Preparing for a Research Trip to Washington D.C.

I am giving a presentation next week to the The North Hills Genealogists (of Pittsburgh) and the students of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh on "Preparing for a Research Trip to Washington D.C." The handout has quite a few links in it and they are easier to click on than retype, so I decided to post them here. The benefit is that although many of you will not be at GRIP to hear the presentation, you can still use the advice and links.

Researching in Washington D.C.

 

Preparing for your research trip:

1. Check to see what records are available online, and what is available only in the repositories.

2. Use the online catalogs to identify the books and records relevant to your research.

3. Create a research plan of records to search. This will help make your research time more efficient.

National Archives

 Think of ways that your ancestors may have interacted with the federal government so you will know what types of records you want to research. Did they serve in the military? Did they buy federal land or apply for a homestead? Did they immigrate to the U.S.? Did they work for the post office or another federal agency?

The most commonly used records for genealogists are military service and pension records, and federal land records. The census, passenger lists and naturalization records have been digitized and are available online.

Land: Search the BLM database for ancestors who obtained federal land http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/

Military: Search indexes at FamilySearch, Ancestry and/or Fold3.com for ancestors who served in wars. See links to military indexes below.

Other records: See links to research guidance by topic at http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/topics/

Online Catalog (OPA) http://www.archives.gov/research/search/

Downloadable PDF publications  http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/index.html

NARA resources for genealogists  http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library

The books are cataloged by “call words” rather than a numerical cataloging system. Search the online catalog by subject, geographic location, or family surname. HINT: Create a research plan, but also go and “sit” in front the books for the area you are researching and browse all the titles available.

Online Catalog  http://www.dar.org/library/onlinlib.cfm

Genealogical Research System  http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search/?tab_id=0

In the Genealogical Research System (GRS) you can search for Revolutionary War patriots and their descendants, as well as the Genealogical Records Committee volumes (family bibles, cemetery transcriptions, etc. collected by DAR members).

Library of Congress

There are wonderful resources in the Library of Congress and you may want to visit the following reading rooms: Local History and Genealogy, Newspapers and Periodicals, and Geography and Maps.

Online Catalog http://catalog.loc.gov/

Research and Reference Services  http://www.loc.gov/rr/

Military Indexes on FamilySearch.org

Pension Indexes

United States, Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917

United States, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

United States, War of 1812 Index to Pension Application Files, 1812-1910

United States, Index to Indian Wars Pension Files, 1892-1926

United States, Mexican War Pension Index, 1887-1926

Service Record Indexes

United States, War of 1812 Index to Service Records, 1812-1815

United States, Mexican War Index and Service Records, 1846-1848

United States, Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898

Regular Army Registers of Enlistment

United States, Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914

National Park Service

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database

Military Indexes on Ancestry.com

U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934

 

Utilizing Social History in Your Research

I was excited to hear that the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy has decided to add a new course to the 2014 lineup: "Utilizing Social History in Your Research." This course will be coordinated by Gena Philibert-Ortega and will feature Beverly Rice, Jean Wilcox Hibben, Luana Darby, and Pamela Boyer Sayre as instructors. 
 
Course description:
Genealogy is so much more than names and dates on a chart.  By adding information about our ancestor's everyday lives we can learn more about what their lives were like and even interest the non-genealogists in our families. When we learn more about their everyday lives we can  uncover rich resources that are unique to genealogical research. This course will look beyond the typical genealogy sources and concentrate on ways that genealogists can bring their ancestor's story to life.

Detailed classes: * Introduction to Social History  (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * Finding Images to Tell Your Ancestor's Story (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * Newspaper Research for the 21st Century (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * Finding Social History in Digitized Books (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * Social History Through the Ages: Sources for Social History from the Colonial Period to World War II (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * Almanacs, Cookbooks, and Quilts: Unusual Sources for Your Genealogy (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * They Ate What?: Peacocks, Oysters and Green Jello, What Your Ancestor Ate for Dinner (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * Telling Your Ancestor's Civil War Story (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * The Secret Lives of Women: Researching Women’s Lives Using the Sources They Left Behind (Gena Philibert-Ortega) * The Games People Played: Leisure Activities of Our Ancestors (Jean Wilcox Hibben) * How the Music and Instruments of Your Ancestors are Relevant to Family History Research (Jean Wilcox Hibben) * Shaking the Myth: Proving/Disproving Family Legends (Jean Wilcox Hibben) * Turning Genealogy into Family History: Creating Stories from Stats (Jean Wilcox Hibben) * Arriving in the New World: How Our Immigrant Ancestors Coped in their New Home (Jean Wilcox Hibben) * Treasures of the Family History Library - How to Find Hidden Gems to Connect Your Family Dots (Luana Darby) * Archives and Their Collections - Adding Community History to Your Family (Luana Darby) * The Experiences of Migration: The Adventures, the Troubles and the New Beginnings (Beverly Rice) * Women’s Lives: Constrained by Society and Laws (Beverly Rice) * Exploring the Library of Congress Online or Onsite (Pamela Boyer Sayre) To register for this course, or any other course at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy click here.

FGS Conference Updates

The Federation of Genealogical Societies' 2013 Conference is quickly approaching. Conference Co-chairs, Paula Stuart-Warren and Dawne Slater-Putt, have a few updates about the conference that they wanted me to share with you.

This is a special genealogy conference you won't want to miss!

It's getting closer! The 2013 FGS conference takes place in Fort Wayne, Indiana on August 21-24 with pre-conference activities on August 20th and a Farewell Brunch on August 25th. Fort Wayne is the home of the renowned Genealogy Center which is giving us generous extended research hours during the conference.

• Of course, you may still register online or by regular mail for the FGS 2013 Conference in Fort Wayne!
• Register soon so that in early August you gain access to the online conference syllabus with an expanded subject index.
• We tweaked room arrangements and have ample room for more people to sign up for the luncheons that take place each day.
• Rooms are available at the two added hotels. They will run periodic shuttles to the Grand Wayne Convention Center. Fort Wayne has thousands of hotel rooms so there is space for all of us.
• Ample parking is available near the convention center.
• Don't forget about the wonderful quilt that will be awarded during the Friday evening festivities at the Allen County Public Library. That's an evening to benefit the War of 1812 Preserve the Pensions Project with lots of fun activities.  A dessert buffet will be sponsored by FamilySearch. If you have registered for that evening, you get access to the Genealogy Center from 6:00 p.m. till Midnight!

Want more details on these points and to keep up with breaking news? Follow us on:

• The conference website: https://www.fgsconference.org/
• FGS Conference News Blog: http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FGSconference
• Twitter: @FGSconference, #FGS2013

We hope you join us for this great educational and fun week.

Follow Friday -- Getting a GRIP

1. For this Follow Friday post I would like to share a link to the blog of my friend Shelley Bishop, A Sense of Family. She wrote about her preparations for attending the Genealogy Research Institute of Pittsburg (GRIP). She will definitely get the most out of her course on Bridging the 1780-1840 Gap: From New England to the Midwest with D. Josh Taylor because she has put the effort in to prepare for the course. You can read Shelley's post at Getting a GRIP on New England Ancestors in July.

BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy

I would love to attend this conference but am not planning a trip to Utah this summer. They have a great lineup of keynote speakers and a special track for youth. Here is the press release for those who live in Utah, or would like to travel to the conference and visit the Family History Library at the same time.

 

PROVO, Utah — Those attending BYU’s 45th annual Conference on Family History and Genealogy will be able to choose from 160 classes, including a new track of classes targeted at getting youth involved in genealogy.  This year’s conference, to be held July 30-August 2 at the BYU Conference Center, has a theme of “Strengthening the ties that bind families together through family history.” It offers classes for family historians of all skill levels.

Elder Allan F. Packer, executive director of the Family History Department for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and member of the first quorum of the seventy, will give the opening keynote address on Tuesday. Elder Packer will be extending “An Invitation to Shape the Future” in his address.

Wednesday’s keynote speaker will be Dennis Brimhall, president and CEO of FamilySearch International. The Thursday keynote speaker will be J. Mark Lowe, professional genealogist, popular lecturer, and author.

The 160 classes will be offered in a variety of categories and topics, including: DNA Research, accreditation training (ICAPGen), FamilySearch, international research, Google Genealogy, youth and genealogy, computers and technology, methodology, Ancestry.com, FS Family Tree, etc. A complete schedule can be viewed at familyhistoryconferences.byu.edu.

Youth are encouraged to attend the free youth track on Tuesday, July 30 to learn how to get involved in family history and genealogy.

One of the eight tracks on Thursday and Friday will be for those with LDS Family History Callings. On Friday, the track of classes will be offered free to those serving as family history consultants.

Industry exhibitors from throughout the United States will show off their newest products and services, including RootsMagic, Ancestry.com, LifeStory Productions, Legacy Family Tree, FamilySearch, and RearchTies.   

Some examples of classes include “A Whirlwind Tour of FamilySearch Resources,” “Hidden Treasures at Ancestry.com,” “Genealogy in the Cloud,” and “Using Your Digital Camera to Copy Records.” There will also be day long tracks full of international classes regarding German, Scandinavian, British Isles, Scottish, English/Welsh, and Irish research.

GenealogyWallCharts.com and Family Chart Masters are offering conference attendees a free black-and-white fan chart of their family tree. To take advantage of this offer, order the chart online at familyhistoryconferences.byu.edu, then pick it up at the conference at no charge.

Noncredit registration for the four-day event, including a CD syllabus, is $180. Family history consultants will receive a $50 discount on general registration. The for-credit cost for the conference (2 credits of History 481R—Family History Directed Research and a CD syllabus) is $440. To register, call 1-877-221-6716 or visit familyhistoryconferences.byu.edu.

Men’s and women’s housing, which includes meals each day of the conference, is available on the BYU campus for $155. Conference participants who are not staying in campus housing can purchase a $32 lunch card that covers lunches at the Morris Center each day of the conference.

For more information about the conference, visit the website or call 801-422-4853.