head only
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nevada Nevada]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Hampshire New Hampshire]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Jersey New Jersey]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nebraska Nebraska]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Mexico New Mexico]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nevada Nevada]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York New York]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Hampshire New Hampshire]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Carolina North Carolina]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Jersey New Jersey]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Dakota North Dakota]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Mexico New Mexico]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ohio Ohio]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York New York]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oklahoma Oklahoma]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Carolina North Carolina]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oregon Oregon]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Dakota North Dakota]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Pennsylvania Pennsylvania]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ohio Ohio]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Rhode_Island Rhode Island]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oklahoma Oklahoma]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/South_Carolina South Carolina]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oregon Oregon]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Tennessee Tennessee]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Pennsylvania Pennsylvania]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Texas Texas]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Rhode_Island Rhode Island]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Utah Utah]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/South_Carolina South Carolina]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Vermont Vermont]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Tennessee Tennessee]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia Virginia]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Texas Texas]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Washington Washington]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Utah Utah]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/West_Virginia West Virginia]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Vermont Vermont]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wisconsin Wisconsin]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia Virginia]
-	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wyoming Wyoming]	+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Washington Washington]
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/West_Virginia West Virginia]
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wisconsin Wisconsin]
		+	\| [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wyoming Wyoming]
		+	\|}

	=Multi-City Reference Tools=		=Multi-City Reference Tools=

Murphynw1: Wiki

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:32:47 GMT

Wiki

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:32, 26 December 2012
Line 106:		Line 106:
	=State Guides=		=State Guides=

-	Unfortunately, there are far too few guides yet available for specific cities, but some statewide compilations may be very helpful where city guides are lacking. Carol W. Bell’s ''Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources'' is a notable example.11 For instance, if Cleveland is an area of interest, addresses of courts, historical and genealogical societies, and other useful information concerning the city can be found under the heading of Cuyahoga County. Additionally, consulting the county lists can reveal which vital and probate records had already been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah at the time of the guide’s publication. Under the heading “Miscellaneous,” there are also land, marriage, Bible, cemetery, church, and other records for the city, available on microfilm at the Ohio Historical Society and the Western Reserve Historical Society. The guide, of course, details valuable collections that will facilitate research in other Ohio counties and cities as well.	+	Unfortunately, there are far too few guides yet available for specific cities, but some statewide compilations may be very helpful where city guides are lacking. Carol W. Bell’s ''Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources'' is a notable example.<ref>Carol W. Bell, ''Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources'' (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988).</ref> For instance, if Cleveland is an area of interest, addresses of courts, historical and genealogical societies, and other useful information concerning the city can be found under the heading of Cuyahoga County. Additionally, consulting the county lists can reveal which vital and probate records had already been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah at the time of the guide’s publication. Under the heading “Miscellaneous,” there are also land, marriage, Bible, cemetery, church, and other records for the city, available on microfilm at the Ohio Historical Society and the Western Reserve Historical Society. The guide, of course, details valuable collections that will facilitate research in other Ohio counties and cities as well.

-	Roseann Hogan’s Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research is an in-depth study that will facilitate research in any city or rural area in Kentucky.12 Seven chapters of this work provide historical background and methodology for using both standard and unique sources in the state. Chapter 8 inventories records by county. There are also a number of constructive tips on city records, including the fact that, despite irregular reporting of vital events in the state before 1910, more uniform registration began in the cities of Lexington, Louisville, Newport, and Covington almost twenty-five years earlier. Hogan alerts readers to the fact that Kentuckians have filed more than five hundred thousand delayed birth certificates, which typically are completed in order to obtain Social Security benefits, and that there is a possibility that even if no official certificate can be found in Frankfort, a certificate may have been filed with the Social Security Administration or other government agencies.	+	Roseann Hogan’s ''Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research'' is an in-depth study that will facilitate research in any city or rural area in Kentucky.12 Seven chapters of this work provide historical background and methodology for using both standard and unique sources in the state. Chapter 8 inventories records by county. There are also a number of constructive tips on city records, including the fact that, despite irregular reporting of vital events in the state before 1910, more uniform registration began in the cities of Lexington, Louisville, Newport, and Covington almost twenty-five years earlier. Hogan alerts readers to the fact that Kentuckians have filed more than five hundred thousand delayed birth certificates, which typically are completed in order to obtain Social Security benefits, and that there is a possibility that even if no official certificate can be found in Frankfort, a certificate may have been filed with the Social Security Administration or other government agencies.

-	If you have research to conduct in Atlanta, Savannah, or any other Georgia city, Robert Scott Davis Jr.’s Research in Georgia is particularly helpful.13 The volume emphasizes the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Yet another essential guide for a southern state is ''North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History'', edited by Helen Leary.14	+	If you have research to conduct in Atlanta, Savannah, or any other Georgia city, Robert Scott Davis Jr.’s ''Research in Georgia'' is particularly helpful.13 The volume emphasizes the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Yet another essential guide for a southern state is ''North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History'', edited by Helen Leary.14
		+
		+	FamilySearch staff and community volunteers have prepared detailed guides for each state. They have been published in the FamilySearch Research Wiki and are constantly being updated:
		+
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alabama Alabama]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alaska Alaska]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arizona Arizona]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Arkansas Arkansas]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/California California]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Colorado Colorado]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Connecticut Connecticut]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Delaware Delaware]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/District_of_Columbia District of Columbia]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Florida Florida]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Georgia Georgia]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Hawaii Hawaii]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Idaho Idaho]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Illinois Illinois]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Indiana Indiana]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iowa Iowa]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kansas Kansas]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Kentucky Kentucky]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Louisiana Louisiana]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maine Maine]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Maryland Maryland]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Massachusetts Massachusetts]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Michigan Michigan]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Minnesota Minnesota]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mississippi Mississippi]
		+
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri Missouri]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Montana Montana]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nebraska Nebraska]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nevada Nevada]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Hampshire New Hampshire]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Jersey New Jersey]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Mexico New Mexico]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York New York]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Carolina North Carolina]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/North_Dakota North Dakota]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ohio Ohio]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oklahoma Oklahoma]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Oregon Oregon]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Pennsylvania Pennsylvania]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Rhode_Island Rhode Island]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/South_Carolina South Carolina]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Tennessee Tennessee]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Texas Texas]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Utah Utah]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Vermont Vermont]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia Virginia]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Washington Washington]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/West_Virginia West Virginia]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wisconsin Wisconsin]
		+	[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Wyoming Wyoming]

	=Multi-City Reference Tools=		=Multi-City Reference Tools=

Murphynw1: /* City Research Guides */ Wiki guides

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:20:43 GMT

City Research Guides: Wiki guides

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:20, 26 December 2012
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	Robert W. Barnes’s ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County'' provides important details about genealogical information in archives, libraries, repositories, maps, biographical sources, cemeteries, ethnic histories, newspapers, occupational and political sources, and some hard-to-find city records.<ref>Robert W. Barnes, ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County,'' 2nd ed. (Westminster: Family Line Publications, 1993).</ref> As the author points out, “Knowing where to look is an important part of the researcher’s job. It is extremely frustrating to drive to the Court House at Towson only to find that the records being sought are some ten miles away in Baltimore City, or thirty miles away in the Maryland State Archives.” Compiled by Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' is another important guide to a specific area.<ref>Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, comps., ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' (Hamilton County: Ohio Genealogical Society, 2001).</ref> The guide includes maps and sources most needed by the family historian, including details about cemeteries, census, churches, court records, funeral homes, land records, libraries, surname files, and how to obtain vital records.		Robert W. Barnes’s ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County'' provides important details about genealogical information in archives, libraries, repositories, maps, biographical sources, cemeteries, ethnic histories, newspapers, occupational and political sources, and some hard-to-find city records.<ref>Robert W. Barnes, ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County,'' 2nd ed. (Westminster: Family Line Publications, 1993).</ref> As the author points out, “Knowing where to look is an important part of the researcher’s job. It is extremely frustrating to drive to the Court House at Towson only to find that the records being sought are some ten miles away in Baltimore City, or thirty miles away in the Maryland State Archives.” Compiled by Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' is another important guide to a specific area.<ref>Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, comps., ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' (Hamilton County: Ohio Genealogical Society, 2001).</ref> The guide includes maps and sources most needed by the family historian, including details about cemeteries, census, churches, court records, funeral homes, land records, libraries, surname files, and how to obtain vital records.
		+
		+	FamilySearch now publishes free genealogical research guides in FamilySearch Research Wiki. Guides are available for:
		+	*[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York_City New York City] and its Boroughs: [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Bronx_County,_New_York The Bronx], [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Brooklyn,_New_York Brooklyn (Kings County)], [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_York_%28Manhattan%29_County,_New_York Manhattan (New York County)], [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Queens_County,_New_York Queens], [http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Richmond_%28Staten_Island%29_County,_New_York Staten Island (Richmond County)]
		+	*[http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Chicago,_Illinois Chicago]

	=State Guides=		=State Guides=

Murphynw1: refs

Murphynw1 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:13:47 GMT

refs

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	Climate, geography, and the focus on agriculture dictated a slower growth pattern for Southern urbanization. Yet New Orleans had a population of nearly one thousand as early as 1727, and Charleston was the largest Southern metropolis, with a population of ten thousand by the time of the American Revolution.		Climate, geography, and the focus on agriculture dictated a slower growth pattern for Southern urbanization. Yet New Orleans had a population of nearly one thousand as early as 1727, and Charleston was the largest Southern metropolis, with a population of ten thousand by the time of the American Revolution.

-	Urbanization was not limited to the Atlantic Coast; it expanded inland with new frontiers. The cities of Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, and St. Louis flourished along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. With the introduction of steam navigation and the opening of a canal system, the Great Lakes cities of Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee sprang up. Even in states and territories where the population was sparse, the extent of urbanization was remarkable. Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City played important roles in the development of the Far West. By 1860, Houston, Galveston, Austin, and San Antonio had also become important cultural, social, and economic centers.1	+	Urbanization was not limited to the Atlantic Coast; it expanded inland with new frontiers. The cities of Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, and St. Louis flourished along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. With the introduction of steam navigation and the opening of a canal system, the Great Lakes cities of Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee sprang up. Even in states and territories where the population was sparse, the extent of urbanization was remarkable. Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City played important roles in the development of the Far West. By 1860, Houston, Galveston, Austin, and San Antonio had also become important cultural, social, and economic centers.<ref>Raymond A. Mohl, ed., ''The Making of Urban America,'' 2nd ed. (Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources, 1997), 3-20.</ref>

-	Very early in the process of developing a family history, you will probably encounter the problem of locating information about ancestors who lived in a large American city. The United States today is very much an urban nation—73.5 percent of the population lives in cities—but the trend began well over a century ago.2 More than 50 percent of the population lived in urban areas as early as 1920. Moreover, many specific ethnic groups had higher percentages of urbanization than the general population. By 1910, approximately 72 percent of the foreign-born lived in cities.3 The economics of migration, as well as the personal goals of the migrants, many of whom hoped to make a fortune and return home, necessitated settlement in urban centers, such as New York, Cleveland, and Chicago. There, burgeoning industries welcomed common laborers, ethnic clusters offered a familiar setting for the homesick, and cheap housing and food let migrants accumulate savings.	+	Very early in the process of developing a family history, you will probably encounter the problem of locating information about ancestors who lived in a large American city. The United States today is very much an urban nation—73.5 percent of the population lives in cities—but the trend began well over a century ago.<ref>U.S. Department of Commerce press release, 1993; U.S. Bureau of the Census, ''Statistical Abstract of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970'' (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975), 11-12.</ref> More than 50 percent of the population lived in urban areas as early as 1920. Moreover, many specific ethnic groups had higher percentages of urbanization than the general population. By 1910, approximately 72 percent of the foreign-born lived in cities.<ref>Charles N. Glaab and A. Theodore Brown, ''A History of Urban America'' (New York: Macmillan, 1967).</ref> The economics of migration, as well as the personal goals of the migrants, many of whom hoped to make a fortune and return home, necessitated settlement in urban centers, such as New York, Cleveland, and Chicago. There, burgeoning industries welcomed common laborers, ethnic clusters offered a familiar setting for the homesick, and cheap housing and food let migrants accumulate savings.

	=Research Strategies=		=Research Strategies=
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	Geography matters! Perhaps more than in any other phase of genealogical research, it is important to gather as much identifying information as possible about the subject of a search from relatives near and far. Knowing the approximate part of the city, a street name, an occupation, or the name of a church or school can make all the difference when it comes to finding people in city directories or census or any other records, particularly when common names are involved.		Geography matters! Perhaps more than in any other phase of genealogical research, it is important to gather as much identifying information as possible about the subject of a search from relatives near and far. Knowing the approximate part of the city, a street name, an occupation, or the name of a church or school can make all the difference when it comes to finding people in city directories or census or any other records, particularly when common names are involved.

-	As cities grew in population and geographical dimensions, their borders and jurisdictions changed. Larger towns annexed other towns over the years, and if you are not aware of such historical facts, there is a good chance that you will overlook desired information. For example, Boston was divided into various wards, and boundaries were redrawn as new areas were added. To add to the confusion, Beacon Hill, East Boston, Fort Hill, the North End, South Boston, the South Cove, the South End, and the West End are the informal names of sections. Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Roxbury, and West Roxbury were annexed by the city of Boston in the 1860s and 1870s, while Hyde Park did not become part of Boston until 1912. Sections of present-day Boston are still called by the names of the former towns. Prior to annexation, each town kept its own records. Other towns in the Boston vicinity remain separate municipalities to the present day, including Cambridge and Somerville (both in Middlesex County) and Brookline (in Norfolk County).4 Information about boundary changes can be elusive but may often be found in some of the online library and historical sources described later in this chapter.	+	As cities grew in population and geographical dimensions, their borders and jurisdictions changed. Larger towns annexed other towns over the years, and if you are not aware of such historical facts, there is a good chance that you will overlook desired information. For example, Boston was divided into various wards, and boundaries were redrawn as new areas were added. To add to the confusion, Beacon Hill, East Boston, Fort Hill, the North End, South Boston, the South Cove, the South End, and the West End are the informal names of sections. Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Roxbury, and West Roxbury were annexed by the city of Boston in the 1860s and 1870s, while Hyde Park did not become part of Boston until 1912. Sections of present-day Boston are still called by the names of the former towns. Prior to annexation, each town kept its own records. Other towns in the Boston vicinity remain separate municipalities to the present day, including Cambridge and Somerville (both in Middlesex County) and Brookline (in Norfolk County).<ref>Eibhlin MacIntosh and Richard C. Wade, "The Irish in Boston," ''Irish at Home and Abroad'' 1, no. 3 (Winter 1993-94).</ref> Information about boundary changes can be elusive but may often be found in some of the online library and historical sources described later in this chapter.

	Different cities and counties have different record-keeping practices, and it is critical to know of these distinctions. Deeds for Rochester, New York, for example, are kept at the county level, but Baltimore and St. Louis deeds are kept at the city level. There may be different access policies and charges among the city, county, and state levels. Most vital records for Illinois have been microfilmed up to around 1915 (depending on the county). In some cases, microfilmed copies of vital records are easier to obtain through the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Salt Lake City or through the Illinois State Archives or one of the local archives. Some of the more heavily used record collections are being digitized and made available online at federal, state, county, and local archive websites.		Different cities and counties have different record-keeping practices, and it is critical to know of these distinctions. Deeds for Rochester, New York, for example, are kept at the county level, but Baltimore and St. Louis deeds are kept at the city level. There may be different access policies and charges among the city, county, and state levels. Most vital records for Illinois have been microfilmed up to around 1915 (depending on the county). In some cases, microfilmed copies of vital records are easier to obtain through the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Salt Lake City or through the Illinois State Archives or one of the local archives. Some of the more heavily used record collections are being digitized and made available online at federal, state, county, and local archive websites.
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	=Printed Materials=		=Printed Materials=

-	Despite the wealth of information that has become available on the Internet, traditional printed guides, indexes, and collections remain indispensable sources for family history research. They often provide a historical context and depth of understanding of resources that goes far beyond the typical Web page. The most comprehensive guide to printed genealogical records and finding aids is the companion to this book, ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'', edited by Kory L. Meyerink.5	+	Despite the wealth of information that has become available on the Internet, traditional printed guides, indexes, and collections remain indispensable sources for family history research. They often provide a historical context and depth of understanding of resources that goes far beyond the typical Web page. The most comprehensive guide to printed genealogical records and finding aids is the companion to this book, ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'', edited by Kory L. Meyerink.<ref>Kory L. Meyerink, ed., ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998).</ref>

	=City Research Guides=		=City Research Guides=

-	A number of genealogical and historical guides for specific cities have been published over the past several years, and more are in the development stages. One of the best currently available is ''Genealogical Resources in New York: The most comprehensive guide to genealogical and biographical resources in New York City and Albany'', edited by Estelle Guzik.6 Though published by the Jewish Genealogical Society, the volume is by no means limited to Jewish sources. Archives serving the metropolitan area, bureaus of vital records, city clerks, offices, civil, county, and federal courts, genealogical and historical societies, and libraries with genealogical holdings and special collections are but a few of the topics discussed in the volume. Adding greatly to the usefulness of the guide are geographical and mailing addresses, telephone numbers, hours of operation, and directions for driving or reaching the various facilities by public transportation. The material is organized geographically so that researchers can coordinate their visits to facilities within a particular area. An earlier but still informative volume is Rosalie F. Bailey’s ''Guide to Genealogical and Biographical Sources for New York City, 1783–1898''.7 Even if New York City is not your area of interest, this work’s forty separate categories of records with select bibliographies will give you an analog for the city in which you are interested. Not all of these will apply to every research problem, but knowing of them can stimulate innovative approaches when other paths seem closed.	+	A number of genealogical and historical guides for specific cities have been published over the past several years, and more are in the development stages. One of the best currently available is ''Genealogical Resources in New York: The most comprehensive guide to genealogical and biographical resources in New York City and Albany'', edited by Estelle Guzik.<ref>Estelle Guzik, ed., ''Genealogical Resources in New York: The most comprehensive guide to genealogical and biographical resources in New York City and Albany'' (New York: Jewish Genealogical Society, 2003).</ref> Though published by the Jewish Genealogical Society, the volume is by no means limited to Jewish sources. Archives serving the metropolitan area, bureaus of vital records, city clerks, offices, civil, county, and federal courts, genealogical and historical societies, and libraries with genealogical holdings and special collections are but a few of the topics discussed in the volume. Adding greatly to the usefulness of the guide are geographical and mailing addresses, telephone numbers, hours of operation, and directions for driving or reaching the various facilities by public transportation. The material is organized geographically so that researchers can coordinate their visits to facilities within a particular area. An earlier but still informative volume is Rosalie F. Bailey’s ''Guide to Genealogical and Biographical Sources for New York City, 1783–1898''.<ref>Rosalie F. Bailey, ''Guide to Genealogical and Biographical Sources for New York City, 1783-1898'' (New York: the author, 1954; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000).</ref> Even if New York City is not your area of interest, this work’s forty separate categories of records with select bibliographies will give you an analog for the city in which you are interested. Not all of these will apply to every research problem, but knowing of them can stimulate innovative approaches when other paths seem closed.

-	Those with Chicago research problems will find help in Loretto Dennis Szucs’s ''Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research''.8 It covers many genealogical sources and research strategies from vital records to Chicago communities and neighborhoods, occupational and business resources, and miscellaneous sources and addresses. The volume includes a chronological list of 107 major historical events that affect research in the area. A glance at the chronology pinpoints important changes, such as the incorporation of the city in 1837, the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848, the cholera epidemic and bank panic of 1849, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed almost all government-created records. “Archives and Manuscript Collections,” “Historical Societies,” “Gazetteer of Cook County,” “Genealogical Societies,” “Cemeteries in the Metropolitan Chicago Area,” and collections of the Family History Library and its local Family History Centers, the Newberry Library, and the National Archives—Great Lakes Region in Chicago are among topics described in the eleven appendixes of the book. Specific information is provided where the researcher is likely to confront a forbidding bureaucracy.	+	Those with Chicago research problems will find help in Loretto Dennis Szucs’s ''Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research''.<ref>Loretto Dennis Szucs, ''Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research'' (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1996).</ref> It covers many genealogical sources and research strategies from vital records to Chicago communities and neighborhoods, occupational and business resources, and miscellaneous sources and addresses. The volume includes a chronological list of 107 major historical events that affect research in the area. A glance at the chronology pinpoints important changes, such as the incorporation of the city in 1837, the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848, the cholera epidemic and bank panic of 1849, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed almost all government-created records. “Archives and Manuscript Collections,” “Historical Societies,” “Gazetteer of Cook County,” “Genealogical Societies,” “Cemeteries in the Metropolitan Chicago Area,” and collections of the Family History Library and its local Family History Centers, the Newberry Library, and the National Archives—Great Lakes Region in Chicago are among topics described in the eleven appendixes of the book. Specific information is provided where the researcher is likely to confront a forbidding bureaucracy.

-	Robert W. Barnes’s ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County'' provides important details about genealogical information in archives, libraries, repositories, maps, biographical sources, cemeteries, ethnic histories, newspapers, occupational and political sources, and some hard-to-find city records.9 As the author points out, “Knowing where to look is an important part of the researcher’s job. It is extremely frustrating to drive to the Court House at Towson only to find that the records being sought are some ten miles away in Baltimore City, or thirty miles away in the Maryland State Archives.” Compiled by Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' is another important guide to a specific area.10 The guide includes maps and sources most needed by the family historian, including details about cemeteries, census, churches, court records, funeral homes, land records, libraries, surname files, and how to obtain vital records.	+	Robert W. Barnes’s ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County'' provides important details about genealogical information in archives, libraries, repositories, maps, biographical sources, cemeteries, ethnic histories, newspapers, occupational and political sources, and some hard-to-find city records.<ref>Robert W. Barnes, ''Guide to Research in Baltimore City and County,'' 2nd ed. (Westminster: Family Line Publications, 1993).</ref> As the author points out, “Knowing where to look is an important part of the researcher’s job. It is extremely frustrating to drive to the Court House at Towson only to find that the records being sought are some ten miles away in Baltimore City, or thirty miles away in the Maryland State Archives.” Compiled by Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' is another important guide to a specific area.<ref>Connie Stunkel Terheiden and Kenny R. Burck, comps., ''Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio'' (Hamilton County: Ohio Genealogical Society, 2001).</ref> The guide includes maps and sources most needed by the family historian, including details about cemeteries, census, churches, court records, funeral homes, land records, libraries, surname files, and how to obtain vital records.

	=State Guides=		=State Guides=
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	=References=		=References=

-	~~Coming soon...~~	+	<references/>

	=External Links=		=External Links=

Matrayback at 23:23, 27 April 2010

Matrayback — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:23:44 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:23, 27 April 2010
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	[[Category:The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy]]		[[Category:The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy]]
	{{Template:Urban series (The Source)}}		{{Template:Urban series (The Source)}}
-	'''This article originally appeared in "Urban Research" by [[Loretto Dennis Szucs]], FUGA, and [John M. Scroggins], MA in ''[[The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy]]'''''	+	'''This article originally appeared in "Urban Research" by [[Loretto Dennis Szucs]], FUGA, and [[John M. Scroggins]], MA in ''[[The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy]]'''''

	=Introduction=		=Introduction=

Matrayback at 21:08, 5 April 2010

Matrayback — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:08:06 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:08, 5 April 2010
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	Street names in many cities have changed over the years. These changes are often difficult to track. For New Orleans, the New Orleans Public Library offers an online [http://nutrias.org/~nopl/facts/streetnames/namesa.htm Alphabetical Index of Changes in Street Names, Old and New; Period 1852 to Current Date, Dec. 1st 1938] (updated 2002), based on a [http://nutrias.org/~nopl/facts/names.htm 1938 WPA compilation, and New Orleans Street Name Changes] (updated 2003) with changes made since 1990.		Street names in many cities have changed over the years. These changes are often difficult to track. For New Orleans, the New Orleans Public Library offers an online [http://nutrias.org/~nopl/facts/streetnames/namesa.htm Alphabetical Index of Changes in Street Names, Old and New; Period 1852 to Current Date, Dec. 1st 1938] (updated 2002), based on a [http://nutrias.org/~nopl/facts/names.htm 1938 WPA compilation, and New Orleans Street Name Changes] (updated 2003) with changes made since 1990.
		+
		+	=Genealogical Societies=
		+
		+	Genealogical societies at the national, state, and local levels offer educational programs and publications with a strong focus on the locality served. The Dubuque County-Key City Genealogical Society (P.O. Box 13, Dubuque, IA 52004-0013 <www.rootsweb.com/~iadckcgs>), for example, publishes such titles as ''A Guide to Microfilmed Records at Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque, Iowa''; lists of Dubuque city directories, 1856 to 1983; newspapers for the area; an obituary file; and probate and marriage index information. Other society publications are an ''Index of Churches and Cemeteries of Dubuque County, Iowa; Burial Records of Dubuque City Cemetery, 1854–1875; Declarations of Intent to Become a Citizen, Dubuque County, Iowa; and Roots in Dubuque County, Iowa: A Genealogical Resource Book''.
		+
		+	To find the name and address of the genealogical society in your area of interest, use an Internet search engine, such as Google, or consult ''The Ancestry Family Historian’s Address Book'', by Juliana Szucs Smith.22
		+
		+	=History=
		+
		+	The importance of understanding the history of any geographical area in genealogical research cannot be overstated. Basic historical overviews of most cities can be found in encyclopedias or on relevant websites, but for a better understanding of what types of records may exist or what it was like to live in the times and places of our ancestors, the ever-increasing number of urban studies that are becoming available are among the most encouraging aspects of city research. Online library catalogs and Internet search engines can help you find books on the history of the area, but online sources are almost never an adequate substitute for a well-written published history. If a descriptive volume on the city in which you are interested is not on the shelf of your local public library, a large city or university library may have it or be able to borrow it for you through interlibrary loan.
		+
		+	''Brooklyn, U.S.A.: The Fourth Largest City in America'', edited by Rita Seiden Miller, is an example of a work that provides a sociological view of the city from its original inhabitants to mobility patterns of residents in the 1970s.23 Discussions of topics and author’s notes on subjects as diverse as Kings County in the American Revolution, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Flatbush, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Dodgers, neighborhoods of Brooklyn, and even a chapter titled “Kings English: Fact and Folklore of Brooklyn Speech” provide rare insights into Brooklyn as it was in an ancestor’s day, as well as providing precious clues for finding record sources.
		+
		+	Pictorial histories of American cities are enjoying a revival of popularity. Major booksellers in most urban areas usually have significant local history sections where any number of contemporary works can be found. Anyone with Chicago roots can gain a wealth of knowledge about the city from ''Chicago: Growth of a Metropolis'', by Harold Mayer and Richard Wade.24 Photographic documentation is especially useful in describing the physical growth and settlement patterns in cities. One thousand photographs and illustrations and an extensive local history bibliography make this well-documented Chicago history volume especially useful. Panoramas can give you a good idea what the city looked like at the time your ancestor lived there. Figure 20-4 shows the destruction of San Francisco before and after the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire. Typing a city’s name plus “panoramic photos” into a search engine many produce similar results.
		+
		+	A valuable aid for laying the groundwork in any city research is John Buenker, Gerald Michael Greenfield, and William J. Murin’s ''Urban History: A Guide to Information Sources'', an annotation of 1,921 scholarly works covering eleven broad topical areas.25 Pertinent information on every major city is listed in it. Many of the sources cited are standard metropolitan histories; others are contemporary works with bibliographies that are potential gold mines in themselves, pointing to the original sources on which the author based his or her study. Such references can lead directly to manuscripts, special collections, and other hidden tools.
		+
		+	County and municipal histories, long used by family historians, can also provide critical information for furthering city research. Kory L. Meyerink has a lengthy discussion of the value and use of these histories in chapters 17 and 18 of ''Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records''. While the greatest number of these histories was published in the 1880s and 1890s, dates vary from one locality to another. The two-volume ''Kings County History 1683 to 1884: The Civil, Political, Professional and Ecclesiastical History and Commercial and Industrial Record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N.Y. From 1683 to 1884'', by Henry R. Stiles, is one of several Kings County histories.26 It focuses on Brooklyn, which was then the third largest city in the United States.
		+
		+	A helpful, though by no means all-inclusive, source is P. William Filby’s ''A Bibliography of American County Histories''.27 To learn if there is a published history for Raleigh, North Carolina, for example, you can consult this bibliography (arranged alphabetically by state and then by county) to see that there are several entries for Wake County, one of which is a 1902 publication titled ''Historical Raleigh with Sketches of Wake County and Its Important Towns'', by Moses N. Amis. As with any other source, it is important to read Filby’s preface, in which he explains the criteria used to determine a book’s inclusion in his work: “Books beginning with titles such as ‘Historical and Biographical’ . . . can contain a history of the county and consist in the main of biographies, yet they are often the only histories available.”28 For this reason, Filby included them in his bibliography. On the other hand, he chose not to include books with such titles as “Biographies of Prominent Men . . .” or “Portrait and Biographical Histories . . .” As Filby points out, these histories must be used with a degree of skepticism, because publishers made up their costs by including only the most flattering biographical sketches of prominent citizens who were their patrons for such projects.
		+
		+	Another bonus for city research is that many histories were generated to appeal to various segments of the population. Not only will you find volumes that focus on counties or cities but also those defining local political parties, wards, industries, ethnic groups, neighborhoods, religious groups, and fraternal and social organizations. These groups and others provided additional opportunities for less-prominent citizens to be included in a printed source. Consequently, if your ancestor was not mentioned in a standard city or county work, there is still the possibility of his or her inclusion in one of the smaller histories that frequently included biographical sketches. Most local histories are in noncirculating reference sections of libraries, so it is usually necessary to travel to those special collections.
		+
		+	Many of these county and specialized histories, including the biographies excluded by Filby, have been reprinted, indexed, transcribed, or even scanned, often by individuals or small genealogical and historical societies. Copies may be difficult to find using traditional library catalogs or basic Internet searches. The bibliographies in chapters 17 and 18 of ''Printed Sources'' can help, but tracking down recent reprints or indexes may require writing to the appropriate local society or posting messages to a mailing list or message board related to the area.

	=References=		=References=