A Chicago history blog.
Research Guide to Probate Records at the Connecticut State Library
Illinois Death Certificate Film Locator
Once you have determine the year and certificate number from the index, you can use this website to get the film numbers before your trip to Springfield, saving time by not having to lookup the film numbers on-site.
This is my grandmother’s grammar school diploma, dated 15 June 1934. She attended high school through her sophomore year, but dropped out when her mother died, so that her older sister could finish high school.
Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found.
Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog – I am happy to report that we have launched the society into the social network. Be sure to visit our ISGS blog, become a fan at our Facebook Fan Page, and follow us via Twitter.
Illinois State Historical Society Journals – This publication is now available online for the years 1950-2006.
A Century of Population Growth: From the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900 – This book published by the Census Bureau in 1909, is available via Google Books.
Birth Records Available to Those Adopted in Illinois – On 21 May 2010, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill that allows adoptees born in Illinois to access their original birth certificate, WITHOUT a court order. “Adopted adults born before Jan. 1, 1946, can immediately request copies of their original birth certificates, and those born after Jan. 1, 1946 can do so beginning Nov. 15, 2011. The law is effective immediately.” I wonder if, come15 November 2011, my step-father will try to obtain a copy of his birth certificate.
Forgotten Old Photos – This blog was introduced to me through a comment on my other blog Who Will Tell Their Story? This person does about the same thing I do with orphan photos, so if you like my orphan photo blog, be sure to check out this one.
The Chicago History Journal – A neat blog about Chicago history. There are also companion sites to the blog.
Quite some time ago I learned about Scribd from Denise Olsen, who authors the blog Family Matters (now part of Moultrie Creek Gazette). Scribd is basically an online document repository. You can upload documents, which can be public or private, and find documents uploaded by others. What’s really great, is that there is a sub-category for Genealogy, which is under the main category of Research. At the time, I didn’t really have a need for it, but set up an account because I knew someday, I’d find a use for it.
Over the last few months, I have been acquiring and transcribing probate records and deeds. I wanted to share these transcriptions, but did not want to have to hassle with the formatting in HTML on my blog. A couple of weeks ago I got an email from Scribd telling me that Michael John Neill (author of Casefile Clues) is now “following” me. And then it hit me! Why not publish my transcriptions on Scribd? So that’s what I have started to do.
What’s also really great, is that you can embed the document in your webpage or blog (see examples below). The reader can view the entire document from within your webpage or blog, without having to follow a link to Scribd. The first example below is a one-page document. The second, is a seventeen-page document, all contained in one window in this blog post.
Scribd documents are picked up by popular search engines, making your documents more visible. If you are looking for a cheap (that is, FREE) way to put some of your genealogy information out there, you should consider Scribd. As with other online tools, I would not put out anything you plan to publish for a profit (although I believe there is a “sell” feature on Scribd), for fear of copyright violation. For me, I don’t plan to do anything with these transcriptions, but I have disabled the download and copy/paste features so people can’t “steal” it with a simple click of the mouse (they can print it and review it online). This philosophy may change over time, but for right now, it’s what makes me comfortable.
You can visit my Scribd profile to see my documents, see what other genealogists I “follow,” and subscribe to my documents, if you like.
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society
Copies of the ISHS journal from 1950-2006.
List of schools in Chicago Public Schools
via Wikipedia
Information on Army serial numbers and dog tags.
This is a card the my grandmother, Joan Garrison McMAHON made when she was a child. I found it in her baby book.
The Story
I was catching up on my blog reading while waiting for my hair appointment. I had come across the post Help Find a WW2 Soldier from Illinois over at Olive Tree Genealogy, and just barely started reading it when they called me back for my haircut. When I got home, I headed to the computer to finish reading the blog post.
The long and short of the story is someone in Australia found WWII dog tags and was hoping to find living relatives to pass them on to. Olive Tree Genealogy author Lorine, posted the information found on the tags, along with a photo. Several people jumped on board to help find a relative, posted their finds in the comments of the blog post. Someone located and contacted the man’s wife, and it looks like she will be reunited with her late husband’s WWII dog tags. Be sure to read her post and the comments.
My Discovery
While reading through the comments, someone posted information on what the information on the dog tags meant, specifically, the serial number. The comment referred to a website that I checked out to see if I could learn more about my grandfather’s WWII history through his dog tags.
I discovered that he was in fact drafted, based on the first number of his serial number (3). I had suspected this, loosely based on the fact that I could not located enlistment card, and a relative (who’s now in his late 70s) was “pretty sure” he was drafted. I could not located a draft card because he was too young to be in the fourth batch of draft cards currently available to the public.
The second number refers to the Corps Area or Service Command. A number of 6 indicates the Sixth Corps Area, which is part of the Second Army Area. The Sixth Corps Area contains Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
I also came across this website, which explains what the other information is, as well as the reason for the notch on the left side of the tags. According to my grandfather’s tags, he had a tetanus shot in 1943, had a blood type of O, and I’m assuming the “C” stands for Catholic.
It’s amazing how much information a few lines of text can provide!
I’m reaching out to my fellow genealogists for some help with deed language. As you may know from previous blog posts, I’m fairly new to land records. Most of my immediate ancestors were urban folk who rented homes in Chicago, so land records were not a priority for me. But as I continue researching the line that’s been in the United States since colonial times, land records are essential to my research.
I’ve begun my land research in Michigan, where my ancestors initially purchased land, in Oakland County, from the government in the early 1820s. Of the deeds I’ve pulled so far, they contain the standard “boilerplate” information about the transaction. They are then signed by the grantor(s), with witnesses listed. But it seems that the ones where the wife is also a grantor, there is additional language recorded by a Justice of the Peace. This is what I am having a hard time figuring out, what exactly this language means. Following is an example of the language in question, that follows the signatures of the deed:
Territory of Michigan}
Oakland County} ss: Be it remembered that on this seventh day of March A.D. 1831 before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the county aforesaid Came Robert Parks and Polly his wife to me personally knowing to be the persons within described and who executed the within deed and severally acknowledges that they executed it for the uses and purposes therein mentioned—And the said Polly being by one examined seperate and apart from her husband acknowledges that she executed the within deed freely and voluntarily without any threats fear or compulsion of her said husband or any other person.
The portion in red is the part I don’t fully understand. Why was it necessary to do this, and what exactly does it mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
52 Weeks of Online American Digital Archives and Databases: Connecticut
via AnceStories
Chicago's American - Newspaper
via Wikipedia
This book first belonged to my grandfather, Harold Miller. It was then passed on to his younger sister, Mildred. When she got it, she covered it with paper to make a book cover. The Evangelical Catechism was used for religious instruction, so I gather that they used it either in a Sunday School setting or for confirmation.
According to the United Church of Christ website, this version was approved by the Evangelical Synod of North America in 1929.
“The Synod's roots were in the ‘unierte’ or ‘united’ church tradition in Germany. As such, it reconciled the separated Reformed and Lutheran expressions of the Christian faith, and affirmed the authority of both Reformed and Lutheran confessions of faith. The Catechism reflected the spirit of German Pietism with its emphasis on personal conversion to Jesus Christ.”
Through my research, I’ve known that this family was involved with Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago, which was a Evangelical Lutheran church, for at least three generations. Knowing that it was deeply tied to German beliefs, hopefully it will help me with further research whenever I cross the pond.
Although the family had been active in Trinity Lutheran Church, in fact, Harold had been baptized there in 1918, I’m not sure if this was the church they were attending at the time they used this book. There is no church listed on the book, however, there is an address, which is where the family lived in the 1930s. The church was quite a distance away, so I wonder if they found another church closer to home. Further research will need to be done to determine this.
Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found.
German Street Name Changes in Bucktown, Part I and German Street Name Changes, Part II – This two-part article was written by Jack Simpson and is at the Newberry Library blog. The articles provide a brief history as to why the street names in this area were changed. It also discusses how the author went about finding information about the street name changes, using the Municipal Reference Collection at the Harold Washington Library Center branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Evidence Management Explained – The Ancestry Insider expands on his earlier post Why Can’t You Get It Right? that discussed the need for an “evidence management” feature in genealogy software. This new article explains what evidence management is and how it can be accomplished.
There are several genealogy events coming up in the Land of Lincoln. Here is a listing of just some of those events.
~~FEATURED EVENT~~
Illinois State Genealogical Society Fall Conference
When: October 23, 2010
Where: Peoria
Details: Attend this year’s conference to hear wonderful presentation on a variety of genealogy topics, network with other genealogists, and visit an array of exhibits. Featured guest speaker is Curt B. Witcher, of FGS and the Allen County Public Library. This year’s conference will also feature a Youth Workshop for children 12 to 15 years of age. Refer to the conference flyer/registration form for additional information.
McLean County Genealogical Society – Researching Your Birth Mother
When: May 18, 2010
Where: Bloomington
Details: Mary Wilkins and Marilyn Strohkirsch, of Healing Hearts, will be discussing research strategies for adopted persons. Visit the MCGS website for more information.
Kane County Genealogical Society – Marriage—More Than a Date
When: May 27, 2010
Where: Geneva
Details: Jeff Bockman will be the speaker. Visit the KCGS website for more information.
Chicago Genealogical Society – What Proper Documentation Really is When Proving Your Ancestry
When: June 5, 2010
Where: Chicago
Details: Craig Pfannkuche will be the speaker. Visit the CGS website for additional information.
Genealogical Forum of Elmhurst, Illinois – Breaking Down Brick Walls
When: June 6, 2010
Where: Elmhurst
Details: Nancy Salmela will be the speaker. Visit the Genealogical Forum’s website for additional information.
Lake County Genealogical Society – You’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Essential Resources for Urban-Area Research
When: June 8, 2010
Where: Mundelein
Details: Jeanne Larzalere Bloom will be the speaker. Visit the LCGS website for additional information.
McLean County Genealogical Society – Researching Your Your European Heritage
When: June 15, 2010
Where: Bloomington
Details: Stephen Szabados will be the speaker. Visit the MCGS website for more information.
Kane County Genealogical Society – Genealogy Research Reasoning—Learning to Think Like an Expert
When: June 17, 2010
Where: Geneva
Details: Everett Butler will be the speaker. Visit the KCGS website for more information.
Lake County Genealogical Society – Developing a Sixth Census: Finding More in Census Records Than Meets the Eye
When: July 13, 2010
Where: Mundelein
Details: Daniel Hubbard, PhD., will be the speaker. Visit the LCGS website for additional information.
Kane County Genealogical Society – The History of the Geneva Girls School
When: July 22, 2010
Where: Geneva
Details: Dr. John Laukaitis will be the speaker. Visit the KCGS website for more information.
Kane County Genealogical Society – When to Hire a Researcher
When: August 26, 2010
Where: Geneva
Details: Linda Bloom-DeGroot will be the speaker. Visit the KCGS website for more information.
Kane County Genealogical Society – Genealogy Organization: Comparison of Styles
When: September 23, 2010
Where: Geneva
Details: Linda Farroh Eder and Susan Lye will be the speakers. Visit the KCGS website for more information.
Fox Valley Genealogical Society Fall Conference – Ancestor Research: A Fresh Look at Classic Techniques
When: September 25, 2010
Where: Naperville
Details: D. Joshua Taylor, of NEHGS, is the featured speaker for the 17th annual conference. Topics include: Finding the Roots of Your Family Legends, On and Off the Net, Successful Searching Online, and Vanity Sketches: Sources and Truths Behind Mugbook Entries. Visit the FVGS website for more information.
Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found.
Life From the Roots – This is a new-to-me blog authored by Barbara Poole. I have no idea how I missed this one, as this blog has been around since June 2009 and I’ve been friends with Barbara via Facebook for some time. At any rate, she left a comment on my blog last week and I found her blog through that comment. We have many states in common in our research…maybe one day our paths will cross!
The Shy Genealogist – This is another new-to-me blog, that again, I found through a comment posted on my blog. I must have been asleep in mid-2009, as this one has been around since May 2009. Lisa writes a column called “Working it Wednesday,” which features genealogy tutorials.
My Ancestors and Me – Boy, I really did fall off the face of the earth in mid 2009. This is yet another blog I came across through a comment on my blog. This one is authored by Nancy. There’s a lot of neat stuff here, so be sure to check it out.
Finding an ancestor's arrival in Canada before 1865 – Written by Lorine over at Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question. This article will come in handy as I have a few people who were in Canada prior to 1865.
Why Can’t You Get It Right? – The Ancestry Insider wonders why genealogy programs don’t have an “Evidence Management” feature. I gotta say, I’m with him on this one. This is something that is lacking and needs to be addressed. I like to have everything in one place (i.e. one program) as opposed to something in Legacy, notes in Word or OneNote, lists in Excel, etc. I’ve found a work-around to contain everything (for the most part) in Legacy, but it’s not the greatest solution. I wonder if any of the major players are looking at such a feature…
COG 93: The Genealogical Proof Standard – This is a great series of articles looking at the steps taken using the GPS. It’s written by Jen of the blog ShawGenealogy (this is also a new-to-me-blog).
Iowa - Digital Archives and Databases
52 Weeks of Online American Digital Archives and Databases: Iowa
Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
via Ancestry.com Wiki
The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy
via Ancestry.com Wiki
State Historical Society of Iowa
Museum, Library, Archives
Connecticut Archives, 1629-1820
via CT State Library
Connecticut archives - Estates of deceased persons, 1693/4 to 1820 : [index].
via CT State Library
Julie is a genealogist who specializes in writing, editing, and graphic design. If you are looking for someone to help organize your family data into a book or prepare a research article for publication, Julie can help. Other services include the development of educational materials such as books/booklets, articles, and online courses. See "About Julie" for additional information.
Using Historical Newspapers for Genealogy Research
Lineage Societies and Genealogy
Researching County Histories
US City Directories
Join me at the FGS 2013 Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 21-24.
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