Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques by George G. Morgan

Author:George G. Morgan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
Published: 2013-08-05T16:00:00+00:00

Example 3

Genealogical societies and historical societies are excellent resources for helping you work around research roadblocks. They play important roles in their geographic area. These include: the preservation of local history and the promotion of local records conservation; the cataloging and recording of information about people and events in the community; fostering education about the history of the area and its people; and helping researchers access and use information.

These societies often work with libraries and archives to accomplish their goals. However, you will almost always find one or more society members who are exceptionally knowledgeable and who are happy to answer questions and provide guidance. The local public library reference staff may also be able to help.

You should make personal contact with a society to let the members know that you need some advice or assistance. Formulate your questions and communicate them. Ask if there are people who have knowledge of the history of the area and/or of the family you are researching. Request an appointment to speak with the person(s) one-on-one to discuss your problem. Here are some of the things that we have experienced:

The society may have conducted one or more projects and created records that have not been published. These have included: cemetery transcription projects; indexes for newspaper obituaries; creation of newspaper subject clipping files (by name, location, and subject); collection and indexing of historical postcards, photographs, and stereographs; collection of funeral home books; and compilation of members’ family group sheets.

One or more society members may be longtime residents of the area and have personal knowledge of people, places, and events. Here are several examples:

A woman in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, was an authority on local history and created captions for almost every historical photograph and vintage postcard in the county library system’s possession.

A chance encounter with a local resident in Edgefield County, South Carolina, led Drew and his brother to the tiny, isolated cemetery in which their great-grandmother’s brother, the Rev. Jesse Pitts Bodie, was buried. (Years later, Drew learned that the local resident was an officer of the local genealogical society.)

A librarian working in the Heritage Room of the Rome-Floyd County Library in Rome, Georgia, had detailed knowledge of the contents of the George Magruder Battey, Jr., personal papers in the library’s possession. Mr. Battey was the local historian for many decades. The librarian quickly located correspondence from the files between Mr. Battey and several of George G. Morgan’s Holder family members. She also provided clipping files about the businesses dealings of his great grandfather, Green Berry Holder, in Rome, and written accounts concerning Mr. Holder’s elections to the Georgia House of Representatives. In addition, she provided access to some of the original records of the United Confederate Veterans Camp Number 368 in the library’s possession. She connected George with the administrator of the county school system who provided access to original local newspapers that had not yet been microfilmed. For the following several days, she offered contacts to other people in the area and,

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