Tag: genealogy resources

Genealogy Journals and PERSI

On 23 February 2015

Most professional groups have some sort of periodical or journal. This is different than a magazine in that articles take up the majority of the space instead of advertisements, and the contributors are those in the field instead of a journalist. Genealogy has several journals that everyone, even the hobbyist, can learn from. These are relatively easy to find and use as well.

There are several perks to reading and studying these journal articles:

Methodology – Most articles are about a complex research question and how the author figured out the most reasonable answer.
Resources – The articles will mention resources in various places around the world that you may have been unaware of.
Citations – The articles in journals have wonderful citations that could lead you to similar findings.
Writing – Genealogy journals are an excellent example of genealogical writing.
Surnames – There are other people looking for the same people you are; perhaps they even wrote an article about it and you can see their research in a journal.

PERSI (Periodical Search Index)

PERSI is a subject index for history/genealogy periodicals from all over. I mentioned above that you can find your research surname in journals, so if you’re curious if anyone has written about a surname you research, you can search PERSI. Where do you find PERSI?

FindMyPast.com
FamilySearch.org (on microfilm, not online)
Heritage Quest (Usually offered through your public library – see their subscriptions for more information)

Ancestry.com used to have it but no longer does, just an FYI.

Searching PERSI with HeritageQuest

PERSI is not an every word index – you can search by:

People – you can search by surname, keyword, or periodical – Remember that the surname shows up only if it’s in the title. Adding a location or periodical can help with results.
Places – state, county, keyword, record type, Canada, and other countries are all available to narrow down your search
How-To’s – you can search by keyword and record type
Periodicals – specific title keywords can be searched here

Randy Seaver from Genea-Musings created a blog post about how to search PERSI on FindMyPast.com that is well worth reading if you have a subscription there (or have thought about a subscription).

Major Journals

Most libraries will have the top periodicals available in their genealogy section, especially if genealogy is a big research draw for them. Here are some major journals that are well worth reading:

Many times you can also find an index published by the periodical’s organization that list the surnames for their specific publication. These indexes can also be found online at times. For example, the New England Historical and Genealogical Register can be searched through Ancestry.com for the years 1847-2011.

Local Journals/Newsletters

Don’t forget to check out if there are local journals for your area too. Most genealogy societies do have at least a newsletter or quarterly with the same kind of information in the major journals, except more local. These can be found at the local library.

Local journals are also becoming more available online too as newsletters and journals become electronic. For example, I am a part of the Indiana Genealogical Society and their publication, Indiana Genealogist, is available online for members. I love this as I can then search the publication with a keyword search from my computer if need be. Not to mention this is a lot more cost effective!

Leave a comment below if you feel I left out a great journal or if you have had some great finds using periodicals. Happy hunting!

5 Ways to Use Pinterest for Genealogy

By Nichelle Barra

On 17 February 2015

In Research, Resources

Pinterest is simply a way to store websites of interest and to share what you’ve found with others. That makes using Pinterest for genealogy very easy. Here are five key search words to use for your genealogical endeavors:

Genealogy : this search word brings up anything that has a genealogy tag. It can be a great way to simply see what’s newly pinned.
[Surname] [key word] : just type a surname for a search and maybe another word. Many times just a surname search will come up with people of that surname, but you can narrow it down by choosing a key word at the top bar that appears. For example, Witherell Museum shows different clothing items that were once owned by a Witherell ancestor and are now in a museum.
Genealogy [key word ] : Really this is great for anything genealogy related. You can search for genealogy organization, genealogy forms, genealogy crafts, genealogy quotes, genealogy humor, genealogy tips, genealogy free, German genealogy, Irish genealogy, etc. The ideas here are endless!
Historical Events : I love adding more depth to my ancestors by knowing what was happening at certain point in their lives. You can search specifically for wars but you can also narrow that down to certain areas or battles. Search results can yield things like genealogical societies pin items in your area of interest, which gives you another resource.
Ethnic Groups : Going along with the above, searching for an ethnic group can give you insight into your ancestor’s movements and life. For example, I had been confused by why my immigrant ancestors from what is now Croatia spoke German. Upon further research, I discovered that they were part of the Danube Swabians – Germans who settled in parts of southeastern Europe along the Danube during the 18th century. There is quite a bit of information pinned about that group and more.

BONUS:

Geographic Areas : Another search to try is searching for a place. Some areas are quite small and may yield nothing but sometimes you can be surprised. You may find a historical organization or genealogical organization that pins items as well as other people searching in the same areas. If the area has any historical events attached to it, you can search with that in mind as well.

Are you using Pinterest for genealogy? Share below if you have and what it’s done for you, if anything!

Happy hunting!

Michigan Records: SeekingMichigan.org

By NikiMarie

On 8 December 2014

In Resources

Most of my family research is in Michigan. So I’m going to start a new series of posts of Michigan records – online and onsite – that I have used and wish to share with others. Today, we’re starting with one of my favorite websites – SeekingMichigan.org.

Seeking Michigan is an online platform for the Michigan Historical Center and is connected with the Archives of Michigan and the Library of Michigan. The website has a lot of great information about Michigan and several items available online. Here’s what is available online and a bit about each collection:

Death Records, 1897-1920 – These are amazing! Most counties only have the register of death for these dates, not the actual certificate. Human error can leave out important items or get something wrong, so being able to look at the official death certificate is wonderful! This is what I use the website for the most. You can search my county, city, death date, etc. I prefer to search by city and death year personally. The names don’t come up spelled the way you’d think very often so the way I search normally guarantees I’ll find the document I want.
Civil War Items:
- Civil War Manuscripts – I haven’t yet found family in this collection but it is wonderful to look through to get an idea of what it was like to live (and serve) during that time. It contains letters and diaries from the Civil War period.
- Civil War Service Records – This isn’t searchable by name, but if you know what regiment the person you’re looking for was in, you can search for those items. There is also a finding aid available for these records, which you can find here.
- Civil War Photographs – Careful, you can get lost looking through these!
- Michigan Civil War Volunteer Registries – Here is where you can find soldier names from the Civil War. This can help you search in other collections as well once you know what you’re looking for. It is the starting point for looking for service records.
- Civil War Battle Flags – These include a description of what the flag was used for; great for history lessons!
- More Civil War Resources – These resources aren’t just for Michigan Civil War records and have a lot of great information.
Michigan State Census Records, 1884-1894 – Not every county is included as some records have been lost. The census records are for either 1884 or 1894 so this can be great for those hoping to find a replacement for the missing 1890 census.
GLO Plat Maps – While taking the NGS Home Study Course, I discovered I LOVE working with land records! It goes along with my love of maps, which makes this collection wonderful! This collection comes from the initial survey by the State of Michigan and it shows the layout of the township and range grid system. You can search for maps by looking for the township, the county, or even the township/range numbers if you know them. This is great if you want to see where family members lived in relation to each other (as long as you know where their land was!).
Films – There aren’t many films here but some can be quite interesting – like some original footage of the awful race riots in Detroit in 1967.
Early Documents – These are official state documents chronicling how Michigan became a state.
Early Photography – I love old photos and these are fun to browse through. You can search by name but not all the people in the pictures are known.
Rural Property Inventories or WPA Property Inventories – These are organized by township, range, and section numbers and contain inventory cards that can contain descriptions of the land and what was on it as well as more. Sometimes there are sketches of the homes and land areas too.
Oral Histories – Recorded interviews with Michiganders. These include the transcripts and audios of the interviews. You can search for the area or subject you wish to hear about. These are great as they tell a story that you can’t get from a record.
Music of Michigan – Music written by Michigan composers or issued by Michigan music publishers. This doesn’t have audio, just an FYI.
Maps – You can search for these by county as well as the subject. For example, they have a map of the bases of troops activated for the Flint Sit-Down Strike in 1937 by United Auto Workers.
Main Streets – These are a collection of images of street scenes of various cities in Michigan. You can search by city, county, or even what you want to see (clock towers, store fronts, etc.)
Architecture – These are the architectural drawings of the Ransom Eli Olds Mansion in Lansing, Michigan.
Lighthouses and Life-Saving Stations – Michigan is known for it’s many lighthouses and life saving stations (over 120!) and this is a collection of images of these items.
Governors of Michigan – A picture collection of Michigan’s 47 governors, up to Jennifer Granholm.

Not everything here is going to be genealogy related, however, having a good historical background of a place can ALWAYS help with your research so nothing should be overlooked.

Also, this website has guides on vital records, county records, immigration and naturalization records, and military records. If you are planning a trip to the Michigan Archives/Library of Michigan, I highly recommend utilizing these guides first so you know what you are looking for and can plan accordingly.

Happy Monday everyone!

Online Educational Resources for Every Genealogist Part 4

By NikiMarie

On 2 December 2014

In Resources

You can find the previous posts here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Part 4 of my educational resources are things that can be found online for purchase, rather than reading them online (although you may be able to do that as well; I didn’t go looking for that in particular though). These are books and journals that are considered to be some of the must-haves in the genealogy world. I found my list on the Board for Certification of Genealogist’s educational activities webpage, as well as their recommend reading list.

Books

Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards, 50th-anniversary edition. Nashville, Tennessee: Ancestry, 2014.
1. This set of standards is a must in my opinion. It’s nothing long and it’s very clear and concise for what the standards are for genealogists. I also have their past book, the millennium edition, which has a lot of examples that the newer edition does not. I use both!
Eales, Anne Bruner, and Robert M. Kvasnicka, editors. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States. 3rd edition. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2000.
1. This looks to be available mostly through the National Archives. It’s on my list of books to get, especially as I want to plan a trip to the National Archives next year!
Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. 3rd edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000.
1. I have this book and read it while doing the NGS Home Study Course (now called American Genealogical Studies). The NGS course was based on the book and I did find the information quite valuable. It also helped to have another source to go to if I had questions about the coursework. I will say that some of the information is a bit outdated especially when it discussed computer/internet technology but it still has good, sound information.
Jones, Thomas W. Mastering Genealogical Proof. Arlington, VA: National Genealogical Society, 2013.
1. I used this book during the BU Course I took and loved it! Especially for the citation information. It really lays out what is needed in a citation and made it much clearer to me what should be included (I’m no expert, but this helps!). The exercises included also help to make sure you understand the subject matter.
Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2015.
1. This should be a staple in any genealogists library, hobbyist to professional! Citing sources for genealogists isn’t always easy and this book helps to lay out examples and give information on what is needed for different types of sources. As a history major and now a genealogist, I think citations are a MUST whenever doing research. In my early years as a genealogist, I did not write down where I got the information. Now, if I want to see it in case it had other information in it (because I didn’t record that either), I have to re-find it. Citations are incredibly helpful and necessary!
Mills, Elizabeth Shown, editor. Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2001.
1. This was one of the first books I bought and it’s where I found a lot of the information that led me to the path I am on currently. It is also required for the ProGen study group I mentioned before as well. Not to mention, there are excellent examples for client reports and contracts. Plus, it’s great for those getting started in creating a genealogy business and mentions all the little things that I hadn’t thought of before reading (like insurance, the kinds of business types, etc.).

There are obviously more books but I feel like these give someone a great start on their genealogy library.

Journals

Journals are a wonderful way to see how other professional genealogists create proof arguments, articles, methodology, citations, and more. It’s a great way to learn how to begin writing like a professional genealogist, not to mention that most genealogists find all the information fascinating and fun to read! 🙂

National Genealogical Society Quarterly – by the National Genealogical Society
1. This is the first big journal I started to receive and it’s still one of my favorites. I love all the information in the articles and love learning from each one.
New England Historical and Genealogical Register – by the New England Historic Genealogical Society
1. I just recently signed up for this one and haven’t had a chance to read through the journal yet but have had this one widely recommended to me so I’m positive it’ll be a good read.
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Record – by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
1. This is the second oldest genealogical journal in the US and comes also highly recommended, especially for people with New York research.
The American Genealogist
1. This is an independent quarterly journal also known as TAG. Donald Lines Jacobus founded the journal in 1922. It is known for it’s carefully documented research and work.
The Genealogist – by The American Society of Genealogists
1. Another high-quality journal known for it’s well documented research and scholarly articles. This journal isn’t a quarterly like the others and is published twice a year.

Any other must-haves out there? High book/journal recommendations? Any of what I mentioned something that you love? Leave a comment!