The following links were recently added to Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records ...
Colorado
- Boulder County Cemeteries
- El Paso County: Pikes Peak NewsFinder - Colorado Springs Gazette Index 1872-2006 (includes obituaries)
Indiana
- Porter County Obituaries and Death Notices Index, Pre-1900
- Wells County Cemetery Index, and Obituary index 1866-2000
Kansas
- Neosho County: City of Chanute Cemetery Burials
Massachusetts Death Index 1841-1910 - gives year of death only (copies of death records may be ordered by mail for a fee)
Missouri
- Christian County Cemeteries & Other Records
- Christian County Assorted Records - includes Chaffin Funeral Home Records 1917-1962 (PDF files)
Ohio
- Montgomery County: Woodland Cemetery Burials - Dayton, Ohio - has over 101,000 entries
Tennessee
- Shelby County (includes Memphis) Death Records Search 1848-1955 -- "partial death records from 1848-1955" (includes some digitized images of the death certificates for the later years)
Texas
- Titus County Cemeteries
Wisconsin
- Manitowoc County Cemeteries & Early Death Records
- Rock County: Janesville Gazette Death Index 1845-1889 - lists surnames only
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Sunday, September 03, 2006
New Website about Cemeteries and their Symbols
A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetry gates...
Have you ever wandered through an old cemetery and stumbled upon a mysterious symbol on a headstone? And wondered what it meant? If so you might enjoy visiting a new website I've been working on about cemeteries and their symbols. I designed it for genealogy sleuths, taphophiles and goths. (Feel free to look up "taphophile" and "goth" in Google.) You'll find the website filled with Freemasons, Templar Knights, Shriners, Rebekahs, Odd Fellows, Woodmen and lots of brooding angels...
Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols
So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?
I tend to visit cemeteries on cloudy days. I like the light - it's better for taking photographs - no shadows. And gray stones against the gray sky just look right to me. But Morrissey prefers the dreaded sunny day...
The lyrics quoted are from "Cemetry Gates" by the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Marr. If you recognized the lyrics you probably didn't need to look up "taphophile" and "goth." :)
So I meet you at the cemetry gates...
Have you ever wandered through an old cemetery and stumbled upon a mysterious symbol on a headstone? And wondered what it meant? If so you might enjoy visiting a new website I've been working on about cemeteries and their symbols. I designed it for genealogy sleuths, taphophiles and goths. (Feel free to look up "taphophile" and "goth" in Google.) You'll find the website filled with Freemasons, Templar Knights, Shriners, Rebekahs, Odd Fellows, Woodmen and lots of brooding angels...
Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols
So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?
I tend to visit cemeteries on cloudy days. I like the light - it's better for taking photographs - no shadows. And gray stones against the gray sky just look right to me. But Morrissey prefers the dreaded sunny day...
The lyrics quoted are from "Cemetry Gates" by the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Marr. If you recognized the lyrics you probably didn't need to look up "taphophile" and "goth." :)
Monday, August 28, 2006
Massachusetts Death Index 1841-1910 Now Online
The Massachusetts Archives has added a Massachusetts death index for the years 1841-1910 to their website. Each entry includes name, town or city, year, volume and page number. Note that only the year of death is given, not the date, but you can order copies of the death records from the archives.
Massachusetts Death Index 1841-1910
For more Massachusetts death indexes see: Online Massachusetts Death Records, Indexes and Obituaries
Massachusetts Death Index 1841-1910
For more Massachusetts death indexes see: Online Massachusetts Death Records, Indexes and Obituaries
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Las Vegas Marriage Records Online Database
Do you know someone who was married in a drunken stupor by an Elvis look-alike? Or someone who ran off to Las Vegas and eloped? Well, the folks in Clark County, Nevada have an online marriage database where you can look up Las Vegas marriages. And it's even updated daily so you can stay current with your Las Vegas weddings curiosity: Clark County and Las Vegas, Nevada Marriage Records Index
A Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love - Celebrity Vegas Weddings
Remember on the TV show Friends how Ross and Rachel ran off to a Vegas chapel and got married in a (gasp!) drunken stupor? Ok, you won't find them in the database, cause they don't exist, but you can find Britney Spears listed. Yes, America's sweetheart got married for the first time in Las Vegas and then quickly had the marriage annulled. Oops, she did it again. Go ahead and look her up.
Here's a partial list of some other celebrity Las Vegas weddings: Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in 1987, Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford in 1991, W. Axl Rose and Erin Everly (daughter of Everly Brother Don) in 1990, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow in 1966, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in 1958 - Paul and Joanne remained married until he died in 2008. Mickey Rooney got married in Las Vegas seven separate times (!) between 1944 and 1978, all at the same chapel. And don't forget Elvis - the real Elvis Presley married Priscilla Anne Beaulieu in 1967 at the Aladdin Hotel. No word on whether an Elvis look-alike serenaded them.
More Online Marriage Indexes
For a few more online marriage records indexes try this directory: Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes for the USA
A Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love - Celebrity Vegas Weddings
Remember on the TV show Friends how Ross and Rachel ran off to a Vegas chapel and got married in a (gasp!) drunken stupor? Ok, you won't find them in the database, cause they don't exist, but you can find Britney Spears listed. Yes, America's sweetheart got married for the first time in Las Vegas and then quickly had the marriage annulled. Oops, she did it again. Go ahead and look her up.
Here's a partial list of some other celebrity Las Vegas weddings: Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in 1987, Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford in 1991, W. Axl Rose and Erin Everly (daughter of Everly Brother Don) in 1990, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow in 1966, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in 1958 - Paul and Joanne remained married until he died in 2008. Mickey Rooney got married in Las Vegas seven separate times (!) between 1944 and 1978, all at the same chapel. And don't forget Elvis - the real Elvis Presley married Priscilla Anne Beaulieu in 1967 at the Aladdin Hotel. No word on whether an Elvis look-alike serenaded them.
More Online Marriage Indexes
For a few more online marriage records indexes try this directory: Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes for the USA
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Texas Death Index 1903-2000 (Updated)
Ancestry has recently updated their fee-based online Texas death index. Previously it covered the years 1964-1998. It now covers 1903-2000. For a list of links to online Texas death indexes (full state and by county), including obituaries and cemeteries, see: Online Texas Death Indexes, Cemeteries and Obituaries
Monday, August 14, 2006
Ports, Immigrants, and Passenger Records
Whether they arrived by ship from Europe, Asia or somewhere else, or whether they came across the Canadian or Mexican borders, our immigrant ancestors usually came to the USA through a port of entry. Beginning in 1820 (and much later for the land border ports) their names were usually recorded on some kind of record for that port. These records are sometimes called "ship manifests" or "passenger lists" or "immigration records" or "alien arrivals" or something similar. Many of these records or copies of them have survived and they are kept at the National Archives (over the years some have been lost or destroyed). Quite a few of them have been microfilmed and some of these microfilms have been digitized and put online.
Here are the twelve most popular ports used by immigrants to the United States from 1820-1920 based on number of immigrant arrivals...
Four years ago I made a webpage that listed all the ports I could find that have published immigrant arrival records. The page has been updated several times. I've been spending the last three days updating the webpage again - I added more ports and updated others - because the National Archives continues to publish more records of immigrant arrivals at ports. And more continue to go online.
You won't find every port here, but you will find a lot of them. They're arranged alphabetically by state. Included are links to lists of microfilm or research guides or finding aids or online records or whatever I could find to help you find your ancestor's name in the records of that port.
U.S. Immigration Ports and Their Available Records or Passenger Lists 1820-1957
If you aren't sure where your ancestor arrived, you might find this guide helpful: Tips for Determining Your Ancestor's Port of Arrival
Here are the twelve most popular ports used by immigrants to the United States from 1820-1920 based on number of immigrant arrivals...
- New York, New York
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- San Francisco, California
- Key West, Florida
- Portland-Falmouth, Maine
- Galveston, Texas
- Passamaquoddy, Maine
- New Bedford, Massachusetts
- Providence, Rhode Island
Four years ago I made a webpage that listed all the ports I could find that have published immigrant arrival records. The page has been updated several times. I've been spending the last three days updating the webpage again - I added more ports and updated others - because the National Archives continues to publish more records of immigrant arrivals at ports. And more continue to go online.
You won't find every port here, but you will find a lot of them. They're arranged alphabetically by state. Included are links to lists of microfilm or research guides or finding aids or online records or whatever I could find to help you find your ancestor's name in the records of that port.
U.S. Immigration Ports and Their Available Records or Passenger Lists 1820-1957
If you aren't sure where your ancestor arrived, you might find this guide helpful: Tips for Determining Your Ancestor's Port of Arrival
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