Missouri Death Certificates Database Updated - New Images

The Missouri State Archives has added new images to its online Missouri death certificates database. The index is available for 1910-1955. And there are now digitized images of the death certificates available for 1910-1929 and 1950-1955. Go to: Missouri Death Certificates Database 1910-1955

For more online Missouri death indexes see: Online Missouri Death Records, Indexes and Obituaries

An Irish Christmas Tale

Since it's the festive time of year I thought I would offer my blog readers a story about the upcoming holiday. Each year at Christmas time I send out a story instead of a Christmas card. You can read one of these online at...

To Hear the Angels Sing - a Dublin City Christmas Story

Enjoy the holiday season. -Joe

(illustration by Susan Ebertowski from the story)

New Additions - Online Death Indexes

The following links were recently added to the Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records website...

Colorado
- Archuleta County Mortality Schedule 1884-1885
- Ouray County Probate Index 1878-1919
- Teller County Inheritance Tax Record Index 1917-1936
- Teller County Will Records 1894-1971

Kansas
- Gove County Cemeteries

Kentucky
- Jefferson County: Cave Hill Cemetery Burials - Louisville, Kentucky

Maine
- Bangor Maine Municipal Cemetery Interments (downloadable Word files) includes Pine Grove Cemetery, Oak Grove Cemetery & Maple Grove Cemetery

New Jersey
- Bergen County: Mount Moriah Jewish Cemetery Burials (in Fairview, New Jersey)

New York
- Albany County: Berne Historical Project - includes cemetery records
- Suffolk County: Mount Ararat Jewish Cemetery Burials (in Lindenhurst, New York)

Ohio
- Lorain County: Amherst News-Times Obituaries Index (recent)
- Lorain County Probate Online Records Search 1990-present
- Stark County Probate Court Records Search

Tennesse
- Tennesse Death Index 1914-1918 (update: year 1918 added)

Ancestry's Immigration Collection - Free Until Dec. 31, 2006

This offer has expired. You might enjoy this online directory of free and fee-based passenger lists and immigration records indexes...

Directory of Online Passenger Lists Indexes and Records

New York Passenger Lists Online Database Updated: 1820-1957

Ancestry has updated their online New York ship passenger lists database. It now covers the years 1820-1957. The database includes a name index for the passengers as well as digitized images of the passenger lists from the National Archives microfilm. The Barge Office, Castle Garden and Ellis Island periods are included in the database. See: New York Passenger Lists Quick Guide 1820-1957 for a link to the database and basic NY ship passenger lists information.

For some information about finding passenger lists at other ports see: Finding Passenger Lists 1820-1940s - arrivals at US Ports

Live Long and Prosper - How Symbols Influence Pop Culture

The Cemetery Symbols Blog has a recent post about the Jewish symbol of the Priestly Blessing, which can sometimes be found on tombstones of people with a priestly lineage. The Hebrew word for priest is Kohen (or Cohen). As a child, actor Leonard Nimoy saw the Priestly Blessing in a synagogue and later adapted it as the Vulcan hand greeting in the Star Trek television series. For more see: Kohanim or Cohanim Hands - Priestly Blessing at the cemetery symbols blog.

People Searching - Online Tools

Online Tools For Adoptees, Genealogists and Other Missing Persons Searchers

The directory of online people searching tools listed below has recently been updated. Included are telephone and address books, public records, vital records resources, and information about Area Codes, Zip Codes and the Social Security Death Index. You might find the directory helpful for locating old friends and family members, or for adoption related searches...

Finding Living and Recently Deceased People in the USA - Online Tools For Adoptees, Genealogists and Other Missing Persons Searchers

Ancestry adds 1851 Census of Canada Index

Ancestry has added a name index and digitized images for the 1851 Census of Canada to its collection of online genealogy databases. The 1851 Canada census includes the areas of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Canada East (Lower Canada, or roughly Quebec), and Canada West (Upper Canada, or roughly Ontario). Not all of this census has survived. Some of this census was actually taken in 1852.

For links to the 1851 Canada census, and more online indexes for Canada census records see: Canada Census Records and Indexes

U.S. Population Now at 300 Million

Americans... today you are 1 of 300,000,000. The U.S. Census Bureau
has reported that the total population of the United States reached
300 million at about 7:46 (EDT) this morning. The U.S. reached the 200
million mark in 1967 and the 100 million mark in 1915. Presently in
the United States there is one birth every 7 seconds, one death every
13 seconds, and one international migrant is added every 31 seconds.
This adds one person to the U.S. population every 11 seconds. You can
see the Census Bureau's population clock at: U.S. Population Clock

What does it cost to count you?
This webpage lists what it cost the U.S. government to take the decennial federal census for each of the census years: The Cost of the US Census and Population Figures 1790-2000

Autumn in the Cemetery

I thought I would add a bit of color to the blog today. What a beautiful time of year to wander through a cemetery...













Photo by Joe Beine, Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado, 1 October 2006 (click the image to see a larger view)

You might enjoy...
Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols

World War II Army Enlistment Records Database

If you have any ancestors or relatives who enlisted in the US Army during World War II, you might be able to find them listed in the Army Enlistment database provided by the National Archives (NARA). The original computer files for this database were created in 1994 by the Bureau of the Census at NARA's request. The Census Bureau used their "Film Optical Sensing Device for Input to Computers" (FOSDIC) system from a series of 1,586 microfilm rolls of computer punch cards. The original punch cards, which had basic information about enlistees when they entered the Army, were destroyed after being microfilmed in 1947. Unfortunately 212 microfilm rolls could not be converted to computer files because the card images were too dark. In 2002 NARA edited, merged and cleaned up these files, then later put them online. They can be searched from: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) Click on "World War II" when you get there.


click the image to see a larger view

The Army Enlistment database contains 9,200,232 total records. You will find some errors in the database due to all the changes and editing the originals went through from punch card to microfilm to computer files. Also, about 1.5 million punch cards were not readable by the FOSDIC system from the original microfilm so the database is incomplete. NARA considers the database with its 9 million entries to be a "best guess" file. Note that the database is for United States Army enlistments, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC or WAC), and not other branches of the service. Despite the errors and omissions this is still a great tool for finding basic information about WWII Army enlistments.

The National Archives also has an excellent article about the creation of this database: The World War II Army Enlistment Records File and Access to Archival Databases

For more online WWII indexes see: Online World War II Indexes & Records

Bob Marley in the Florida Death Index and a Look at His Roots

"When the root is strong, the fruit is sweet." -Katherine "YaYa" Malcolm (?-1956), Bob Marley's great grandmother

Acclaimed reggae musician Bob Marley can be found listed in Ancestry's online Florida death index - see: Online Florida Death Records Indexes and Obituaries. I've always found it a bit intriguing that a reggae legend, who lived most of his life in Jamaica and England, would be listed in an American genealogy database. Shortly before his death Bob Marley received treatment for cancer in Munich, but he wanted to live his final days in Jamaica. His flight home stopped in Miami where he received medical treatment. He died 40 hours after leaving Germany in Miami's Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. Here's the Florida death index listing...

Name: Robert Nosta Marley
Death Date: 11 May 1981
County of Death: Dade
Age at Death: 36
Race: Black
Birth Date: 6 Feb 1945

The middle name given in the death index contains a typo. The name should actually be Nesta - that's what Bob Marley was called as a child. The name Nesta, perhaps prophetically, means "messenger." Robert Nesta Marley was born in Nine Miles, St. Ann Parish, Jamaica on 6 February 1945, while the world was at war. His mother, Cedella Malcolm (now Booker), is descended from Jamaican slaves. She currently lives in Florida and turned 80 this year. Bob's Anglo-Jamaican father, "Captain" Norval Sinclair Marley (1881-1955), had little contact with his son. Norval and Cedella were married in 1944 when he was 63 and she was 18. Bob was their only child.

In the Time Will Tell video biography Bob was asked if he had prejudice against white people. His response: "I don't have prejudice against myself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip on the black man's side nor the white man's side. Me dip on God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white."

Roots, Rock, Reggae
Bob's paternal grandparents were Robert Marley (1851-1885) and Ellen Bloomfield (1854-1952). His maternal grandparents were Omeriah Malcolm (c. 1880s-1964) and Alberta Willoughby (?-1935). Omeriah was a farmer, a "bush doctor," and one of the most respected residents of Nine Miles. According to Timothy White's book, Catch a Fire, Omeriah's father, Robert "Uncle Day" Malcolm, "was descended from the Cromanty slaves shipped to Jamaica from the Gold Coast (of Africa) in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries." Slavery was abolished in Jamaica in 1838.

Bob's mother moved from Jamaica to Wilmington, Delaware in 1962. Bob lived with her for part of 1966 and visited a few other times, doing odd jobs including one as a lab assistant for DuPont. He worked hard so he could save enough money to start his own record company. Before going to Delaware Bob had recorded solo and with his fellow Wailers, Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh. He had also married Cuban born singer Alpharita "Rita" Anderson (b. 1946). When he returned to Jamaica he continued to pursue his musical career. Following a prolific series of Jamaican recordings and hits, the Wailers signed with Island records in 1972 and gained an international audience. Bob's landmark 1977 album Exodus was voted "album of the century" by Time Magazine in 1999.

"Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom..."
In September, 1980 I visited New York City for the first time. I stayed at the Essex House Hotel at the southern end of Central Park. Bob Marley and the Wailers were staying at the same hotel. They were in town for a series of concerts with the Commodores at Madison Square Garden. I saw Bob and his entourage in the lobby one afternoon. Of course they looked a little different than the other hotel guests. Of course they all stood out. But Bob had a presence the others lacked. He was wearing a Rasta tam (knitted cap) over his dreadlocks. He was ill at this time, but I didn't know that then. His vibration, maybe dimmed by illness, still filled that lobby. Just standing in his presence you could feel it. He died less than eight months later. But his vibrations can still be felt in the music and spiritual philosophy he left behind.

Sources
Book: Catch a Fire - The Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White

Book: Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley by Christopher John Farley

A family tree for Bob's father, Norval Marley, can be found online at: Norval Sinclair Marley Family Tree Chart

Suggested Music (links are to iTunes)
"One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain."

Exodus - Bob Marley and the Wailers

Legend - the Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers

Found: the Real Ellis Island Annie Moore

As some of you may know, the first person to be processed at New York's famous immigrant center, Ellis Island, was an Irish girl named Annie Moore. But what became of Annie Moore? Where did she live after arriving in the US? Did she marry? Have children? On July 17, 2006 Megan Smolenyak announced a genealogy contest to help find out. A $1000 reward was offered. In late August, Megan annouced that the contest was over. And on September 15, 2006 a press conference was held at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. The $1000 prize was split between two people, who will both donate the money to help buy a headstone for Annie Moore's presently unmarked grave in Queens, New York. For more see this Annie Moore Story in the New York Times (may require registration). And: Annie in the Echo.

Also check out Megan's blog post about her New York adventure - Annie Moore's Youngest Descendant.

Related Articles and Links

• Annie Moore, First Ellis Island Immigrant - Jan. 2, 1892 New York Times Article
• New York Passenger Lists Quick Guide 1820-1957
• Ellis Island? Castle Garden? Which One? And When?

(This is an updated previous post.)

Recent Additions - Online Death Indexes

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

Pennsylvania
- Lycoming County: Newspapers Surname Index 1807-1904 - includes obituaries and marriages

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

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." :)

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

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

Nevada marriages index available online from Ancestry...
Nevada Marriage Index 1956-2005 (fee-based) contains these 2 indexes...

• Clark County, Nevada (including Las Vegas) Marriage Index 1956-1966
• Nevada Statewide Index to Marriages 1966-2005 (including Clark County and Las Vegas)

And if the marriage didn't last: Nevada Divorce Index 1968-2005 (fee-based)

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

Texas Death Index 1903-2000 (Updated)

Ancestry has recently updated their online Texas death index. Previously it covered the years 1964-1998. It now covers 1903-2000. This database can searched at...

Texas Death Records Index 1903-2000 (requires Ancestry subscription for full results)

For more online Texas death indexes (by county), including obituaries and cemeteries, see: Online Texas Death Indexes, Cemeteries and Obituaries

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...

• 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

But there are many more ports where immigrants arrived.

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

A Book About Cemetery Symbolism

Book Review: Stories in Stone - A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography by Douglas Keister

Like many genealogists, I enjoy spending a lazy afternoon wandering through a cemetery, taking pictures or just looking around. I like the sense of meditative calm that you only get in cemeteries. And each grave marker has an interesting story carved in granite or marble or some other stone. Sometimes I come across a mysterious symbol engraved in a headstone or decorating a grave. These symbols almost seem like clues to add to the minimal information usually found on most gravestones. Two years ago author and photographer Douglas Keister published a book that discusses the meaning behind many of these cemetery symbols. He called it Stories in Stone.

The book is illustrated with numerous photographs and includes an alphabetical listing of acronyms and abbreviations of societies, clubs and organizations. A chapter on mortality symbols discusses everything from the skull and crossbones to the grim reaper. There are chapters on symbols of flora (plants), fauna (animals), and religions (Christian, Hebrew, Chinese and Japanese), including descriptions of different kinds of crosses. Angels, who seem to gather in cemeteries everywhere, get their own section called "Heavenly Messengers." I was especially impressed with the chapter devoted to secret societies and organizations such as the Masons/Freemasons, Woodmen of the World, Knights Templar, Knights of Columbus, Odd Fellows, Grand Army of the Republic, Shriners, and others. Each of these is illustrated with an example photograph.

The book is not only useful for helping to decipher some of the symbolism found in cemeteries, it's also just fun to look through. Recommended for genealogy sleuths and cemetery lovers. You might try your favorite local bookstore or a library.

For more information about Cemeteries and their symbolism see: Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols

New Orleans Ship Passenger Lists Database Updated

Ancestry's New Orleans passenger lists index has recently been updated to include the years 1820-1945. Previously it covered 1820-1850. The new database also includes digitized images of the passenger lists from the National Archives microfilm (from NARA publications M259 and T905). You can check out the newly updated database at: New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945

You must be a subscriber to Ancestry's U.S. (or world) genealogy records collection to access this database. Searches by name of passenger can be done from 1820-1945. You can also browse the lists by year, month and ship - scroll past the search box for the list of years.

For a fairly detailed guide to finding New Orleans passenger lists see: Finding New Orleans Passenger Lists

For information on finding passenger lists at other ports see: Ship Passenger Lists and Immigration Records

Maria von Trapp in the Social Security Death Index

Maria von Trapp, Austrian-born matriarch of the famous singing von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame, passed away in Vermont in 1987, and she can be found listed in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) ...

Name: MARIA TRAPP
Birth: 26 Jan 1905
Death: Apr 1987
Last Residence: 05672 (Stowe, Lamoille, VT)
Last Benefit: (none specified)
Social Security Number: 009-32-2317
Issued: Vermont

Note that her surname lacks the "von" part and her death date is given as April 1987 without a specific day. Maria actually died on 28 March 1987 as can be seen in this listing from Ancestry's Vermont Death Index -- See: Vermont Death Indexes and Records ...

Name: Maria Augusta Von Tropp
Gender: Female
Death Date: 28 Mar 1987
Birth Location: Austria
Place of Death: Inpatient
Death Location: Morristown, Lamoille

If you have a subscription to Ancestry's genealogy records collection, you can view her death certificate online here

While Maria died in a hopsital in Morristown, her death certificate shows her residence as Stowe, VT. Her usual occupation is given as "author" and her business or industry as "entertainment." The informant (person who supplied the information) was her son, Johannes von Trapp. Note the spelling of her surname in the index - Von Tropp) - it does look like Tropp, rather than Trapp, on the hand written death certificate.

When using the SSDI if you come upon a month and year only for the death date you can usually get the correct date from other sources such as the person's death certificate. Try the online death records directory for some online indexes and sources.

Also, when searching for surnames that contain more than one word you might try different variations like... Trapp, Vontrapp or von Trapp.

Maria von Trapp is buried in the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, along with her husband, Georg Ritter von Trapp, who died on 30 May 1947, and Hedwig von Trapp (1917�1972), daughter of Georg and his first wife, Agathe. (The photo at left: Maria von Trapp, 1944.)

Georg and Agathe (Whitehead) von Trapp had seven children, all born in Austria: Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna and Martina. Agathe von Trapp died in 1922 of scarlet fever. Georg and Maria (Kutschera) von Trapp, who married in 1927, had three children: Rosmarie, Eleonore, and Johannes. The first two were born in Austria. Johannes was born in Philadelphia while the von Trapps were visiting Pennsylvania on a singing tour. The family later settled in the United States.

Sound of Music Fun
In the Sound of Music movie, the real Maria von Trapp, along with one of her daughters and a granddaughter, did a "walk-on" and can be seen briefly in the "I Have Confidence" segment behind Julie Andrews.

More von Trapp Genealogy
For more information on genealogy records related to the von Trapp family see: Immigration Records for the Singing von Trapp Family

This article was updated on 11 August 2010.

Recently Added Naturalization Records Indexes

The following links were recently added to: Online Searchable Naturalization Indexes ...

Alabama
- Jefferson County: Surname Index to Jefferson County, AL Naturalization Records 1887-1911 (includes Birmingham)

California
- Madera County Naturalization Records - has 20th Century (1907 and later) Declarations of Intent & Petitions for Citizenship (some gaps)

Colorado
- Douglas County: Index of Declaration of Intention for Citizenship 1871-1938
- La Plata County: Durango Naturalization Records Indexes

Nebraska
- Cedar County Naturalization Records

New Jersey
- Atlantic County Immigration Index - Mostly Declarations of Intention - includes digitized images

New York
- Eastern District Court of New York Naturalization Project 1865-1956 (work in progress/not complete) indexes naturalization records of Eastern District NY Courts including Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Nassau & Suffolk Counties.

North Dakota
- Name Index to North Dakota Naturalization Records for federal courts - U.S. District and U.S. Circuit Courts, District of North Dakota

South Dakota
- Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota... most listings are for federal courts

Ellis Island? Castle Garden? Which One? And When?

From August 1855 to 1924, millions of new arrivals to New York City went through an immigration processing center. The most famous New York immigration centers are Ellis Island and Castle Garden. The least famous is likely the Barge Office, which was used briefly just prior to the opening of Ellis Island in 1892, and again following a fire on Ellis Island in 1897, which destroyed the buildings there. When the new buildings were completed in 1900 Ellis Island again became New York's immigration center.

Here's a simple timeline for when New York's immigrant processing centers were operating:

Prior to August 1, 1855 ... No central processing center
August 1, 1855 - April 18, 1890 ... Castle Garden
April 19, 1890 - December 31, 1891 ... Barge Office
January 1, 1892 - June 14, 1897 ... Ellis Island
June 15, 1897 - December 16, 1900 .... Barge Office
December 17, 1900 - 1924 .... Ellis Island

On July 1, 1924 a new law went into effect which stated that immigrants were to be inspected at US consular offices in the immigrant's home country before coming to the US. Ellis Island continued to be used as an alien detention center until November 1954. The first person to be processed at Ellis Island in 1892 was a 15-year-old Irish girl, Annie Moore. The last Ellis Island detainee was a Norwegian merchant seaman named Arne Peterssen.

The Barge Office was located on the southeastern tip of Manhattan. Castle Garden, now called Castle Clinton National Monument, was located on a small island just off the southwestern tip. Later landfill has attached the island to Manhattan. Castle Clinton National Monument serves as a visitor information center for New York's National Parks and Monuments. You can also purchase tickets there for ferry trips to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

The passenger ships to New York didn't actually land at Ellis Island -- they landed at Manhattan and the passengers were ferried over to the island for processing. Generally only steerage passengers went to Ellis Island for inspection. Most of the first and second class passengers were allowed to leave the ship soon after docking. All passengers, however, were (or should have been) listed on the ship manifest (or passenger list).

The Ellis Island fire of the night of June 14, 1897 also destroyed some Ellis Island administrative records and the New York immigration passenger lists. However, separate New York customs passenger lists were kept elsewhere (at the Customs House), and they have survived. So ship passenger lists for the early Ellis Island period (1892-June 1897) are available for research along with the rest of the New York passenger lists, beginning with 1820. These passenger records were later microfilmed by the National Archives (customs lists 1820-mid June, 1897), and the INS (immigration lists mid June, 1897-July 3, 1957), who gave the master copies to the National Archives. Over time many indexes and finding aids have been created to help locate individual immigrants on these lists. For information on finding New York passenger lists see...

New York Passenger Lists Quick Guide 1820-1957

For help with other ports...

• Finding Passenger Lists 1820-1940s
  
• Online Ship Passenger Lists

Thanks to INS/USCIS historian, Marian Smith, for her help with this article.

Photograph from: Library of Congress - Selected Images of Ellis Island and Immigration, ca. 1880-1920.

Annie Moore - Ellis Island's First Immigrant

New York's Ellis Island opened as an immigrant processing center on January 1, 1892. The first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island was a 15-year-old Irish girl named Annie Moore. Her ship, the SS Nevada, arrived in New York from Liverpool, England and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland on December 31, 1891. Annie and her two siblings went to Ellis Island by ferry the next day.

You can see a scan of Annie Moore's passenger list (ship manifest) at the Ellis Island Website - you may have to log in or register (free) to view the manifest. Annie is passenger #2 on the list. Her siblings, Anthony and Phillip are passengers 3 and 4.

Annie Moore's Story in the New York Times
The New York Times ran a story about the opening of Ellis Island and Annie Moore on January 2, 1892. You can read an excerpt from this article at: Annie Moore, First Ellis Island Immigrant - in the New York Times

Ellis Island? Castle Garden? Which One? And When?
Here's an article about New York's three immigration centers: New York's Immigration Centers - Ellis Island, Castle Garden and the Barge Office

For more information on Annie Moore see: Found: the Real Ellis Island Annie Moore

Florida Marriage Records Indexes now at Ancestry

Ancestry has added a Florida marriage records database to their collection of US genealogy records. The database includes a Florida marriage index from 1927-2001 and a marriage index for various Florida counties from 1822-1875. Ancestry subscribers can access this database at: Florida Marriage Records Collection, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001

Civil War Pension & Service Records - Tips for Finding Them

This article was updated on 6 September 2011.

This article has tips for obtaining service and pension records for your Civil War ancestor, beginning with some online indexes. Copies of these records can usually be ordered by mail. Some service records and most Confederate pension files are also available on microfilm.

Civil War Records Indexes on the Internet
Not all Civil War records are indexed online, but there are many helpful starting points.

For online indexes to some Civil War service records, pension records, veterans census schedules, rosters of soldiers, and prisoners of war see: Online Civil War Indexes, Records & Rosters

To find a Civil War service record you will need to know the soldier's name, allegiance (Union or Confederate), and the regiment and state (example: 10th Missouri Infantry). You can usually find this information in the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System Online Database.

Civil War Pension Records - Union
Most (but not all) Union soldiers or their widows (or other dependents) applied for and received a pension. Civil War pension records for Union soldiers are held by the National Archives, and can be ordered online or by mail from them for a fee. For information see...

• Online ordering: Order Civil War Records Online - National Archives
• Ordering by mail: Start by ordering this form: "Military Pension/Bounty Land Warrant Applications (NATF 85)" at: National Archives - Order a Form. After you receive the form in the mail, fill it out and mail it back to them. There will be a fee for ordering copies of the records. Ordering the form is free.

Civil War Pension Records - Confederate
Confederate soldiers or their widows usually were only able to apply for a pension if the soldier was disabled or indigent (poverty-stricken). This varied by state. These records are held by a state archives (where the soldier was living at the time he applied for the pension) or similar repository. You can find a list of links to indexes of Confederate pension records for Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia at this website: Civil War Pension Records

For information on pension records for the other Confederate states not listed above see... Confederate Civil War Pension Records

Also, the LDS Family History Library has Civil War pension files on microfilm for all states that offered Confederate pensions except Louisiana.

Civil War Service Records - Union and Confederate
The National Archives has compiled service records for most volunteer Union soldiers and Confederate officers, noncommissioned officers and enlisted men. Some of the records have been microfilmed (these are organized by state). The microfilmed records are available at the National Archives and some of its branches, and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a guide to ordering these records or finding them on microfilm see... Civil War Service Records Research Guide

Union and Confederate Service Records Online at Fold3 (formerly Footnote)
Fold3 has Confederate service records for Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia; and Union service records for Alabama, Arkansas, Dakota, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Colored Troops. (Some of these individual state databases are not yet complete.) You can download digitized copies of these records for a fee. See: Civil War Service Records at Fold3 (formerly Footnote)

Note: these suggestions may not work for everyone who fought in the Civil War for a variety of reasons. And be sure to try alternate spellings when using indexes.

New Additions - Online Death Indexes

The following links were recently added to Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records ...

California
- Placer County: Index to Deaths 1852-1885 from the Placer Herald Newspaper, Auburn, California

Georgia
- African American Cemeteries and Obituaries - includes about 80,000 entries for Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Schley, and Sumter counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama

Kentucky
- Wayne County Cemeteries - scanned pages from the Wayne County, Kentucky Cemeteries book

Massachusetts
- Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts - Jewish Burials Search (55,000 entries)
- Plymouth County: Town of Middleboro Vital Records Index 1649-1945 (downloadable PDF files) also has cemetery listings and other records

Michigan
- Isabella County: Chippewa River District Library Obituary Finder

Missouri
- St. Louis: New Mt. Sinai Cemetery Jewish Burials 1850-Oct 2004 (downloadable PDF files)

New York
Monroe County...
- Rochester Public Library Life Records Database - indexes death notices from City of Rochester newspapers 1960-2006; also has birth & marriage notices
Queens County...
- Mount Hebron Jewish Cemetery Burials
- Mount Carmel Jewish Cemetery Burials
- Mount Zion Jewish Cemetery Burials
St. Lawrence County Cemeteries & Other Records

Ohio
- MOLO Obituary Index - includes obituaries from newspapers in Ashland County (Loudonville), Coshocton County, Holmes County and Stark County (Massillon)

Pennsylvania
- Fayette County Genealogy Project (includes cemetery records - cemetery database has about 50,000 entries)
- Lawrence County: New Castle Public Library Marriage & Obituary Database

Rhode Island
- Kent County: West Warwick Public Library Times Name Index - July 20, 1892 to Sept 9, 1895 - includes the Kent County Daily Times & the Pawtuxet Valley Daily Times

Utah
- Salt Lake County: Bingham City Cemetery Burials