I would like to encourage all of you to visit my updated website. I have reformatted the pages, added new information and hope that you will find this updated website to be helpful. The URL is midwest-genealogy.com.
Please feel free to comment on the appearance, content, etc. of this updated website. It is your feedback that helps me improve the content of the website and this blog.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Genealogy Conferences a good way to learn about researching your family history!
Midwest Genealogical Events
Other Events of Interest to Genealogists
- April 10, 2010: Greater Omaha Genealogy Society Spring Workshop. Speaker will be Dr. Gerald Haslam from Brigham Young University. Website with more information: http://www.gogsmembers.wordpress.com/
- April 17, 2010: Iowa Genealogical Society's Spring Conference. Speaker will be Stephen S. Barthel and 8 other speakers. Website with more information: http://www.wsgs.org/
- April 16-17, 2010: Wisconsin State Gene-A-Rama Speaker will be Geoff Rasmussen Website with more information: http://www.iowagenealogy.org/
- April 22-24, 2010: Annual Ohio Genealogical Society Conference. There will be several featured speakers. Website with more information: http://www.ogs.org/conference2010/
- April 24, 2010: Topeka Genealogical Society 38th Annual Conference. Speaker will be Michael John Neill Website with more information: http://www.tgstopeka.org/conference.html
- Missouri State Genealogical Association Annual Conference - August 13-14, 2010 in Jefferson City, Missouri. Speaker will be Roger Minert, Ph.D. For more information see: http://www.mosga.org/conference2010.html
Other Events of Interest to Genealogists
- April 28-May 1, 2010 National Genealogical Society Family History Conference - for more information http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info
Thursday, February 11, 2010
St. Joseph, Missouri: Online Genealogy Databases through the St. Joseph Public Library
If you live in or near St. Joseph, Missouri and are interested in genealogy you don’t want to forget to sign up for access to the online databases through the St. Joseph Public Library. You need to check with the librarian at the branch nearest you to activate your online access. You can find the opening page showing the general databases that are available and of interest to patrons in general at this page:
http://sjpl.lib.mo.us/index.php?sitearea=general&areapage=searchpage&id=23
Those specifically of interest to genealogists are:
Ancestry Library Edition – available only at the library
Heritage Quest – contains:
• Revolutionary War Pension Files
• Census images
• Freedman’s Bank
• Persi
• Books such as genealogies, county histories, etc
http://sjpl.lib.mo.us/index.php?sitearea=general&areapage=searchpage&id=23
Those specifically of interest to genealogists are:
Ancestry Library Edition – available only at the library
Heritage Quest – contains:
• Revolutionary War Pension Files
• Census images
• Freedman’s Bank
• Persi
• Books such as genealogies, county histories, etc
Illinois State Archives – Online Records
Frequently asked questions and answers about the Illinois State Archives:
Q: Where is the state archives located?
Illinois State Archives
Norton Building
Capitol Complex
Springfield, IL 62756
Q: How do I contact the Illinois State Archives?
Telephone: (217) 782-4682
Fax: (217) 524-3930
Q: What are the hours of operation?
A: The archives is open:
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
1st Saturday of month: 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (except holiday weekends)
Q: What type of records can you expect to find in the Illinois State Archives?
A: The state Archives is the official depository of public records for the State of Illinois. They also archive records for local governmental agencies too. You can find:
• Land sales records
• Probate records
• Military records
• Census records
• Death Records
Q: What don’t they have?
A: They do not archive:
• Manuscripts
• Newspapers
• Non-official documents
• Published genealogies
• Church records
• Cemetery records
Q: What is IRAD?
A: IRAD is the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories. It is made up of 7 regional sites that are located on the campuses of state universities around the state of Illinois. The local and county records such as deeds, wills, and marriages are archives by IRAD.
Q: Does the Illinois State Archives have online databases?
A: Yes – there are several online databases that are very useful to genealogists researching Illinois ancestors. Some of the most useful databases for genealogists are:
• Vital Records: Marriage Index 1783-1900
• Vital Records: Death Index Pre-1916
• Vital Records: Death Index 1916-1950
• Public domain Land Tract Sales
• Illinois Servitude and Emancipation Records
• Illinois Veteran’s History Project
• Illinois War of 1812 Veterans
• Illinois Black Hawk War Veterans
• Illinois Mexican War Veterans
• Illinois Civil War Muster & Descriptive Rolls
• Illinois Civil War Veterans serving in the U.S. Navy
• Illinois Spanish American War Veterans
• 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor
• Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home Residents
To learn more about the holdings of the Illinois State Archives and the 7 regional depositories check out the Home page and other links for the Illinois State Archives. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/archives.html
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Iowa: Two Repositories You Must Check out!!
State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI)
The first is the State Historical Society of Iowa. If you have ancestors from who lived in Iowa, you will definitely find this repository helpful. The Society has two locations. One is located in Des Moines, Iowa and the other is in Iowa City. The State Archives is operated by the SHSI and houses many records commonly used by genealogists. Some of the microfilmed county records they maintain are:
• birth & death records
• marriage records
• county court records
• land deeds
• naturalization papers
• military records
• land office records
• homestead records
• census records
o U.S. Census records from 1840 through 1930
o Iowa state census records for 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 and 1925
o Special census records for 1838, 1844, 1846-1847, 1849, and 1851-1854.
o Mortality, agricultural, industrial, and social census records are available for selected years.
In addition to the above records this repository houses a variety of other useful items for family history researchers. They have a collection of books and periodicals that include:
• county histories
• yearbooks
• biographies and memoirs
• plat maps
• city directories
• all of the journals published by the SHSI
• periodicals from many other societies
• Sanborn Fire Maps for several Iowa cities
They also have a valuable manuscript collection that contains personal papers, diaries, letters, scrapbooks and various other records and materials that have been donated to the Society. If you are looking for obituaries and other news items, the Society houses an excellent collection of many of the newspapers from each of the counties in Iowa. Another great benefit is that the Society also includes access to NewspaperArchive.com which is the premier website for online newspapers.
For more information, the hours of operation and directions to get there check out their website at: http://www.iowahistory.org/libraries/location-and-hours.html
Iowa Genealogical Society
Across the street from the State Historical Society is the Iowa Genealogical Society Library which has an excellent collection of materials to help you research your Iowa ancestors. Over time the members of this Society have built a collection of family history materials consisting of over 20,000 volumes of hard copy materials and 15,000 microforms focusing on Iowa, the United States and even materials for those whose ancestors came from abroad. The library is well equipped with plenty of work space and microfilm readers. If you want to use online subscription websites, the IGS has computers for accessing Ancestry.com. A more detailed description of their holdings can be found at this website:
http://www.iowagenealogy.org/research_resources/index.htm
The library is open during the winter at the following times:
Winter Hours: November 30, 2009 to March 31, 2010
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. AND Tuesday & Thursday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
If you are in the Des Moines area and interested in researching your family history you will want to plan your trip to have time to visit both of these great repositories.
The first is the State Historical Society of Iowa. If you have ancestors from who lived in Iowa, you will definitely find this repository helpful. The Society has two locations. One is located in Des Moines, Iowa and the other is in Iowa City. The State Archives is operated by the SHSI and houses many records commonly used by genealogists. Some of the microfilmed county records they maintain are:
• birth & death records
• marriage records
• county court records
• land deeds
• naturalization papers
• military records
• land office records
• homestead records
• census records
o U.S. Census records from 1840 through 1930
o Iowa state census records for 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 and 1925
o Special census records for 1838, 1844, 1846-1847, 1849, and 1851-1854.
o Mortality, agricultural, industrial, and social census records are available for selected years.
In addition to the above records this repository houses a variety of other useful items for family history researchers. They have a collection of books and periodicals that include:
• county histories
• yearbooks
• biographies and memoirs
• plat maps
• city directories
• all of the journals published by the SHSI
• periodicals from many other societies
• Sanborn Fire Maps for several Iowa cities
They also have a valuable manuscript collection that contains personal papers, diaries, letters, scrapbooks and various other records and materials that have been donated to the Society. If you are looking for obituaries and other news items, the Society houses an excellent collection of many of the newspapers from each of the counties in Iowa. Another great benefit is that the Society also includes access to NewspaperArchive.com which is the premier website for online newspapers.
For more information, the hours of operation and directions to get there check out their website at: http://www.iowahistory.org/libraries/location-and-hours.html
Iowa Genealogical Society
Across the street from the State Historical Society is the Iowa Genealogical Society Library which has an excellent collection of materials to help you research your Iowa ancestors. Over time the members of this Society have built a collection of family history materials consisting of over 20,000 volumes of hard copy materials and 15,000 microforms focusing on Iowa, the United States and even materials for those whose ancestors came from abroad. The library is well equipped with plenty of work space and microfilm readers. If you want to use online subscription websites, the IGS has computers for accessing Ancestry.com. A more detailed description of their holdings can be found at this website:
http://www.iowagenealogy.org/research_resources/index.htm
The library is open during the winter at the following times:
Winter Hours: November 30, 2009 to March 31, 2010
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. AND Tuesday & Thursday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
If you are in the Des Moines area and interested in researching your family history you will want to plan your trip to have time to visit both of these great repositories.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Nebraskans --- Your Archive is closed for Renovation!!
The state archive in Nebraska is the Nebraska State Historical Society, located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is located at 1500 R Street on the University of Nebraska campus. The NSHS closed in January 2009 and was closed all year and is still closed as of the writing of this blog.
For more information check their website:
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/
For more information check their website:
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Kansas Researchers - You won't want to miss the Kansas State Historical Society - State Archives and Library
For those of you with Kansas ancestors don’t overlook using the Kansas State Historical Society – State Archives and Library located in Topeka, Kansas. The address and business hours are shown below:
Address and Telephone Number:
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615
Phone: 785-272-8681
Hours:
9 to 4:30 Tuesdays through Saturdays; closed Sundays, Mondays and state holidays
Records at this repository:
This repository has an excellent collection of records. Some of the things they have archived there include:
• County records on microfilm – This collection is varied for the different counties, depending on what each county has submitted. Some of the record types in this record group include, but are not limited to: marriage, naturalization, probate case files, wills, deeds, cemetery, school, poor house, civil and criminal court dockets and various other county government records.
• Marriage records database 1854-1861
• Newspapers from many counties and various time periods
• City Directories and telephone books
• Census records
• Military records
• Penitentiary records
• Photographs
• Sanborn Fire Maps for Kansas towns
• Other – check out their website
This group is also very helpful and for some records you may borrow microfilmed records through interlibrary loan by contacting your local library. Don’t overlook this excellent repository for your Kansas research!
The Kansas State Historical Society also has other locations around the state with a variety of things on display about Kansas. Be sure to plan to visit the sites closest to your ancestors.
Note also located at this site is the Kansas Museum of History – Also a very interesting place to visit to learn in general what your Kansas ancestors life was like!! Plan to visit both when you are in Topeka.
Address and Telephone Number:
6425 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615
Phone: 785-272-8681
Hours:
9 to 4:30 Tuesdays through Saturdays; closed Sundays, Mondays and state holidays
Records at this repository:
This repository has an excellent collection of records. Some of the things they have archived there include:
• County records on microfilm – This collection is varied for the different counties, depending on what each county has submitted. Some of the record types in this record group include, but are not limited to: marriage, naturalization, probate case files, wills, deeds, cemetery, school, poor house, civil and criminal court dockets and various other county government records.
• Marriage records database 1854-1861
• Newspapers from many counties and various time periods
• City Directories and telephone books
• Census records
• Military records
• Penitentiary records
• Photographs
• Sanborn Fire Maps for Kansas towns
• Other – check out their website
This group is also very helpful and for some records you may borrow microfilmed records through interlibrary loan by contacting your local library. Don’t overlook this excellent repository for your Kansas research!
The Kansas State Historical Society also has other locations around the state with a variety of things on display about Kansas. Be sure to plan to visit the sites closest to your ancestors.
Note also located at this site is the Kansas Museum of History – Also a very interesting place to visit to learn in general what your Kansas ancestors life was like!! Plan to visit both when you are in Topeka.
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