It can be helpful to know who “did the thing your ancestor did on the same day he did it.” Declarations of intention to become a citizen are usually filed in the order in which the declarations were made–who made theirs out the same day your ancestor did? The same recording order usually applies to final naturalizations. Bureau of Land Management tract books indicate the day a person filed their claim at the nearest land office. Did any of your ancestor’s neighbors file claims on the same day? The Illinois Adjutant General’s report lists desertion or discharge dates for men who served in Illinois Civil War units. Knowing who deserted the same day as my relative may be clue as well. Remember–someone doing the same thing as you ancestor […]
We have an agenda at “Genealogy Tip of the Day. It is a simple one: “get you thinking about your research.” We want you to think about the information you obtain and how it got in the record you located. We want you to think about your assumptions. We want you to think about what sources may be available where your relative lived–all those sources. We want you to think about your ancestor’s social class, ethnic group, educational level, occupation–and how those things impact the records and the story that was left behind. We want you to think about how you search. We want you to think about how you analyze, organize, and preserve your information. Readers may not agree with every post we make and, as they say, […]
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