Tag Archives: Library of Congress

Researching State Archives for Genealogy Records

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Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary talks about how valuable state archives can be for your family history research, and describes how to access them.

If you’re looking for an exciting resource to help with your genealogical research, I recommend visiting your State Archives as soon as possible. Although archives are supported by open records laws, they are vulnerable to budget cuts—so don’t take state archival research for granted, as shown by the close call that recently happened to Georgia’s state archives.

On 13 September 2012 the governor of Georgia made this announcement:

“The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget has instructed the Office of the Secretary of State to further reduce its budget for AFY13 and FY14 by 3% ($732,626)…To meet the required cuts, it is with great remorse that I [Gov. Nathan Deal] have to announce, effective November 1, 2012, the Georgia State Archives located in Morrow, GA, will be closed to the public.”

After this state government announcement, the Georgia archival research community provided a strong response, including letters, petitions and a FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/GeorgiansAgainstClosingStateArchives.

Faced with this public opposition, the governor made an online announcement using Twitter on 19 September 2012:

“In proclaiming Georgia Archives Month today, @GovernorDeal said he’d find a way to keep the archives open to the public.”

The archival research community welcomed this follow-up announcement from the Office of the Governor on 18 October 2012:

“Gov. Nathan Deal and Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that the state will restore $125,000 to Kemp’s budget to keep the Georgia State Archives open to Georgians for the remainder of the budget year…Georgia’s Archives are a showcase of our state’s rich history and a source of great pride…I worked quickly with my budget office and Secretary Kemp to ensure that Georgians can continue to come to Morrow to study and view the important artifacts kept there.”

Vanishing Georgia, Augusta Chronicle newspaper article 16 December 1982

Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Georgia), 16 December 1982, page 16

This story has a happy ending, but based upon an informal survey I took at a genealogy presentation on State Archives, only about 20% of family historians have ever visited one in person, or online. This is surprising, since state archives accessions include a vast assortment of genealogical documents, such as:

  • census records (state)
  • diaries (ex. Civil War)
  • oral histories
  • grave registrations
  • land records
  • military records
  • naturalization
  • probate
  • vital records and certificates (birth, marriage, death)
  • Works Progress Administration surveys
Archives Given 'Yankee Diary,' Greensboro Record newspaper article 8 November 1967

Greensboro Record (Greensboro, North Carolina), 8 November 1967, page 42

In addition to genealogical resources, state archives typically house historical state documents, state constitutions, governor’s papers, historical prints, and artifacts such as flags or maps.

The focus of state collections is similar to that of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), whose website is www.archives.gov.

NARA provides a summary webpage with contact information and links to all state archives at www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/state-archives.html.

National Archives and Records Administration's state archives website

National Archives and Records Administration’s state archives website

As this is a hard-to-remember URL, I generally locate the page by entering “National Archives State Archives” into a search engine.

Many state archives’ online sites contain databases and digital images. Some highlights include:

  • Missouri: Anti-Slavery Alphabet, Maps, Confederate Pension Applications, World War I Statement of Service Cards, etc.
  • Pennsylvania: Land Records, Maps, Military Files, Patent Indexes, etc.
  • Texas: digitized records pertaining to the Republic of Texas including Republic Claims, Confederate Pensions and Passports, etc.
  • Virginia: Revolutionary War records (Bounty Warrants, Rejected Claims, Pensions), Cohabitation Registers (African American), Works Progress Administration Life Histories, etc.

Tips for Online Archival Research

  • Since every website is uniquely designed, keep a log of the steps taken in locating an online resource.
  • To find related digital projects, search the Library of Congress website for Memory Project websites, or visit www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/statememory/.
  • Some digital projects partner with others, such as the Mountain West Digital Library for Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Hawaii.

Tips for Visiting State Archives in Person (generalities, as each location is unique)

  • Many archives partner with libraries, where you will have access to extended resources.
  • Some state archives offer access to popular subscription databases.
  • When requesting to examine original documents, expect to register with a picture id., which may be valid for one year.
  • Prior to entering the archival document room, you may be required to store personal items in a locker, except for paper and pencil.
  • Options for obtaining copies may be available, although some allow the use of digital camera photography (without flash).
  • Be respectful of all historical items, and keep items in the original order.

List of Private Claims – 1815-1881 – Online

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John and Jane Q. Public have been petitioning Congress for all types of reasons for over 200 years. The reason for each request may vary – but Congress considered every request.

In 1880 the Senate, presided over by William A. Wheeler (1819-1887), authorized the publication of the List of Private Claims – that listed all claims brought before the Senate from 4 March 1815 to 3 March 1881. The list was so long – 2,056 pages – that the Senate published it in two volumes. This list is in GenealogyBank.

(Photo of William A. Williams, Library of Congress, digital ID cwpbh.03976)

The full title describes it: List of private claims brought before the Senate of the United States from the commencement of the Fourteenth Congress to the close of the Forty-sixth Congress. Prepared under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate, pursuant to the orders of the Senate of April 9, 1840; February 27, 1841; February 8, 1849; March 3, 1855; and March 16, 1866; the act of July 20, 1868, making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the government for the year ending June 30, 1869; and the resolution of the Senate of June 16, 1880. December 21, 1880.

In these typical examples from volume 1, page 931 we see that:

H.W. Jernigan of Georgia had petitioned the Indian Affairs Committee for “Indemnity for Indian deprivations during the Creek War”

Martha Jernigan petitioned “For property stolen by the Indians in the Florida War”

John B. Jerome petitioned “For property destroyed during the War of 1812″

Jerome & McDougal – petitioned for the “Confirmation of land title”

Margaret Jerome petitioned for an “Increase of pension”

James Jewett petitioned to be released from prison.

Some were “passed” as John B. Jerome’s request and others, like James Jewett’s request were rejected.

You may search these volumes on GenealogyBank:

List of Private Claims ….. (1880/1881) – Volume One

List of Private Claims ….. (1880/1881) – Volume Two

Discover your heritage, preserve it and pass it on!

Be a part of GenealogyBank – Sign up Now.

Find and document your ancestors in GenealogyBank

Deaths at the US Soldiers’ Home – Washington, DC 1898-1899

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Get the most out of GenealogyBank!

GenealogyBank has more than 250,000 historical documents and reports – like the Annual Reports of the War Department.

The War Department, like all US Government Agencies issues an annual report that includes the report of each of its component departments.

The 1899 report of the Secretary of War is 708 pages long – and it is packed with information for genealogists. (See: Date: 1899-12-04; Publication: Serial Set Vol. No. 3899, Session Vol. No.2; Report: H.Doc. 2 pt. 1)

For example – on pages 490-491 in the Annual Report of the Attending Surgeon of the US Soldiers’ Home in Washington, DC is a list of the old soldiers that died at the Home in 1898-1899.

Discover your heritage, preserve it and pass it on!

Be a part of GenealogyBank – Sign up Now.

Find and document your ancestors in GenealogyBank – the best source for old newspapers & documents on the planet.

Period!
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When I print the article – it is too small. I can’t read it. What do I do now?

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A: Great question. GenealogyBank makes it easy to enlarge any page or article.

Newspapers over the past 4 centuries have been printed in all shapes and sizes. That is particularly true of Colonial American newspapers.

GenealogyBank captures each article and page and displays them for you online – making it easy for you to save them as an Adobe PDF document.

When you want print or save an article and you see that it is too small to be easily read – simply enlarge it using Adobe Acrobat.

Step One: Click on the PDF icon to open up the article as a PDF document.

Step Two: Use the zoom button to enlarge the article to the desired size.

Now you can easily read the article, copy, save or print it.

Look closely at this example – an account of the statue of King George III being torn down and made into bullets – Connecticut Journal 17 July 1776 page 1.
“On July 9, 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was read to the American army in New York City, the soldiers rushed to the foot of Broadway at the Bowling Green. As depicted in this engraving, they had the assistance of free Blacks or slaves in pulling down the statue of King George III. The lead statue was later brought to Connecticut, where it was made into bullets.”

GenealogyBank brings you:
▬ More Colonial American Newspapers than any other source
▬ Over 3,800 newspapers
▬ 1690 to Today

Join with us – sign up today.

It’s a great day for genealogy.


Happy Independence Day!

Read about it – as it happened in GenealogyBank.
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Church History Library Opens in Salt Lake City – June 12th & 13th

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After 15 years of planning, four years of construction and a million artifacts moved, Elder Marlin K. Jensen from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints placed the last historical item on the shelf in the new Church History Library in front of local media.

Jensen, the historian and recorder of the Church, explained that this last item was one of the 100 scrapbooks kept by President David O. McKay. “It is a personal record filled with photos, letters and journal entries that documented his travels as an apostle in 1921 to the far corners of the earth.” Elder McKay’s world tour took him 55,000 miles to such countries as Australia, France, England, Italy, Switzerland, Samoa, Palestine, India and Egypt to survey the Church’s missions. One photograph captured a moment in Egypt with Elder McKay and his traveling companion, Hugh J. Cannon, both sitting on camels in front of the famous Sphinx. Elder Jensen was joined by President McKay’s grandson, Alan Ashton, when the journal was placed in one of the many vaults of the Church History Library.

The scrapbook was the last item but certainly not the least of the priceless artifacts and records Elder Jensen and assistant Church historian Richard E. Turley presented to news reporters as part of a media tour on June 11, 2009. Assistant executive director Elder Paul K. Sybrowsky and managing director of the Church History Department, Steve Olsen, were also in attendance and shared their knowledge of Church history with members of the media.

The group was given a first glimpse of what the public can expect to see during the upcoming open house at the Church History Library on June 12 and 13.

In addition to a media presentation and tour of the library, journalists were given a rare look at dozens of one-of-a-kind and intriguing pieces of Church history treasures on display. Perhaps one of the most unique items was an early edition of the Book of Mormon that was printed in French and German — on alternating pages. This early edition, the only one in existence, was translated through the supervision of John Taylor, an apostle and the eventual third president of the Church, while he was serving a mission in Europe in 1852.

In keeping with the Church History Department’s efforts to collect modern and current history, Elder Jensen spoke of the significance of the newly published LDS first edition Spanish language Bible. Another important undertaking on display was the Joseph Smith Papers project; the second volume is due out later this year.

In an extraordinary operation, thousands of similarly valued documents, books, photos, diaries, microfiche and film were

moved from their old home at the Church Office Building across the street to the Church History Library. It took just 19 days to physically accomplish the move, but it took hundreds of volunteers a year and a half to tag and categorize each piece slated for the move. One project leader compared the mammoth undertaking to moving the Library of Congress.

The most priceless and sacred records and documents were the last to make the move, under heightened security measures. They now join more than 600,000 other historic records housed and preserved on nearly 50 miles of shelving in temperature-controlled vaults with fire and seismic protection. Items such as film will even be kept in sub zero chambers. Brent Thompson from the Church History Department says the new temperature-controlled vaults will ensure that “not only will the artifacts be available in 100 years but they will look good 100 years from now.”

The Church History Library not only houses priceless documents and artifacts but also provides the latest methods in

conservation, collection development and research. Conservators repair, restore and stabilize books, documents and photographs with a state-of-the-art Conservation Lab. The lab includes a darkroom, where conservators are able to turn acetate negatives into useable photographs, and a document cleaning room that enables them to wash historical records and apply age-slowing chemical treatments.

That state-of-the-art spirit is also found in the innovation of the Church History Library’s design. Great care was taken to make sure the building not only met, but surpassed building code and energy efficiency standards. That attention to a “green” building design is found in such areas as the filtering system, which eliminates allergens.

The paper, plastic and metal products used in the Church History Library will be recycled, and the heating and cooling systems have the highest efficiency ratings. The landscaping and plumbing will use less water, and the windows, blinds and insulation will preserve temperatures. These careful implementations have put the Church History Library on track for the prestigious Silver Design certificate given through the acclaimed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

But perhaps one of the most notable aspects of the new library is that it is designed for public accessibility. The Church History Department’s previous accommodations were designed to be more of an internal archive, said Steve Olsen, managing director over Church history. “The Church in its foundational documents has a huge commitment to preserving history and to making history useful for members and others interested in learning about its history,” said Olsen. “It is the first time in the Church’s 179-year history that we have had a dedicated public building for this purpose. … It’s really quite significant.”

Native American Tribal History

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GenealogyBank.com has more than 260,000 books and documents. This includes hundreds of books on Native American genealogy, tribal history and ethno-studies.

Here are a few examples of what you can find in GenealogyBank.



What will you find?

Handbook of the Indians of California, by A.L. Kroeber. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 78.

The Ponca tribe. By James H. Howard in collaboration with Peter Le Claire, tribal historian, and other members of the tribe. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 195.

The Pueblo of Sia, New Mexico. By Leslie A. White. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 184.

The Troyville Mounds, Catahoula Parish, La., by Winslow M. Walker. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 113.

A Dictionary of the Osage language, by Francis La Flesche. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 109.Myths and tales of the southeastern Indians, by John R. Swanton. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 88.

Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan, and Caddoan tribes west of the Mississippi, by David I. Bushnell, Jr. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 77.

Early history of the Creek Indians and their neighbors, by John R. Swanton. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 73.

The Choctaw of Bayou Lacomb, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, by David I. Bushnell, Jr. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 48.

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North Carolina newspapers 1719-1926, 1988-Today

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(Photographer: Marion Post Wolcott.

See what’s cooking in the Wilkins family kitchen … near Tallyho, Granville County, North Carolina … and all the other news recorded in the Tar Heel State’s old newspapers.

GenealogyBank.com has North Carolina’s historical newspapers from 1719-1926, 1988-Today.

Click here to search all of North Carolina’s historical newspapers

or click on the titles below to search them individually.

Asheville, NC
Asheville Citizen-Times. 1/1/1999-Current

Chapel Hill, NC
Chapel Hill News. 5/3/2000-Current

Charlotte, NC
Charlotte News. 12/11/1888 – 9/29/1922
Charlotte Observer. 3/13/1892 – 12/31/1922
Charlotte Observer. 1/1/1992-Current

Cleveland, NC
Cleveland Post. 3/1/2007-Current

Durham, NC
Chapel Hill Herald. 1/1/2002-Current
Herald-Sun. 1/1/2002-Current
Raleigh Extra. 6/18/1995-5/25/1997

Elizabeth City, NC
Daily Advance. 11/9/2004-Current

Fayetteville, NC
American. 12/22/1719 – 12/31/1922
Fayetteville Observer. 1/18/1988-Current

Greensboro, NC
Greensboro News & Record. 1/1/1990-Current

Greenville, NC
Daily Reflector. 8/30/2004-Current

Halifax, NC
North-Carolina Journal. 8/1/1792 – 9/11/1797

High Point, NC
High Point Enterprise. 4/14/2007-Current

New Bern, NC
Carolina Federal Republican. 1/12/1809 – 4/25/1818
Morning Herald. 9/17/1807 – 4/30/1906
Newbern Herald. 1/20/1809 – 2/26/1810
Newbern Sentinel. 3/21/1818 – 12/25/1823
State Gazette of North Carolina. 8/9/1787 – 2/20/1799
True Republican. 7/4/1804 – 8/7/1811

Raleigh, NC
News & Observer. 1/1/1991-Current
Semi-Weekly Standard. 8/10/1861 – 3/8/1868
Star. 12/1/1789 – 5/12/1926

Red Springs, NC
Red Springs Citizen. 9/10/2008-Current

Rockingham, NC
Richmond County Daily Journal. 5/3/2003-Current

Rocky Mount, NC
Rocky Mount Telegram. 9/3/2002-Current

Roxboro, NC
Courier-Times. 11/22/2006-Current

St. Pauls, NC
St. Pauls Review. 9/4/2008-Current

Tryon, NC
Tryon Daily Bulletin. 5/14/2007-Current

Wadesboro, NC
Anson Record. 6/19/2003-Current

Wilmington, NC
Cape-Fear Recorder. 11/28/1818 – 4/11/1827
Star-News. 1/31/2002-Current

Winston Salem, NC
Winston-Salem Journal. 11/1/1997-Current

Space age technology unraveling ancient manuscripts

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Alexandra Alter reports in today’s Wall Street Journal on global projects to digitize and make available the world’s ancient manuscripts that have long been unreadable. Click here to read her article: The Next Age of Discovery. (Wall Street Journal, 8 May 2009).

“Archivists at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore used multispectral imaging to read this palimpsest, or text that had been scraped off and written over by a later scribe. The text had been covered up by a 13th-century monk who scraped the parchment with pumice and used the pages to write a prayer book. Multispectral imaging revealed a hidden mathematical treatise by the Greek mathematician Archimedes (above).”

Universities across the country: University of Kentucky, Brigham Young University, Oxford, British Library, Library of Congress, St. John’s Abbey & University in Minnesota, Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (Texas), University of Michigan, Berkeley, Columbia University are all working to preserve the world’s oldest records. They are harnessing 3-D X-ray scanning, NASA multispectral imaging and the latest tools to digitize and preserve the world’s oldest manuscripts.
These projects have saved thousands of manuscripts that were otherwise unreadable and that were slowly deteriorating.
“Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky, is pioneering the “virtual unrolling” technique for fragile or burned scrolls. Prof. Seales plans to test 3-D X-ray scanning on two papyrus scrolls from Pompeii that were charred by volcanic ash in 79 A.D.”

“Multispectral imaging — originally developed by NASA to capture satellite images through clouds — has proved remarkably effective on everything from ancient papyrus scrolls to medieval manuscripts that were scraped off and written over when scribes recycled parchment pages. Using the technique, which captures high-resolution images in different light wavelengths, scholars can see details invisible to the naked eye: For example, infrared light highlights ink containing carbon from crushed charcoal, while ultraviolet light picks up ink containing iron.”

It’s a great day for genealogy – and the world’s scholars are extending our reach even further back in time with space age technology.
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New Site for Searching Lexington, KY Historical Newspapers

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GenealogyBank has created a special site for searching
Lexington, Kentucky’s historical newspapers.

Photo: Tobacco crop, Lexington, KY 1910. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

Search Lexington, KY Historical Newspapers – Click Here

This site includes 7 newspapers from 1794 to 1922 including:

Kentucky Gazette
Lexington Herald
Lexington Herald-Leader
Morning Herald
Reporter
Stewart Kentucky Herald
Western Monitor