FamilySearch Update: 1930 US Census Project Concludes - Volunteers Consider Options for Next Projects

Updates from FamilySearch:  "The 1930 U.S. Census indexing project will be completed this month! The final states of this enhanced index will be a great benefit to FamilySearch's online patrons. We will now start many new U.S. projects for volunteers to consider. We are workingtoward building a nationwide marriage index. There are several already underway, and many new marriage projects are coming. We also started a Civil War era initiative recently that will include record collections expanding before and after the Civil War that will help researchers identify their Civil War era ancestors. We’re also adding some fun emigration projects (passenger lists, naturalization records)."

The following will give you an idea as to what is happening at FamilySearch because of the Indexing projects. If you are finding any of the FamilySearch data helpful to you, your friends or family, please consider getting involved in Indexing! It can take you as little as 20-30 minutes to download and index a batch. Every batch contains more source material to help you locate and identify your ancestors. The more people who participate, the more records will be made available, faster! Also, if you index you will have access to some restricted projects that non-indexes cannot access.

New projects usually added to FamilySearch in the past 2 weeks to 30 days:

South and Central America

    Argentina, Cordoba, Bell Ville—Parish Registers, 1759–1946

    Brazil, Rio de Janeiro—Immigration Cards, 1900–1965 [Part C]

    Brazil, Rio de Janeiro—Immigration Cards, 1900–1965 [Part D]

    Chile, Concepción—Civil Registration, 1885–1920 [Part 3]

    Guatemala—Civil Registration, 1800–1900 [Part B]

    Honduras, Tegucigalpa—Parish Registers, 1684–1930

    Mexico, Aguascalientes—Birth Records, 1860–1921

Europe

    Austria, Upper Austria, Steyr—Church Books, 1601–1906

    Czech Republic, Litomerice—Church Books, 1552–1905 [Part 1C]

        Estonia—Lutheran Church Books, 1603–1940 [Part B]

    France, Coutances—Parish Registers, 1802–1907 [Part 2]

    France, Quimper et Leon, Brest, Notre Dame des Carmes—Parish Registers, 1771–1909

    Germany, Baden-Württemberg, Emmendingen—Church Books, 1810–1869

    Germany, Brandenburg, Posen—Church Books, 1794–1874

    Germany, Mecklenburg, Schwerin—1867 Census

    Italy, Mantova—Civil Registration, 1806–1815

    Italy, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Birth Records, 1809–1885 [Part 1]

    Italy, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia—Death Records, 1809–1885 [Part 2]

    Italy, Torina, Torre Pellice—Burial records, 1692–1969

    Italy, Turin, Torre Pellice—Parish Registers, 1692–1969 [Part 1A]

    Poland, Diocese of Lublin—Church Books, 1864–1948 [Część 2]

    Spain, Sevilla—Civil Births, 1844–1874

    Sweden, Sodermanland—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 2]

    Sweden, Uppsala—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 2]

    Sweden, Örebro—Church Records, to 1860 [Part 2]

Philippines

   Philippines, Lingayen-Dagupanâ—Parish Registers, 1615–1982 [Part 2]

North America

    Canada, Ontario—Births, 1869–1912 [Part B]

      U.S., Alaska—1930 Federal Census

    U.S., Alabama--County Marriages, 1809-1950 [Part B]

    U.S., American Samoa and Guam—1930 Federal Census

    U.S., Illinois—Northern District Naturalization Index Cards, 1840–1950

    U.S., Indiana, Fountain County—Marriages, 1811–1959

    U.S., Indiana, Fulton County—Marriages 1811–1959

    U.S., Iowa—County Marriages, 1838–1992 [Part B]

    U.S., Nevada—1930 Federal Census

    U.S., North Carolina—County Marriages, 1762–1959 [Part C]

    U.S., Ohio, Franklin County—Marriage Records, 1929–1951

    U.S., Oregon—County Marriages, 1851–1975 [Part A]

    U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part C]

    U.S., Virgin Islands—1930 Federal Census

    U.S., West Virginia—Naturalization Records, 1814–1991

    U.S.—Registers of Enlistment in the U.S. Army, 1798–1913

Recently Completed Projects: These projects have been indexed, are going through their final check process, and will be published in the near future.

·      Argentina, Cordoba, Rio Segundo—Registros Parroquiales, 1888–1926

·      Argentina, Santa Fe—Registros Parroquiales, 1634–1926 [Parte A]

·      Brasil, Rio de Janeiro—Imigração Cartões, 1900–1965 [Parte A&B]

·      Chile, Concepción—Registros Civiles, 1885–1903 [Parte 2B]

·      España, Avila, Barroman—Registros Parroquiales, 1550–1930

·      Jamaica—Church of England Parish Baptisms, 1664–1880

·      Mexico, Veracruz—1930 Federal Censo

·      Norway—1875 Federal Census [Part B]

·      Polska, Diecezja Lublin—Księgi Metrykalne, 1902–1945

·      Sverige, Uppsala—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]

·      Sverige, Örebro—Kyrkoböcker, till 1860 [Del 1]

·      U.K., Yorkshire—Parish Registers, 1845–1930

U.S. Census Records

·     U.S. 1930 Federal Census for 16 States States

·     U.S., Illinois—1865 State Census

·      U.S., Michigan—1894 State Census

U.S. Vital Records

·      U.S., Indiana, Floyd County—Marriages, 1811–1959

·      U.S., Iowa—County Births, 1880–1935 [Part A]

·      U.S., Iowa—County Marriages, 1838–1992 [Part A]

·      U.S., North Carolina—County Marriages, 1762–1959 [Part B]

·      U.S., Tennessee—County Marriages, 1790–1950 [Part D]

·      U.S., Vermont—Vital Records, 1760–1954 [Part C]

U.S. Military Records

·      U.S.—Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files, 1812–1905

U.S. Newspapers

·      U.S., Virginia, Winchester—Evening Star Obituaries, 1899–1909

There are over 120 projects the are currently being indexed and are in various stages of completion. 

Please consider helping to index by going to FamilySearch Indexing for more details.

Riverton FamilySearch Library Hosts an Event on July 16

Free Seminar on Bringing the FamilySearch Community Together 

Riverton FamilySearch Library
13400 South and Bangerter
(Four-Story Building East of Home Depot)
Free Saturday Seminar – July 16, 2011

9:00 a.m. to Noon

9:00 a.m.: Keynote Speaker: Don Anderson
“FamilySearch Community: Ways in which FamilySearch is Organizing Community Resources to Help Individuals Find Ancestors and Bring the Community Together”

Don Anderson is Senior Vice President for FamilySearch. In this role, he has the responsibility for the Patron Services organization, including the FamilySearch Family History Library as well as the Worldwide Support organization. Don’s responsibilities include providing help to those searching for ancestors using FamilySearch, the Family History Library, family history centers, the FamilySearch website, CD software, and other resources. Don’s organization provides services in more than 12 languages for more than 110 countries worldwide with an excess of 10 million patron interactions annually.
 
10:00 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:
-- “Choosing and Using the Right Hardware and Software for Genealogy” by Barry Ewell
-- “Searching for Ancestors, Step-by-Step” by Sheri Lynn Lemon 
-- “The Perfect Social Media: Family History & Genealogy” by Claire Brisson Banks
-- “Great Grandpa Was a Mormon: LDS and Utah Records” by Don and Diane Snow
 
11:00 a.m. Choose one of the following four classes:
-- “Choosing and Using the Right Hardware and Software for Genealogy” by Barry Ewell
-- “Hanging Pictures on Your Family Tree” by Scott Huskey
-- “Getting the Most out of the Family History Library Catalog” by Daniel Poffenberger
-- “Naturalization Records" by Patricia Jensen

Details on www.familysearch.org/fhc/riverton

FamilySearch Updates 55 Collections; adds 25 million new records

Additions include Scandinavia, Eastern and Western Europe, Mexico, and Peru

The recent collection updates at FamilySearch.org reflect FamilySearch’s commitment to digitally convert and publish its microfilm collection online. The latest additions include 25 million new images of historic records for 16 countries. The new records were added for Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, U.S., and Wales. Of particular interest is the addition of over 8 million civil registration records for the Netherlands. Search the records online now at FamilySearch.org. 

The following collections include new or additional records and/or images:  (Click on the link to search the records.)

Collection

Belgium Civil Registration, 1795–1910

Brazil, Catholic Church Records 1835–1966

Canada, Ontario Births, 1869–1912

Canada, Quebec Notarial Records, 1800–1900

Canada, Saskatchewan Provincial Records 1908

Czech Republic Church Books, 1552–1935

Czech Republic, Land Records 1450–1850

Czech Republic, Třeboň, Nobility Seignorial records, 1664–1698

England, Bristol Parish Registers, 1538–1900

England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538–1900

England, Northumberland, Miscellaneous Records

Italy, Civil Registration, 1806–1940

Italy, Waldensian Evangelical Church Records

Mexico, Guanajuato, Catholic Church Records, 1576–1984

Mexico, Michoacán, Catholic Church Records 1579–1992

Mexico, Oaxaca, Catholic Church Records

Mexico, Yucatan, Catholic Church Records 1543–1970

Netherlands, Civil Registration, 1792–1952

New Zealand, Probate Records

Peru, Catholic Church Records

Poland, Roman Catholic Church Books, 1600–1950

Slovakia Church Books, 1592–1910

South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1690–2007

Spain, Cádiz, Passports, 1810–1866

Spain, Municipal Records

Switzerland, Vaud Terrier Records, 1234–1798

U.S., Arkansas, Draft Registration Cards, compiled 1948–1959

U.S., California, San Mateo County Records, 1856–1967

U.S., California, San Mateo County, Colma, Italian Cemetery Records

U.S., Idaho, Clark County Records

U.S., Louisiana, First Registration Draft Cards, compiled 1940–1945

U.S., Louisiana, Second Registration Draft Cards, compiled 1948–1959

U.S., Maine, State Archive Collections

U.S., Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1792–1983

U.S., Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Estate Files, 1686–1881

U.S., Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850–1892, 1908–1957

U.S., New York, Queens County Probate Records, 1899–1921

U.S., North Carolina, County Records, 1833–1970

U.S., North Carolina Probate Records, 1735–1970

U.S., Ohio, Montgomery County, Probate Estate Files, 1857–1900

U.S., Ohio, Stark County Court Records, 1809–1917

U.S., Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger List Index Cards, 1883–1948

U.S., South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732–1964

U.S., Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795–1927

U.S., Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795–1927

U.S., Texas, Comanche County Records, 1858–1955

U.S., Texas, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Membership Applications, 1892–2010

U.S., Texas, Eagle Pass Arrival Manifests and Indexes, 1905–1954

U.S., Texas, Eastland County Records, 1868–1949

U.S., Texas, Gonzalez de la Garza Genealogy Collection

U.S., Utah, Davis County Records, 1869–1920

U.S., Washington State County Records, 1885–1950

U.S., Washington State, Army National Guard Records, 1880–1947

U.S., West Virginia Will Books, 1756–1971

Wales, Glamorgan Marriages, 1837–1922

UVTAGG Meeting and Training Classes - FREE

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 9 Jul 2011, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. Information about the Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their website http://uvtagg.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/ . With the organization's name change, these URL's will also be changed eventually.

The main presentation for this meeting will be by David E. Rencher on FAMILYSEARCH PRODUCTS AND FEATURES. FamilySearch continues to make a wide variety of products and services available to genealogists throughout the world. This presentation highlights the many uses of these new products from the view of the Chief Genealogical Officer at FamilySearch. David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, is employed by the Family History Department in Salt Lake City as the Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. A professional genealogist since 1977, he is an Accredited GenealogistCM with ICAPGenSM in Ireland research and a Certified GenealogistSM with the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. He is the Irish course coordinator and instructor for the Samford University Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a BA in Family and Local History. He is a past-president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 1997-2000, a national genealogical society umbrella organization, a past-president of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) 1993-1995 and a Fellow of that organization. He is a fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society, London and is a vice-president of the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU). He is currently serving as the Chair of the joint Federation of Genealogical Societies and National Genealogical Society committee for Record Preservation and Access and serves as the Secretary for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and as trustee for the Umpstead, Jr. and Elizabeth Jemima Philpott Rencher and the Winslow Farr, Sr. Family Organizations. There is further information about him online at http://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=176 .

Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are as follows: (1) Research at BYU: the Other FHL - 5 Levels, 3 Wings, and Online Resources, by Laurie Castillo; (2) MAC: Cemeteries, OSX Tips, and Reunion Reports, by Ron Snowden; (3) Personalized Help, by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen; (4) Q&A: FamilySearch Products and Features, by David E. Rencher; (5) Video of last month's main presentation: Finding and Analyzing Collections of Personal Letters - Erastus Snow, by Don and Diane Snow; (6) Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay; (7) Legacy 7.5, by Joel Graham; and (8) RootsMagic 4, by Bruce Buzbee.

All meetings of the Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

Come Celebrate the First Anniversary of the Riverton FamilySearch Library!

The Riverton FamilySearch Library Hosts Open House on June 21

RIVERTON, UTAH—Looking for the perfect free summer family activity? Why not come and explore the branches of your family tree?

The Riverton FamilySearch Library will celebrate its first anniversary on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, by holding an Open House from 2:30–8:00 p.m. This is an event for the entire family, including family history activities for children, youth, and adults.

Presentations will begin every half hour: 

*   Introduction to the FamilySearch Library and Computer Desktop
*   Introduction to Indexing
*   Introduction to the new FamilySearch
*   Introduction to Family History (Youth)

There will also be continuous video presentations:

*   The Granite Mountain Vault
*   Celebration of Family History

Perhaps you have hit a brick wall in your research. Experts will be on hand to give you some new research ideas. With approximately 30 million new records being added monthly to familysearch.org, there has never been a better time to find success.

The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

Free Seminar on FamilySearch Now and In the Future - Riverton FamilySearch Library - Saturday Seminar

The Riverton FamilySearch Library Hosts Event on June 18

RIVERTON, UTAH—FamilySearch is the free resource millions of people look to when searching for their ancestors. At this month’s seminar, keynote speaker Ron Tanner will address the topic “FamilySearch (and new.familysearch.org)—Now and in the Future.” Tanner’s humorous approach to family history work will entertain and enlighten participants seeking to discover their roots. The seminar will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Tanner is a product manager for the Family History Department. He assists in the research and design of the new FamilySearch and companion products. Currently Ron’s assignments include: overall product delivery for new.familysearch.org; Asia rollout; and future product direction for FamilySearch. Ron has a master’s degree in Computer Science from BYU and has previously worked as a product manager and engineer at Novell, Citrix, and Bell Laboratories.

Following the keynote presentation, there will be two blocks of four classes that will cover topics of interest to both beginning and advanced family history enthusiasts.

Classes to be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. are:
“Online Member Trees: Ancestry’s Powerful Tool Keeps Getting Better!”—Crista Cowan

“The Tired, the Poor, the Huddled Masses, and the Wretched Refuse: U.S. Immigration from 1820 to 1954”—Beth Taylor

“Synchronizing Roots Magic Data with the New FamilySearch”—Sue Maxwell

“The Lay of the Land: Online Maps for Family History”—Don and Diane Snow

The classes available from 11:00 a.m. to noon are:
“Sharing Family History with the Genealogically Challenged”—Crista Cowan

“What’s New in German Research on the Internet”—Baebel Johnson

“Synchronizing Roots Magic Data with the New FamilySearch”—Sue Maxwell

“Where the Pros Search... Many Free, Wonderful Genealogy Sites Exist. Search from Your Home. Search for That Missing Link."—Ron Ray

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 Market Center Drive. The facility is near the intersection of Bangerter Highway and 13400 South, just east of The Home Depot.

The old: UVPAFUG -- The new: UVTAGG: Saturday Meeting

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP MEETING (UVTAGG)

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 11 Jun 2011, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. 

The main presentation for this meeting will be by Donald R. and Diane M. Snow on FORMING AND ANALYZING A DATABASE OF LETTERS USING THE ERASTUS SNOW FAMILY TO ILLUSTRATE. The Snows will describe procedures and freeware programs they have used to transcribe and form a searchable database of the nearly 300 personal letters they have of the Erastus Snow family. The tools and ideas include help in transcribing the handwritten letters, ways to name the files for ease in searching and forming a spreadsheet to analyze and draw charts, ways to identify and edit the names and places, programs that can be used to search the entire collection for names, words, and phrases, and keeping track of interesting items in the letters. The Snows gave a presentation on their database at the Mormon History Association meeting in St. George two weeks ago where the emphasis was on the text of the letters themselves. Here the emphasis will be on the technical aspects of forming and analyzing the database, but they will illustrate with the text, as well.

The Snows have been involved with family history for many years and both are retired faculty members from BYU where Don taught Mathematics and Diane taught Humanities. Don is a great grandson of Erastus Snow and they have been on four family history missions for the LDS Church, including being the Directors of the New York Family History Center in Manhattan, serving in Nauvoo, and serving at the London Family History Center in the Hyde Park Chapel in England. They have 6 children, 30 grandchildren, 4 great grand children, and now are "snowbirds" splitting their time between Provo and St. George. They are speakers at many family history venues.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are as follows:

(1) Getting the Most Out of Family Tree Maker (PC and MAC), by Duff Wilson;
(2) Get Help From Strangers by Publishing on the Internet, by Merlin Kitchen;
(3) Increasing Productivity on the new FamilySearch Website, by Andrea Schnakenburg;
(4) Personalized Help, by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen;
(5) Q&A: Forming and Analyzing a Database of Letters Using the Erastus Snow Family To Illustrate, by Don & Diane Snow;
(6) Video of last month's main presentation: Resources Available at the Riverton FamilySearch Library, by Suzanne Curley;
(7) Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay;
(8) Legacy 7.5, by Joel Graham; and
(9) Roots Magic 4, by Sue Maxwell.

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

Riverton Seminar Series—May Classes

Many genealogists and family history enthusiasts may not have considered a tool they already own that can simplify the recording of genealogical information. On May 21, participants at the Riverton FamilySearch Library’s Saturday Seminar will hear from keynote speaker Mary E. V. Hill as she presents “Using Your Digital Camera to Copy Records.” She will explain how easy it can be to record digital images of information found in cemeteries, on microfilm, in manuscripts, and in other genealogical sources. She will explain camera settings and pixels and will explain how to get the best images in various circumstances.

Mary E. V. Hill, MLS, AGCM (Southern and Eastern states), CG, has served as a reference librarian at the BYU Family History Library, a genealogy instructor at BYU, a Family History Library reference consultant for the U.S. and Canada, and a member of the Utah Genealogical Association board of directors. She also recently served a mission at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. She is an author and lecturer on U.S. research methods and genealogical organization.

The seminar will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Following the keynote presentation, there will be two blocks of four classes that will cover topics of interest to both beginning and advanced family historians.

Classes to be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. are:

• “Descendency Research: Finding the Past in the Present”—Tim Bingaman
• “Social Networking for the Genealogist”—Janet Hovorka
• “From the Heartland: Utilizing Online Resources in Midwest Research”—Luana Darby
• “Increasing Productivity on the FamilySearch Website”—Andrea Schnakenburg

The classes available from 11:00 a.m. to noon are:

• “Serving in Family History”—Jim Greene
• “The Vision of FamilySearch Indexing”—Randy Bryson
• “Families and the War: Tracing Your Civil War Era Ancestors”—Yvonne Curry

• “Mormon Ancestors: Across the Seas and across the Plains”—Terry Nels Lee and Carol Anne Lee

Registration is not required for this free seminar. The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 Market Center Drive.

Free Online Records Cast Historic Light on South Carolina

FamilySearch, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization in charge of the world’s largest genealogy repository, announced today rich new online resources that will certainly be of interest to South Carolina residents, Civil War buffs, and family historians with Southern roots. FamilySearch’s free resources consist of new historic records and image collections and anin-depth online help center (wiki) for South Carolina genealogy resources. The information can be found at FamilySearch.org. The announcement coincides with the National Genealogical Society’s 33rd annual family history conference in Charleston this week.

FamilySearch’s newest South Carolina collections are South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964, and South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977. Probate and estate records typically include wills, bonds, property inventory, and court petitions.

“These types of records are extremely valuable to genealogists because they may be the only known source of an ancestor’s death date, name of a spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence,” said Mary Lynn Sharpe, FamilySearch project manager.

The new collections include hundreds of thousands of digital images of the original historic documents that can be browsed online at FamilySearch.org using a digital viewer.

“For example, let’s say your ancestor was Jasper Crooks, and you knew he lived in Oconee County South Carolina,” said Sharpe. “A review of the historic probate records online will reveal that his wife, Sallie Crooks, petitioned the court for permission todivvy up his estate. The records show Jasper Crooks’ death date was November 1, 1897, and personal property deemed most valuable at the time—right down to the mouse grey mule, old two horse wagon, 4 rocking chairs, 3 padlocks, wash pot, and a corn sheller.”

Also in FamilySearch’s free online collection of South Carolina records are South Carolina Deaths (1915–1955) and Civil War Confederate Service Records (1861–1865)—the two collections comprise millions of searchable records.

FamilySearch has also introduced a South Carolina section to its free online research wiki. Using the information from the wiki, patrons can quickly find out what other historical records exist by county and where. There are also links to free online genealogy courses and a free forum for asking personal research questions. The help services are supported by volunteers.

And, in a separate announcement this week, FamilySearch announced that the Civil War Era records project was just launched. Volunteers will be indexing millions of historic records from the Civil War period to help family history sleuths gather the pieces of their family stories that extend to that period. There is also a FamilySearch Civil War wiki page where specialists are contributing online content dedicated to regiments and states.

In the last year, FamilySearch, with its growing base of volunteers, has published almost 500 million historic records online—free for the public to search or view. Fueled by technology and the popularity of genealogy, interest in family history continues to grow. And with that growth comes an ever-increasing demand for access to information and historic records needed to fill in the next branch of someone’s family tree.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in SaltLake City, Utah.

Civil War Buffs and Volunteers Enlist in Campaign to Publish Millions of Historic Records Online

As the United States marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, people who had ancestors involved in the conflict can access millions of historical records recently published on the familysearch.org website. And millions more records are coming, as Civil War volunteers enlist in an epoch online campaign over the next five years to provide access to the highly desirable historic documents.

FamilySearch announced the release today of hundreds of millions of online records at the National Genealogical Society conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The collections include service records for both the Confederate and Union armies, pension records, and more. Some of these records have been available for some time but are now being added to familysearch.org/civilwar as part of this project. Here is just a sampling of what is available:

·       Arizona, Service Records of Confederate Soldiers of the Civil War, 1861-1863

·       Arkansas Confederate Pensions, 1901-1929

·       Civil War Pension Index

·       Louisiana Confederate Pensions 1898-1950

·       Missouri Confederate Pension Applications and Soldiers’ Home Admission Applications

·       South Carolina Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers (NARA M267)

·       South Carolina Probate 1671-1977

·       South Carolina Probate Records, Files, and Loose Papers, 1732-1964

·       United States, 1890 Census of Union Veterans and Widows

·       United States, Index to General Correspondence of the Pension Office, 1889-1904

·       United States, Union Provost Marshall Files of Papers Relating to Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

·       United States, Union Provost Marshall's File of Papers Relating to Individual Civilians, 1861-1866

·       U.S. Civil War Soldiers Index 1855-1865

·       U.S. Navy Widows’ Certificates, 1861-1910 (NARA M1279)

·       U.S., Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914U.S., Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933

·       Vermont Enrolled Militia, 1861-1867

“These records are significant because nearly every family in the United States at that time was impacted either directly or indirectly by the war,” FamilySearch project manager Ken Nelson said.

“Each soldier has a story to tell based on what his unique experience was during the war. Each family has their own story to tell. This is the paper trail that tells the stories about that period in our nation’s history,” Nelson said.

Many of the records are specific to the war itself, such as enlistment or pension records. These documents can provide key family data, including age, place of birth, or the name of a spouse. Other collections, such as census records, tell the story of ordinary civilians who lived during that turbulent time. Even a local or state death record far away from the battlefront may contain death information on a soldier that was submitted by a family member back home. 

FamilySearch’s chief genealogical officer, David Rencher, said many people can benefit from the records.

“With the wealth of records created by the Civil War, I am inspired by the plan laid out by FamilySearch to make a substantial amount of this material available on their website over the next four to five years. This growing collection will be one that will serve the needs of the numerous descendants of the participants on both sides of the conflict,” Rencher said.

About 10 million of FamilySearch’s Civil War records are already indexed, so they can be easily searched by a specific name. However, there are many more records that need to be indexed, and that’s where FamilySearch indexing volunteers come in. These volunteers view a digital image online of the record and enter in important information such as names, dates, and places.

FamilySearch project manager Jim Ericson said this data will be used to create free searchable indexes that enable people to more easily find records about their Civil War ancestors.

“Once these records are indexed and published online, anyone can search for the name of an ancestor and link to a digital image of the original record, if the image is also available online,” Ericson said. “Indexing helps people save time when finding records and enables a more powerful, engaging search experience.”

Ericson said that more than 130,000 people helped with other FamilySearch indexing projects in the last year, but more volunteers are needed for the multi-year Civil War era project.

“We expect to maintain some focus on indexing records from the U.S. Civil War for the next three or four years to make the collection of Civil War era records extremely robust,” Ericson said.

For those who want to learn more about their Civil War ancestors, there is also additional help on the FamilySearch Research Wiki. This includes information about each regiment that fought in the conflict and records created by each state that participated in the war. There is also information for beginners who are just getting started learning about their ancestors who lived during the Civil War.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah

Mark Your Calendars - UVPAFUG now UVTAGG Meeting!

NOTE: The UVPAFUG name has changed to UVTAGG.

UTAH VALLEY TECHNOLOGY AND GENEALOGY GROUP (UVTAGG) MEETING

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group) will be on Saturday, 14 May 2011, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. Information about the Users Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on the Group website http://uvpafug.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/ .  With the change in name of the organization these URL's will also be changed later.

The main presentation for this meeting will be by Suzanne H. Curley on RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THE RIVERTON FAMILYSEARCH LIBRARY.  Whether you are new to family history research or a seasoned genealogist, the new state-of-the-art Riverton FamilySearch Library near Bangerter Highway and 134th South, Riverton, Utah, offers you a wide range of genealogical tools.  Their website is http://www.familysearch.org/fhc/riverton/ .  This presentation will discuss their facilities, popular free monthly seminars, patron classes, access to subscription websites, help from expert research consultants, how to make group bookings, and more.  Suzanne H. Curley is the Director of the Riverton FamilySearch Library and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Utah Genealogical Association.  She is also a licensed attorney and member of the Utah State Bar.  She received her B.A. in Communications from Rider University (in New Jersey) and her J.D. from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School.  Prior to law school she worked for 10 years as a print journalist, professional writer, and manager of marketing communications for a national company.  She has been involved in family history work for the past thirty years and is a frequent presenter on a wide range of family history topics. 

Following the main presentation there will be several classes about family history and technology with something for everyone at any level of expertise. The teachers and classes presently scheduled for this meeting are as follows:  

1. Tips to Avoid Barking Up the Wrong Family Tree, by Bret Petersen
2. An Introduction to the US Census, by Jerry Castillo
3. MAC: Using Keynote and Reunion Help Topics, by Ron Snowden
4. Personalized Help, by Finn Hansen & Don Engstrom
5. Q&A: The Riverton FamilySearch Library, by Suzanne Curley
6. Video of last month's main presentation: Eating an Elephant One Bite at a Time, by Marilyn Thomsen
7. Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay
8. Legacy, by Dean Bennett
9. RootsMagic, by Sue Maxwell.  

All meetings are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays.

Got Ancestors from Costa Rica, England, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, or the U.S.?

The latest free collection updates might just have what you're seeking!

What a grab bag of records added this week! Let's see -- for its online patrons' free viewing pleasure, internationally, FamilySearch added church records from Costa Rico and Mexico, Bishop's Transcripts and Poor Law records from England, Hindu pilgrimage records from India, municipal records from Spain, and civil registrations from Nicaragua and Peru. In the U.S., those with Arkansas and Oklahoma ancestors are going to have a proverbial field trip with the 500,000 new county marriage records added -- and the indexes are linked to the original images! Additional records were also added for Maine and Texas. See the table below for details. You can search all of the record collections now for free at FamilySearch.org.

If you are enjoying the steady stream of free records added weekly, please consider "giving back" as a FamilySearch volunteer. You can start and stop volunteering at any time. Find out more at indexing.familysearch.org.

Collection	Records	Images	Comment
Costa Rica Church Records, 1595-1992	7,249	3,948	Added images and index to existing collection.
England, Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941	0	81,941	Added browsable images to existing collection.
England, Norfolk Poor Law Union Records, 1796-1900	0	939	Added browsable images to existing collection.
India, Hindu Pilgrimage Records	0	31,436	New browsable image collection.
Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933	0	2,596,692	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Nicaragua, Managua, Civil Registration, 1879-2007	42,195	0	Added records to existing collection.
Peru, Lima Civil Registration, 1874-1930	64,182	0	Added records to existing collection.
Spain, Municipal Records	0	56,152	Added browsable images to existing collection.
U.S., Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1957	93,584	38,426	Added Arkansas, Washington, White, and Woodruff Counties to existing collection.
U.S., Maine, State Archive Collections	0	3,019	Added browsable images to existing collection.
U.S., Oklahoma County Marriages, 1891-1959	222,471	151,140	New collection. Counties included: Adair, Alfalfa, Atoka, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Dewey, Garfield, Harmon, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, and Kingfisher.
U.S., Texas, Eastland County Records, 1868-1949	0	6,978	Added browsable images to existing collection.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

New Historic Brazil and Honduras Records Online

Six Additional Country Collections Also Updated

More digital images poured out of the FamilySearch pipeline this week—over 2 million, in fact. Historic record collections for 8 countries were updated: Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Switzerland, U.S., and Wales. The biggest winners were Brazil and Honduras. More than 1.7 million images were added to the Brazil Civil Registration collection, with records from 1870 to 2009. And 346,000 church records were added for Honduras. These birth, marriage, death, and church records are very valuable because they usually include multiple generations in a single document. See the table below for details of all the updates this week. You can search all of the record collections now for free at FamilySearch.org.

If you are enjoying the steady stream of free records added weekly, please consider “giving back” as a FamilySearch volunteer. You can start and stop volunteering at any time. Find out more at indexing.familysearch.org.

Collection	Records	Images	Comment
Brazil Civil Registration, 1870-2009	19,319	1,688,985	Added images and index to existing collection.
Chile, Concepcion, Civil Registration, 1885-1903	0	43,001	Added browsable images to existing collection.
El Salvador, Civil Registration Records, 1867-1910	0	25,938	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Honduras, Church Records, 1895-1931	0	346,448	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Mexico, Puebla, Catholic Church Records, 1545-1970	0	38,391	Added browsable images to existing collection.
Switzerland, Basel City, Local Citizenship Requests, 1348-1798	0	1,751	New browsable image collection.
U.S., Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1792-1983	0	86,744	Added browsable images to existing collection.
U.S., Mississippi, Tippah County Records, 1836-1923	0	20,542	Added browsable images to existing collection.
U.S., Ohio, Cuyahoga County Probate Files, 1813-1900	0	14,696	Added browsable images to existing collection.
U.S., Ohio, Stark County Court Records, 1809-1917	0	49,819	New browsable image collection.
United States, 1890 Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War	0	90,497	New browsable image collection.
Wales, Probate Abstracts, 1773-1780	0	34,851	Added browsable images to existing collection.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.