Are You Performing Reverse Searches?

Sometimes it does not hurt to search for people you have already found in an index using different search parameters.

I also search for images I've found on FamilySearch databases as some are incomplete without making it clear to the user that they are still "in progress." This recent blog post on Rootdig discusses an incomplete database with such an issue.

Does that First Image at Ancestry.com Give Clues?

When using databases at Ancestry.com sometimes the source citation leaves something to be desired. With digital images at Ancestry.com sometimes looking at the first image will give you an idea of where the actual records came from. Not always, but sometimes.

This image is from a database of Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971.  The source at Ancestry.com is not too specific, but the first image provides sufficient detail for me to craft a better citation than the one provided on Ancestry.com.

The problem is that not all image databases at Ancestry.com are set up this way.

Some States Don't Report to the Social Security Administration

The Social Security Death Index does not include data from states that elect not to share their vital records with the Social Security Administration. The easiest way to tell if "your state" of interest is not reporting them is to search for how many entries that state has in the SSDI in 2012 and compare that number to an earlier year of 2009 or 2008. If the number in 2012 is significantly lower, then chances are the state is not reporting them.

I knew this, but it took me a while to remember it when I kept failing to locate a death in the spring of 2012 in Rhode Island.

Manual May Be Necessary

If database queries are not giving you the desired results, consider that you may have to resort to a manual search of the records.Sometimes it still is what is required.

Tip for Bloggers

I almost always edit my blog posts in Microsoft Word instead of Blogger or any "cloud" based system. There are several reasons, but if my connection dies, I've still got my content. I also find it easier to manipulate tables in Word than I do in Blogger.

60% Off Genealogical Webinars

Give yourself the gift of genealogical education this holiday season!

Grow your genealogy research skills with one of our over 30 genealogy webinars--immediately downloadable. 

 Coupon code "sixty" at check out will reduce your order by 60%. Downloads are immediate. Our rates are the best in the business. 

Check out our list of over 30 presentations here:

http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/08/updated-list-of-genealogy-webinars.html

You can view the presentations at your convenience after they have been downloaded. It is not necessary to view them immediately and you can view them as many times as you want.

Thanks!

Michael

My Little Trick For Fold 3 Images

Maybe I'm the only one that needs to do this, but it works for me.

Fold3.com.requires users to download images from record sets, such as Civil War pensions, one document at a time. It takes a while. I usually save all these documents in one large folder and use the "page x" file name that Fold3.com.assigns to each image--just to help me keep track. The name of the folder contains my "source" information.

Then I open up Microsoft Word and import all the images in at once to a Word document. Then I set a footer with the type of file and page number. The page number corresponds to the image number. I can take notes on the pages, print them out, etc.

Note on Using the CW Pension Unit Index at Fold3

If you use the unit index to Civil War pensions at Fold3.com be aware that not all the cards appear in the browseable form in the appropriate unit. Apparently some are classified under "blank" which makes it difficult to browse these by unit.

This post on my other site provides more detail for those interested:

http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/12/harming-aaron-and-unit-index-at-fold3com.html

Google Searches Don't Catch Image Text

As a quick reminder, searches of Google are conducted on text as text--not text that may be contained in an image on a blog post, website, etc.

There is a longer blog post I wrote about this idea for those who have more of an interest in the subject:

http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/12/google-alerts-wont-catch-this-trick.html

1880 Census Details

More than you ever wanted to know about the 1880 Census from the United States Census Bureau can be found at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1880.html

Hyphens in OCR Searches

If you are looking for a search term that could be hypenated, determine how the site handles words that end up being hyphenated on the printed page. Some sites "catch" the hypen, delete it, so that searches are not impacted. Others don't as in this illustration on my Rootdig blog.

Directory Of Online Newspapers

This site has links to free and not-so-free online newspapers in the United States--United States Online Historical Newspapers.

Don't forget about the online newspapers at the Library of Congress.

Organizing Genealogical Information: Short Course-January 2013

I was asked to give people a little advance notice about our next offering of "Organizing Your Genealogical Information."

Our next series of classes and follow up sessions will begin in January 2013. More details are here.

Decimal Problems at Ancestry's Illinois Land Database

If you've got Illinois ancestors, you might want to look at this blog post on the Illinois Public Land Sales 1800-1990 database at  Ancestry.com .

http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2012/11/does-ancestrycom-know-about-decimals.html

Online Historical Newspapers

Looking to see if there are online historical newspapers for your area or city of interest?

This blog ("Online Historical Newspapers) has links to quite a few. Be certain to check out the Library of Congress site ("Chronicling America") as well.

Digital Copies of Out Of Print Books

Try these sites in your search for a free digital copy of that out-of-copyright book:

• FamilySearch--may have links to online versions
• Archive.org
• GoogleBooks
• HathiTrust
• WorldCat--may have links to online versions

Local libraries may have copies as well.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here is wishing a "Happy Thanksgiving" to our readers regardless of their location. Don't neglect your living relatives while searching for the deceased ones.

When you need a break from your holiday activities, check out some of the blogs and posts:

• Michael's Mayflower ancestors
• Michael's recorded webinars
• Genealogy Tip of the Day Blog
• Rootdig Blog
• Genealogy Search Tip Blog
• Preliminary Chart on Rufus Stephens

War of 1812 Service Records on Archive.org

National Archives Publication M602 contains compiled service records from the War of 1812--234 rolls of film. These rolls have been digitized and are available on Archive.org at no charge. This chart lists the roll numbers, what range of names they contain and has a direct link to the digital film on Archive.org

Roll
1	A - Ada
2	Adc - Ale
3	Alf - All
4	Alm - Ando
5	Andr - Arl
6	Arm - As
7	At - Az
8	B - Bai
9	Bak - Bal
10	Bam - Barm
11	Barn - Barr
12	Bars - Bat
13	Bau - Bean
14	Bear - Bek
15	Bel - Benn
16	Beno - Bez
17	Bh - Bis
18	Bit - Blap
19	Blar - Boh
20	Boi - Boo
21	Bop - Bowe
22	Bowg - Boz
23	Br - Bran
24	Brar - Brid
25	Brie - Bron
26	Broo - Brown, I
27	Brown, J. - Brox
28	Broy - Buc
29	Bud - Burf
30	Burg - Burr
31	Burs - By
32	C - Camo
33	Camp - Cap
34	Car - Carq
35	Carr - Carz
36	Cas - Caz
37	Cc - Chao
38	Chap - Che
39	Chi - Clap
40	Clar
41	Clas - Cly
42	Co - Colb
43	Colc - Coll
44	Colm - Conn
45	Cono - Coon
46	Coop - Cor
47	Cos - Cow
48	Cox - Crav
49	Craw - Cror
50	Cros - Cul
51	Cum - Cur
52	Cus - Dan
53	Dao - Davis, E.
54	Davis, F. - Davy
55	Daw - Ded
56	Dee - Denn
57	Deno - Dib
58	Dix - Diz
59	Dl - Dos
60	Dot - Dra
61	Dre - Dum
62	Dun - Duq
63	Dur - Ear
64	Eas - Edv
65	Edw - Elk
66	Ell - Em
67	En - Eu
68	Ev - Ez
69	F - Fat
70	Fau - Fh
71	Fi - Fis
72	Fit - Fl
73	Fo - For
74	Fos - Foz
75	Fr - Fre
76	Fri - Fuq
77	Fur - Gap
78	Gar - Gas
79	Gat - Ges
80	Get - Gilk
81	Gill - Gla
82	Cle - Gooc
83	Good - Got
84	Gou - Graw
85	Gray - Gree
86	Gref - Gri
87	Gro - Gy
88	H - Halk
89	Hall - Hame
90	Hami - Hanf
91	Hang - Hark
92	Harl - Harris, V.
93	Harris, W. - Harv
94	Harw - Hav
95	Haw - Haz
96	Hd - Hem
97	Hen - Herl
98	Herm - Hic
99	Hid - Hil
100	Him - Hod
101	Hoe - Holl
102	Homl - Hopi
103	Hopk - Hou
104	Hov - Hub
105	Huc - Huk
106	Hul - Hun
107	Huo - Hy
108	I
109	J - Jan
110	Jaq - Je
111	Jh - Johnson, P.
112	Johnson, R. - Jond
113	Jone
114	Jonh - Kea
115	Keb - Kel
116	Kem - Ker
117	Kes - Kim
118	Kin - Kir
119	Kis - Ko
120	Kr - Lamd
121	Lame - Lan
122	Lao - Lav
123	Law - Lec
124	Led - Len
125	Leo - Lez
126	L'H - Lis
127	Lit - Lom
128	Lon - Lov
129	Low - Lun
130	Lup - Mad
131	Mae - Mann
132	Mano - Mars
133	Mart - Masp
134	Mass - Mau
135	Mav - McB
136	McC - McCl
137	McCo - McCy
138	McD - McF
139	McG - McKa
140	McKe - McLm
141	McLo - McW
142	Me - Mep
143	Mer - Mic
144	Mid - Miller, M.
145	Miller, N. - Mis
146	Mit - Mon
147	Moo
148	Mop - Morris, O.
149	Morris, P. - Mot
150	Mou - Muro
151	Murp - My
152	N - Nel
153	Nem - Nich
154	Nick - Nors
155	Nort - Oc
156	Od - Ord
157	Ore - Owe
158	Owi - Pan
159	Pap - Parq
160	Parr - Pat
161	Pau - Ped
162	Pee - Perl
163	Perm - Pf
164	Ph - Pic
165	Pid - Pix
166	Pl - Poq
167	Por - Poz
168	Pr - Prim
169	Prin - Py
170	Q - Ranc
171	Rand - Raz
172	Re - Reed
173	Reef - Rez
174	Rh - Rich
175	Rick - Ris
176	Rit - Roberts, V.
177	Roberts, W. - Roby
178	Roc - Rol
179	Rom - Rou
180	Rov - Rusp
181	Russ - Sai
182	Sak - San
183	Sap - Sce
184	Sch - Scy
185	Se - Ses
186	Set - Shav
187	Shaw - Shep
188	Sher - Shop
189	Shor - Sil
190	Sim - Siz
191	Sk - Sme
192	Smi - Smith, I.
193	Smith, J. - Smith, R.
194	Smith, S. - Sni
195	Sno - Spal
196	Span - Spr
197	Sps - Star
198	Stas - Step
199	Ster - Stez
200	St. G - Ston
201	Stoo - Stro
202	Stru - Suts
203	Sutt - Sy
204	T - Tav
205	Taw - Ted
206	Tee - Thol
207	Thom - Thompson, K.
208	Thompson, L. - Thy
209	Ti - Tod
210	Toe - Toz
211	Tr
212	Ts - Tur
213	Tus - U
214	V - Vang
215	Vanh - Vaz
216	Vd - Vy
217	W - Walk
218	Wall - Warc
219	Ward - Was
220	Wat - Waz
221	We - Welc
222	Weld - Wes
223	Wet - Whitc
224	White
225	Whitf - Wig
226	Wih - Wilk
227	Will - Williams, M.
228	Williams, N. - Willy
229	Wilm - Wilz
230	Wim - Wiz
231	Wl - Woodn
232	Woodr - Woy
233	Wr - Ya
234	Yb - Z