"Tracing Our Roots" Newsletter Archive (A monthly genealogy newsletter written by the late Brenda Kellow, dec'd, for the Plano Star Courier newspaper. We've included all the ones we could recover.)
Having a research assistant at your side to guide you through one of the most valuable sources for genealogists is as valuable as a model or movie star with their personal trainer who keeps them at peak condition. It is really “big time.” Thanks to Kathleen W. Hinckley you can be a star while working efficiently through any of the 15 U.S. Federal Censuses ranging from 1790 through the most recently released 1930 census on April 1, 2002. Hinckley has just written Your Guide to the Federal Census for Genealogists, Researchers, and family Historians, published by Betterway Books.
The 288-page book has 12 well-written and well thought-out chapters that show the path to unlocking the secrets to finding all your ancestors on the census. It begins with Chapter 1, Census Content, where Hinckley explains the questions asked and then shows a table to help you calculate the ages of people appearing on the 1790 through the 1840 census which gives only the name of the head of household, and sex and age range of those living there. She then describes the most common races and follows that with another table listing all the languages shown on the 1920 and 1930 census schedules. Each chapter continues to open new avenues that make traveling through each census a skillful and enjoyable journey.
For those who need to see the picture to connect with the words, Hinckley includes well-illustrated samples of censuses and other documents to complete the picture in the mind’s eye. She doesn’t stop there.
Other chapters list where to examine the census online; purchase microfilm copies or CDs; find catalogs and indexes; which states have indexes for which decades; excellent research strategies; guides to researching ethnic populations; and especially the chapter on census anomalies.
Your Guide to the Federal Census is high on the list of “must have” books for genealogists of all research levels. It is available at all local booksellers; direct from Betterway Books at (800) 221-5831, or at www.familytreemagazine.com. The price is $18.99.
ONLINE: NARA's 1930 Federal Population Census WebPages moved to a new address at http://1930census.nara.gov/1930CensusInfoTOC.html.
NARA's 1930 Census Microfilm Locator (1930 CML) is now online at http://1930census.archives.gov/. This is important because it enables geographic searches to determine in which enumeration district(s) a particular locale will be found before you even put a roll of microfilm on a microfilm reader. This is an important site every genealogist should examine and use.
Civil War Service Database of the Alabama Department of Archives and History includes militia, home guard and those exempted from military service is available at http://archives.state.al.us/civilwar/search.cfm.
MyFamily.com: A new site that you might want to examine is MyFamily.com. It is free, but you do have to login and give your email address and a password. With this completed, you may search, read genealogy news, examine new software, and submit a family tree. They will send by mail a folder to help guide you through the functions available. The URL is www.MyFamily.com.
Federal Land Patent Records: Finally, the Department of the Interior posted again the Land Patent Records that were removed several months ago after a hacker accessed private information stored on the site. Use it to search two million land title records from 1820 to 1908. This new site is faster and has a completely new look including a printer friendly results page. View at www.glorecords.blm.gov.
Handybook for Genealogists: The new edition is at the press and will sell for $59.95. Order from www.everton.com/shopper/productview.php?SKU=1&Category=books, or call 800-443-6325.
Brenda Kellow, dec'd, Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Instructor, had a Bachelor’s Degree in history and taught genealogy courses at the local Community College and computer genealogy at the University.
