1925 Iowa State Census

Do you have ancestors, aunts, uncles, or cousins who were living in Iowa in 1925? The 1925 Iowa state census asked questions about religion, education, and names of parents--in addition to other items. It might be worth a search. FamilySearch has microfilmed copies of these schedules and  Ancestry.com has them indexed and online in digital format.

Hopping on a Train?

How easy was it for your ancestor to hop on a train to get to the next county, state, etc.? Before automobiles and highways were the preferred method of transportation, it may have been easier than you think for your ancestor to take the train to the next county to marry, look for work, escape from creditors, etc.

Employment Records?

Did your ancestor have a job that would have generated employment records that are still extant? Historical societies, regional archives, libraries and other facilities may have old, no longer-needed employment records from active and inactive companies.

Many of these records have been destroyed, but it is always possible some records are still in existence.

One Word Wrong?

When analyzing a document or record, ask yourself:

How would my interpretation change if one word in this document was wrong?

Is it possible that one word of what you think is right is incorrect?

From Our Sponsor GenealogyBank

GenealogyBank, sponsor of Genealogy Tip of the Day is offering a free ebook on genealogical research for new subscribers to their service during August. Take a look at their offer here.

Bride and Groom Have Same Last Name?

While it doesn't happen too often a bride and groom can have the same last name. I had one cousin who died relatively young under the same last name with which she was born. I assumed she was not married.

Wrong.

She had married a very distant cousin with the same last name and her last name never changed.

Look at Solved Problems?

Sometimes genealogy research can seem like a walk in a permanent fog. One helpful approach is to find journal, blog or other well-written articles that describe how someone attempted to solve (or hopefully solved) a similar problem.

While the family will be different, looking at a similar family in the same location and time period may give you insights into your own problem.

Ignoring the Little Snippets?

Do you have a short period of time in your relative's life that you know where they were but have not investigated because "it probably won't tell you anything?"

Take a look at those time periods. One of my ancestral families spent about five years in Kentucky after immigrating from Germany only to leave for Illinois where they permanently settled. Records on them in Kentucky provided several key details about their relationships and life that were not answered in records in Illinois or Germany.

Those little gaps of time may be crucial.

Did An Illness Change the Situation?

Even if an illness or injury didn't cause your ancestor's immediate demise, it could have thrown the family into a difficult situation, both financially and emotionally. Families may have had to split up because the father could no longer work and and support all the children or children may have had to quit school early in order to support the family.

Sometimes there are family stories of these situations and sometimes there are not.

Shades of Literacy

The question of your ancestor's literacy may not be as simple as he was or wasn't. There is the ability to write a name, speak the language, read the language, and write in the language. And even within those abilities, there are ranges of abilities.

And your ancestor may have been "literate" in one language, but not in the language of the country to where he immigrated.

Some aspects of our ancestors' lives can't be answered with a simple yes or no.

Those Three Dots

When transcribing legal documents, researchers sometimes leave out lengthy portions that are repetitive or do not contain any detail they feel is relevant. When leaving something out of a transcription make certain to use ellipses (...) to indicate that something has been left out.

That way someone else will know that something has been omitted.

And you will also know you've left something out if you go back and review your notes long after they've gotten cold.

$5 Webinar Sale Back until 25 August

Due to popular demand, we have brought back our $5 webinar sales now through 25 August. If you've not seen our list of topics, a complete list and ordering instructions are available here.

We have a variety of topics and our presentation is informal with a focus on increasing your skill level and knowledge.

Download is immediate and you can view the presentation as many times as you want.

Get the Fragile Stuff

We have mentioned it before...but it is worth repeating.

Have you accessed and utilized the most fragile sources of genealogical information there are? Human memories are the most fragile of sources and often the ones most likely to contain information not written elsewhere.

Ask those questions before it is too late.

Guardianships With Probates?

This file is in the probate records for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It's actually a file with guardianship information on Jonathan Puffer and his siblings (hence the &al reference). Sometimes guardianships are filed in a separate series of record and sometimes they are grouped with probates for deceased people.

From Our Sponsor GenealogyBank

GenealogyBank, sponsor of Genealogy Tip of the Day is offering a free ebook on genealogical research for new subscribers to their service during August. Take a look at their offer here.

Use the Census to Transcribe Names

I'm working on transcriptions of pardon records for two men who were incarcerated in the Joliet, Illinois, prison in the 1850s/1860s. There are signatures that are somewhat difficult to read. In an attempt to get a better read on the names, I've searched for them in the census using the parts of the name that I can read. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean I have the right person or the right name.

But when I can't read the name of the person spearheading the pardon request and I find a name "close" to that in the census enumerated as an attorney, there's a good chance it's the right person.

My Blogs

For those of you who did not know, this is not my only genealogy blog. Here's list with the links. Enjoy!

• Daily Genealogy Transcriber
• Genealogy Tip of the Day
• Rootdig
• Genealogy Search Tip

You can subscribe to any of the above blogs for free.

A Source You Don't Often Use

Are there sources you avoid using because they are "difficult" to use, interpret, or access? Is it possible you are hampering your research efforts by doing so? Is there a way to learn about the records you don't understand or another way to access them?

Did Your Relative Do Time?

A stint in prison can explain why your ancestor is not enumerated with his family in the census. Court records or newspapers may contain additional details about why your ancestor landed in prison. State prisons (or the state archives) may have additional records. And, it is also possible your relative ended up divorced over his incarceration--resulting in more records.

Were They As Illiterate As You Think?

Don't assume without some conclusive evidence that your ancestors were illiterate. A relative of my wife's was in an Illinois prison in the early 1860s. Records indicate he was a farm laborer and a carpenter. There is his pardon file was a four page letter he had written to his brother.

If I had never seen the letter, I would have assumed he was illiterate. Apparently he wasn't.

Does the State Archives Have Some Military Records?

US researchers typically think of the National Archives as being the place to obtain records related to military service. Some state archives also have records related to your ancestor's military career. Don't let you search stop in Washington, DC. The appropriate state archives may have some enlistment materials, muster rolls, etc.

Never hurts to take a look.

Prison Records

If your ancestor was in a state prison, have you looked at the state archives to determine if they have records of former prisoners. The prison itself may have records as well, but older materials may have been sent to the state archives.

Saying Uncle

Some terms used in family history discussions with relatives may not be as specific as we would like. Be careful before becoming one hundred percent convinced that there is a biological relationship between two individuals. Referring to someone as an "uncle" may mean that the "uncle" is:

• the brother of the person's mother or father
• the husband of a sister of the person's mother or father
• the brother of the person's grandmother or grandfather (or great-grandparent)
• the husband of a sister of the person's mother or father (or great-grandparent)
• a close male friend of the person's parents

A Brown Crown

The probate for Ephraim Puffer in Stow, Massachusetts, makes one reference to the last name of his widow Mary's new husband:  Crown. However, when viewing the records of the widow's father's probate settlement it become clear the last name was actually Brown.

I spent too much time looking for Crown because my research was based solely on the probate of her husband. When I decided to quit looking for Crowns and went back to researching the widow and her family of origin, I found the other reference.

Sometimes you have to look for someone else to find who you actually want.

Have You Shared What You know?

Genealogists often require help (in large and small amounts) from other genealogists. Sometimes it is a quick lookup in a record and sometimes it is a more extensive "look" at a problem in order to get some advice.

Remember that the sharing goes both ways. Offer to help someone with a research problem, to take a picture of a tombstone, or to make a copy from a book that you have. 

Getting away from your own research problems and looking at someone else's often gives you insight into your own.

Only For a Few Years

A couple of interest were first living as a married couple in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the 1820 census. The wife's family is difficult to trace and no one of that surname is listed in the 1820 census in the location.

It is very possible that the bride's family lived in the county for a few years and then moved on, only staying in the area long enough for their daughter to meet and marry a local boy.

A Free E-Book from GenealogyBank

GenealogyBank, sponsor of Genealogy Tip of the Day is offering a free ebook on genealogical research for new subscribers to their service during August. Take a look at their offer here.

What Made That Happen?

When a relative appears in a record or a document, determine what might have taken place to cause your ancestor to appear in that document or record. Would that event have caused other records to have been created?

For some records this may be obvious (for a death record--someone died). A search on GoogleBooks indicated a relative was pardoned--his name appears in a list of pardons granted during the year. But there may be an application for his pardon or other paperwork in order for the pardon to be approved. And that paperwork may contain more than his name and date which is all that appears on the list of approved pardons.

Did They Move Back?

19th century migration in the United States is not always about heading west. Some families headed west only to return from whence they came. Some immigrants did not like the new area or found the connections to home strong enough to take them back.

One relative of my wife moved to Illinois in the 1840s with all his adult children and their families. After the Civil War, two of his sons returned to Ohio where they remained until their death.

Contacted Smaller Libraries?

The problem many genealogists have with digital newspapers is that small papers are often not available in digital format. If there is a specific item of interest for which you have a date, have  you considered seeing if a local library in the area where the newspaper was published has the newspapers on microfilm and will search them for you?

They'd need a narrow estimate of a date, but some may respond to these requests via US mail or email. Google the name of the library and see if you can find contact information on their website.

Is It A Signature or a Transcription?

There are times where a comparison of signatures is part of our analysis to determine if two people are the same person.

When such an analysis is a part of your research, make certain that what you think is the ancestor's signature is actually his signature. Is the signature you are looking at a transcription of part of a deed in a record book? Record copies at the courthouse in records before some type of image duplication was used are probably the clerk's rendering of the signature.

Two signatures you have for your ancestor may be an actual signature and the other may be a transcription.

Outloud

A twitter follower reminded me of another excellent tip in addition to "reading and thinking." Reading something out load may cause you to notice things that simply don't cross your mind when reading silently.

A State Act Mentioning Your Ancestor

Is it possible that there was a special act of the state legislature involving your ancestor? Up through the 19th century, it was not uncommon for the state legislature to mention acts regarding specific individuals-perhaps granting them a divorce, citizenship, name change, or other "relief" they could not get through some type of court action.

GoogleBooks has digitized many of these pre-1900 acts--an example can be found here.

Do You Map Out Their Farms?

If your ancestor was a land-owning farmer, have you mapped out the property he owned? Can you find the current location on a map? What are the nearest churches, cemeteries, schools, etc.? If you don't think about where the farm was at, you may overlook some records or research strategies.

Don't Just Read--Think!

It is easy for eyes to glaze over when reading the text of a document, particularly if one is looking for a specific word or phrase that will immediately solve a specific problem.

Take time to think about what you are reading, looking for things that may be missing, phrases that are unusual, or anything else that seems "out of whack." 

An 1867 act incorporating a railroad in Illinois granted townships the power to purchase stock in the railroad. When I took a closer look at the list of townships, approximately half of the ones through which the railroad passed were granted this power. If I had skipped over the list or mindlessly read it, I may not have noticed the omission. 

Reading without thinking may cause you to overlook subtle clues--often the biggest clues of all.