The Family Tree
By Terence L. Day
Terence L. Day, genealogist and journalist, is on the Washington State University faculty. He welcomes e-mail at genealogy@moscow.com, or regular mail in care of the Tri-City Herald City newsroom, P.O. Box 2608, Tri-Cities, WA 99302-2608.
2 reference books great help to genealogists
This story was published Feb. 2, 1997
If I could afford to buy only one standard reference book, it would be The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy.
If I could afford two, I'd also buy The Handybook for Genealogists.
And if I couldn't afford the investment, I'd go to the library and use them both - liberally.
For me, Handybook, by Everton Publishers, is an old, well-worn friend and The Source, by Ancestry Inc., is a new-found friend with whom I'm destined to spend much time in the future.
These two references are standard resources that compliment each other. Although there is a little redundancy, they are different in approach and content. The great strength of Handybook lies in its geographical approach. It treats records state-by-state and county-by-county.
Each state's history of relevance to genealogists is related in brief overviews telling when the state was formed and giving a history of its vital records and gives addresses where genealogists can write for information.
Next, each county is listed, along with information on when it was formed, from what counties it was created, when it started keeping vital records, etc. And addresses and phone numbers of county courthouses are listed.
Handybook also publishes state maps showing county boundaries.
All of this is vital information for genealogists, both amateur and professional. And it is updated frequently. Since its inception in 1947, Handybook has gone through eight editions.
The Source is a different kind of resource. Like Handybook, it is valuable for new and seasoned genealogists, but its special strength lies in its document and database approach to the subject.
It deals with the full spectrum of source data, from the commonly used censuses, wills and probates and goes far beyond, into records kept by the military, penitentiaries, hospitals, businesses and other institutions and organizations.
Each chapter tells not only where these records may be found, but gives valuable counsel on how to use them. They also provide reproductions of many records to help explain them to neophytes.
The Source was first published in 1984. Now, fresh off the press is a much needed revised edition, 834 pages jam-packed with invaluable information.
As the publisher notes on the dust jacket, dramatic changes have taken place in the field of genealogical research during the last dozen years. Many records collections have moved, record access policies have changed and many previously inaccessible records have been opened to genealogists.
Personal computers were just coming on the scene when the first edition of The Source was published. Now computers loom large in genealogy and you will find guidance on their use sprinkled throughout the revised edition.
One of The Source's strengths is it isn't the work of one author, but many, under the guidance of editors Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking.
The editors wrote the introductory chapter, "The Foundations of Family History Research," but other chap ters are written by appropriate experts in that particular subject matter.
Kory L. Meyerink wrote Databases, Indexes, and Other Finding Aids, which includes information on computerized genealogical resources available through libraries, government offices and other organizations, as well as information on some computer software programs for genealogists' personal computers. Arlene H. Eakle writes about the various types of court records and how genealogists can make best use of them. George Ryskamp writes on tracking Hispanic family history.
There also are chapters on African-American, Jewish-American and Native-American family history.
One of two new chapters in the revised edition is on "Twentieth-Century Research." The other is the foundations chapter by the editors.
My ancestors seem to have avoided urban living like the plague, but if yours were denizens of large, inner cities, you may find Szucs' chapter, "Tracking Urban Ancestors," of special value. She writes not only of special sources, but also of research strategies.
Whether you buy your own copy or use a library or Family History Center copy, you will find The Source is one of the most valuable guides to genealogical research.
To order The Source directly from Ancestry, P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, Utah., 84110, or call the company at 800-531-1790. The price is $45.95 plus $5.50 shipping. The book also is available through local book stores. If they don't stock it, they can order it.