General Information Locator



General Information Locator

This study guide is designed to provide the genealogist with a concise guide to locating primary and secondary record sources that contain the most useful genealogical information. Before contacting civil authorities, researchers should always exhaust all home sources. Home sources can be defined as original documents, which may still be in the possession of family members, relatives, or neighbors who had contact with the ancestor. This study guide is divided into two categories:

1. Part One describes the most useful record types available to provide answers to specific genealogical questions.

2. Part Two describes the probable locations where this information may be found.

The bibliography at the end of this study guide contains additional sources for information. These sources have been written by experts in the field of genealogical research.

Part One: Record Types

|Date of Birth/Age: |Civil Birth Record |

| |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Military Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State, School, etc.) |

| |Social Security Death Index |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Place of Birth |Civil Birth Record |

| |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Military Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State, School, etc.) |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Name of Spouse |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |City Directories |

| |Military Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State, Church) |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Date of Marriage |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Place of Marriage |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Date of Immigration |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Previous Records/ Fellow Researchers |

|Place of Origin/Nationality |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State) |

| |Previous Records/ Fellow Researchers |

|Places of Residence |Civil Birth Record |

| |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |City Directories |

| |Military Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State, School, Local, etc.) |

| |Social Security Death Index |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Military Service/Pension |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Military Records |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Date and Place of Death/Burial |Civil Death Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Social Security Death Index |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

| |Funeral Home Records |

|Parents’ Names |Civil Birth Record |

| |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State, School, Local, Church) |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Children/Siblings |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State, School, Church) |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Relatives |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |City Directories |

| |Census Records (Federal, State) |

| |Cemetery Records/Grave Markers |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Occupation |Civil Marriage Record |

| |Civil Death Record |

| |Naturalization Record |

| |Ship Passenger Arrival Record |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church/Religious Records |

| |City Directories |

| |Military Records |

| |Census Records (Federal, State) |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

|Previous Research on an Ancestor |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Previous Records/Fellow Researchers |

Part Two: Typical Locations of Records

Thanks to advances in technology, many records can now be purchased in CD-ROM format or searched on a variety of Internet sites. The Internet is an excellent tool for preliminary research and/or to use as a guide in planning research strategies. Genealogists must be cautious about user-submitted information obtained over the Internet until it has been verified in at least two non-Internet sources. Most professional researchers follow this rule of thumb. For those intent on using the Internet, an excellent starting point is Cyndi’s List. This website indexes the largest collection of genealogical websites on the Internet. Visit

|Civil Birth Record |Town/City Hall or County Courthouse |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Civil Marriage Record |Town/City Hall or County Courthouse |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Civil Death Record |Town/City Hall or County Courthouse |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Declarations of Intent/Naturalization Papers |Town/City Hall or County Courthouses |

| |Papers State Archives |

| |Federal Archives Research Centers |

| |State Court/Judicial Archives |

| |Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Passenger Arrival Lists |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Federal Archives Research Centers |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

|Family Genealogies/Records |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Church/Religious Records |Church Archives |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Seminaries/Denominational Colleges |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|City Directories |Town/City Hall or County Courthouse |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Public Libraries |

| |State Libraries/Archives |

|Military Records |Town/City Hall or County Courthouse |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |State Archives |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Federal Archives Research Center |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Census Records |Town/City Hall or County Courthouse |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |State Archives |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Federal Archives Research Center |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

| |Church Archives |

| |School District Administrative Offices |

| |Business Archives |

|Social Security Death Index |Internet |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Social Security Administration |

|Cemetery Records/Stones |Church Archives |

| |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Cemeteries |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

|Compiled Sources |Local or State Historical Society |

| |Local or State Genealogical Society |

| |Family History Centers (Mormon) |

| |Family Members and Home Sources |

Bibliography

American Records and Research: Focusing on Families-Course One. Salt Lake City,

UT: Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Coordinator-Paula Stuart Warren.

Contributors-D. Joshua Taylor, Elissa Scalise Powell, William M. Litchman, and

Birdie Monk Holsclaw, c2007. Genealogy Reference 929.1 SALT

American Records and Research: Focusing on Families-Course Two. Salt Lake City,

UT: Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Coordinator-Paula Stuart Warren.

Contributors- Chuck Knuthson, Marianne Crump, Thomas McGill, Anne Wuehler,

Anne Roach, Ruth Maness, John Phillip Colletta, Kory Meyerink, Judith W.

Hansen, and Birdie Monk Holsclaw, c2008. Genealogy Reference 929.1 SALT

Guide to Genealogical Research. 3rd Edition. Washington, DC: National Archives,

c2000. Genealogical Reference 929.373 UNI

Land and Court Records. Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Coordinator-Patricia Law Hatcher. Contributors-Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck, Michael J. LeClerc, Rhonda McClure, Gordon L. Remington, and Paula Stuart Warren, c2006. Genealogy Reference 929.1 SALT

Redbook: American State, Country, & Town Sources. 3rd Edition. Salt Lake City, UT:

Ancestry Publishing Company, c2004. Genealogy Ref. 929.1072 RED

Sourcebook to Public Record Information: Comprehensive Guide to County, State, & Federal

Public Record Sources. 5th Edition. Tempe, AZ: BRB Publications, c2003.

Adult Reference 352.387 SOU

Tracing Immigrant Origins. Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Kory Meyerink-Coordinator, Contributors- John P. Colletta, Jeanette K.B. Daniels, Richard W. Dougherty, Gerald Haslam, Larry O. Jensen, Marie Melchiori, John Kitzmiller, c2001.

Genealogy Reference 929.1 SALT

Balhuizen, Anne Ross. Searching on Location: Planning a Research Trip. Salt Lake City,

UT: Ancestry, c1992. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 BAL

Crawford,-Oppenheimer, Christine. Long Distance Genealogy. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway

Books, c2000. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 CRA

Croom, Emily Anne. Genealogist’s Companion & Sourcebook. 2nd Edition. Cincinnati, OH:

Betterway Books, c2003. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 CRO

------------------------- Unpuzzling Your Past: The Best Selling Basic Guide To Genealogy.

4th Edition. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, c2002. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 CRO

Everton, George B. Handybook for Genealogists. 10th Edition. Logan, UT: Everton Publishers,

c2002. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 Han

Greenwood, Val D. Researcher’s Guide To American Genealogy. 3rd Edition. Baltimore, MD:

Genealogical Publishing Company, c2000. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 GRE

Hatcher, Patricia Law. Locating Your Roots: Discover Your Ancestors Using Land

Records. 1st Edition. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, c2003.

Genealogy Ref. 929.1072 HAT

Melnyk, Marcia Yannizze. Family History 101: Beginner’s Guide to Finding Your Ancestors.

Cincinnati, OH: Family Tree Books, c2005. Genealogy Ref. 929.1072 MEL

------------------------------- Genealogist’s Question & Answer Book. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway

Books, c2001. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 MEL

Morgan, George G. How to Do Everything With Your Genealogy. New York, NY: McGraw-

Hill/Osborne, c2004. Genealogy Ref. 929.1 MOR

Rose, Christine. Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures. San Jose, CA: CR Publications., 2004. Genealogy Reference 929.1 ROS

Schweitzer, George K. Handbook Of Genealogical Sources. Knoxville, TN: George K.

Schweitzer, c1996. Genealogy Reference 929.1 SCH

Stockwell, Foster. Sourcebook For Genealogical Research: Resources Alphabetically By Type

and Location. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, c2004. Adult Non-Fiction 929.1 STO

Szucs, Loretto Dennis & Luebking, Sandra Hargreaves. The Source: A Guidebook Of

American Genealogy. 3rd Edition. Salt Lake City, Ancestry, c2006.

Genealogy Reference 929.1 SOU

Warren, Paula Stuart. Your Guide to the Family History Library. 1st Edition. Cincinnati, OH:

Betterway Books, c2001. Genealogy Reference 026.929 WAR

NOTE: This study guide is meant to serve as an overview or outline for patrons using the genealogy collection at Fort Myers Regional Library. The compiler emphasizes that the information contained in this study guide should not serve as a substitute for taking the time to read one of the books or articles cited in the bibliography, or attend lectures given by the subject specialists cited as authors.

Compiled by Bryan Mulcahy, Reference Librarian, Fort Myers Regional Library, 2/1/2014.

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