Genealogy

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Genealogy The Internet

• John LaMont
• Genealogy Librarian
• The Seattle Public Library

2
Objectives

• Learn the basics of genealogy and how to
  effectively use the Internet to trace your family
  history.

3
Overview

• Life events discussion
• Genealogy basics
• Genealogy sources
• The Seattle Public Library
• Internet resources
• Online exercises

4
Life Events Discussion

• Think of some events from your life
• Birth, marriage, death, etc.
• Who was involved?
• When did these events occur?
• What records exist for these events?
• Where might these events be recorded?
• Why were these events recorded?

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Genealogy Basics / Getting Started

• Family sources
• Gather what you and other family members already
  know
• Organization
• Pedigree charts, family group sheets, research
  logs.
• Documentation
• Cite your sources
• Education
• Learn about the types of resources used in
  genealogical research

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Primary vs. Secondary Sources

• Primary
• Reported at the time of the event and directly
  involve participants of the event
• Secondary
• Almost everything else
• Useful in locating primary sources
• Need to be verified

7
Types of Sources

• Family (S P)
• Aunt Noreens
• Print (S)
• Libraries, historical societies
• Original records (P S)
• State, regional, and national archives, county
  courthouses, churches, FHL
• Electronic subscription databases (P S)
• Home and libraries
• Internet (S P)
• Anywhere

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Family Sources
- letters, bibles, photos, diaries, family stories
My father, Theodore, died at the age of 49 from
Brights disease in 1899. This was taken not
long before he died. . . His fore fathers landed
in the Chesapeake Bay area, settled in the
Baltimore County. As it was then. Nellie (Rusk)
LaMont, 1961.
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Print Sources

• Guide books
• Provide information on methods of genealogy
  research, types of genealogy sources, and
  addresses for locating records
• Abstracts, indexes, and bibliographies
• Allow genealogists to locate information in a
  wide variety of print and original sources
• Family, local, and other histories
• Direct genealogists to previous research,
  sources, and provide historical context
• City directories
• Location and occupation

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Original Records

• Vital (birth, marriage, death)
• Civil registration
• Church
• Membership, birth, baptism, and marriage
• Census
• Federal 1790 through 1930
• State varies by state
• Indexes, Soundex, microfilm, electronic
• Court
• Probate, orphans, criminal, equity

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Original Records (cont.)

• Land
• Homesteads, grants, and purchased land
• Location, description, timeframe, relatives
• Probate Wills
• Real and personal property, surviving
  descendants, estate distribution
• Military Service Records
• Muster, service, pension, and widows pension

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Seattle Public LibraryUsing the Online Catalog

• Plan your trip to SPL
• Search the catalog from home
• http//www.spl.org
• Finding family histories
• Exact subject Smith Family
• Title keyword Smith Family
• Finding geographic material histories
• Subject keyword Scioto County Ohio

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Seattle Public LibraryElectronic Databases

• Ancestry Library Edition / Ancestry.com
• Original records viewable online
• Census, military, directories
• Indexes and abstracts
• Land, vital, court, probate, military, etc.
• HeritageQuest Online
• Census
• Books (family and local histories, etc.)
• PERSI
• Revolutionary War

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Internet What to Expect

• Search engines, directories, link lists
• Transcribed and original records
• Mailing lists message boards
• Searchable databases

• Personal Web sites
• Locality ethnic specific sites
• Societies groups
• Research guides, tools references
• Libraries archives

15
Internet Email
Youll need email for subscribing to mailing
lists, posting messages, and communicating with
other researchers. You can sign up for a free
email account at the following Web sites

• Hotmail.com
• Myway.com
• Fastmail.fm
• Yahoo.com

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Internet Pros Cons

• Access
• Indexes, abstracts, original records, relatives,
  etc.
• Communication
• Growth / Expansion
• Active community
• Anyone can participate

• Incomplete
• Missing sources
• Unchecked
• Incorrect information
• Link rot
• Anyone can participate

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Internet Evaluation

• Who created the site?
• Is contact information provided?
• Where did the data come from?
• Are sources cited?
• What time period or geographic location is
  covered?
• Are there obvious inconsistencies, omissions, or
  mistakes?
• Why was the source created?

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Internet Search Engines

• Are incomplete indexes of the Internet
• Vary in scope and quality
• Do not index searchable databases
• Allow basic and advanced searches
• Examples
• Google. http//www.google.com
• Yahoo. http//www.yahoo.com
• MSN. http//www.msn.com
• Teoma. http//www.teoma.com

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Popular Internet Sites

• Cyndis List
• Indexes over 200,000 genealogy Web sites
• U.S. Gen Web
• County and state resource Web sites
• Family Search
• Mormon Church
• Searchable databases including IGI, Ancestral
  File, 1880 census, library catalog
• GenForum
• postings for surnames, states, regions, and
  topics
• Mailing Lists
• For just about anything you can think of

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Popular Internet Sites

• RootsWeb
• The Internet's oldest and largest free genealogy
  community
• National Archives
• Information about federal records
• Requesting military service pension records
• Archival Databases
• Ellis Island
• Immigrants arriving in New York

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Online Exercises

• Explore Web sites discussed in class
  http//home.comcast.net/jkrasviken/
• Try searching for your ancestors, the places they
  lived, or a genealogy topic of interest
• Google
• Cyndis List
• Family Search
• U.S. GenWeb
• Other Web sites

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Genealogy Classes

• Fiske Genealogical Library
• http//www.fiskelibrary.org/
• Seattle Genealogical Society
• http//www.rootsweb.com/waseags/
• Seattle Public Library
• http//www.spl.org

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Questions?