Canadian Border Crossing Records Now Online

Ancestry has added a database of Canadian border crossing records from 1895-1956 to their collection of online genealogy records. (Note that these records are not available prior to 1895.) Sometimes you may find that your immigrant ancestor arrived by ship at a Canadian port and then later crossed over from Canada into the USA at a land port - you might find their arrival details in these records. You can also find U.S. and Canadian citizens who crossed over the border. More than 100 land ports of entry are included in Ancestry's database.

For more details see the Canada Border Crossings section at U.S. Ports of Arrival and their Available Passenger Records

Iowa State Census Records Collection Now Online

Ancestry has launched a collection of indexed and digitized state census records for Iowa. These are censuses that were taken between the federal census years. Coverage in this collection varies by county and year as some records have not survived and some censuses were only taken for specific counties. But the collection does include all counties for 1885, 1905, 1915 and 1925. See the Iowa section at:

Genealogy Research Guide - State Census Records

The 1925 Iowa census, included in Ancestry's collection, asked for the names, ages and birthplaces (state) of the parents of each person, including mother's maiden names. It also asked for the place of marriage for the parents.

Newly Added Online Death Indexes

The links listed below were recently added to the Directory of Online Death Records and Indexes

Arkansas
- Benton County Cemeteries - Index of Burials

Connecticut
- Connecticut Jewish Ledger Obituary Database 1975-2002 (not complete)

Florida
- Broward County, Florida Cemetery Records - ongoing project
- Collier County: Naples Daily News Obituary Index 1927-1936 & 1947-2005

Georgia
- Quitman County Deaths 1919-1930
- Seminole County Death Index 1923-1931 & 1942
- Stewart County Deaths 1919-1930
- Terrell County Deaths 1919-1930
- Twiggs County Deaths 1919-1930

Illinois
- Winnebago County Cemeteries

Indiana
- Jay County, Indiana Cemeteries

Iowa
- Jones County Death Register 1880-1897, and Cemetery Records

Massachusetts
- Middlesex County: Gravemarker Data from the South (Main Street) Burying Ground and the Old Hill Burying Ground, Concord, Mass

Minnesota
- Scott County: Calvary Cemetery Burials, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Jordan, MN

Missouri
- Missouri Death Certificates Index 1910-1956 (udpated: 1956 added to index; more images added)
- St. Louis: Westliche Post Obituaries Index 1880-June 1881 (St. Louis German-language newspaper)

New York
- new webpage introduced for New York City Death Records

- Allegany County Cemeteries
- Orange County: Middletown Thrall Library Obituary Database, Jan. 1983-March 1988
- Schenectady County: Indexes to Vital Records in Newspapers of Schenectady County and the Capital District Area (for assorted years)

Ohio
- Lorain County Cemeteries
- Toledo-Lucas County Public Library - Blade Obituaries Index 1990-present

Texas
- Harris County: Houston Jewish Herald-Voice Database 1908-1992 (updated: 1933-1992 added)

Virginia
- Assorted Virginia Cemeteries -- includes burial databases for some cemeteries in: Augusta County, Bath County, Fairfax County, Highland County, Rockbridge County, and Rockingham County

Memories of McDonald's

When you were a kid or perhaps when your children were kids, McDonald's restaurants looked a little different than they do today. Back then the Golden Arches were part of the design of the building. Today they're just a logo, something you see on the sign or the doors.


The first McDonald's I ever went to was on Broadway near Orchard in Littleton, Colorado (just south of Denver). It looked kind of like the picture above, but it didn't have a dining room - you ordered your burgers at the counter and ate in your car, or brought the food home. I'm convinced the basic McDonald's hamburger was the same then, although I'm sure they've made changes. It came with mustard, ketchup, a pickle slice, and some chopped-up onions, just like today. The Big Mac hadn't been invented yet. But the biggest difference has to be the French fries. Back then they left the skin on the potatoes - today's fries just don't compare. The cool McDonald's on Broadway later moved down the street and now it looks just like any other modern McDonald's.

I took the photograph at a retro McDonald's on Alameda near Federal here in Denver in January, 2007. You can click on the photo for a larger view. Or click here for a nighttime view: the Golden Arches at night

New York City Death Records Indexes

The online death indexes directory now has a new separate webpage for New York City. All 5 New York City Boroughs are included: Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island...

Online New York City Death Records Indexes and Finding Aids

There you will find listings for online death indexes, some cemetery and obituary indexes, offline finding aids, death certificate ordering information, and a short list of other helpful New York genealogy resources.

For New York State see: Online New York Death Records Indexes and Obituaries