Genealogy: A Selective List of General Sources

The University of Minnesota Libraries does not have a specialized genealogy collection. However, it does have within its general and reference collections books of interest to the genealogist. You may be able to find may of these sources in your local library or bookstore.

Handbooks and Manuals

Bell, James B. Family History Record Book. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1980.

A companion volume to G.H. Doane's Searching for Your Ancestors.
Location: Wilson quarto 929 B413

Clewer, Lisa Ray. How to Find Your Own Roots: A Guide to Tracing Your Family Genealogy and Making a Living History Album. Studio City, Calif.: The Works, 1977.

Location: Immigration Hist Res Ctr CS16 .C57

Croom, Emily Anne. The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, 1994.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS47 .C75 1994

Doane, Gilbert H., and James B. Bell. Searching for Your Ancestors: The How and Why of Genealogy. University of Minnesota Press, 6th ed., 1992.

Location: Wilson Reference CS16 .D6 1992

Everton, George B., ed. The Handy Book for Genealogists. 7th ed. Logan Utah: Everton Publishing, 1981.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS47 .E9 1981

Helmbold, F. Wilbur. Tracing Your Ancestry: A Step-by-Step Guide to Research Your Family History. Birmingham, Ala.: Oxmoor House, 1976.

Location: Wilson CS47 .H44

Howells, Cyndi. Netting Your Ancestors: Genealogical Research on the Internet. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1997.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS21 .H75 1997

Kemp, Thomas Jay. International Vital Records Handbook. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1990.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS42.7 .K46x 1990

Kirkham, E. Kay. How to Read the Handwriting and Records of Early America. Salt Lake City: Kay Pub. Co., 1961.

Location: Wilson quarto 417 K635

Lichtman, Allan J. Your Family History: How to Use Oral History, Personal Family Archives, and Public Documents to Discover Your Heritage. New York: Vintage Books, 1978.

Location: Wilson CS16 .L53

The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History. Edited by David Hey. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Location: Wilson Reference: CS9 .O94 1996

Ritchie, Donald A. Doing Oral History. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995

Location: Wilson D16.14 .R57 1995

Stryker-Rodda, Harriet. Understanding Colonial Handwriting. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986.

Location: Wilson Z115.A58 S8 1986

Szucs, Loretto, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Pub. Co., 1997.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS49 .S60 1997

Szucs, Loretto Dennis. They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1997.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS47 .S96 1998 Immigration Hist Res Center quarto CS47 .S96 1998

Warren, Paula Stuart. Minnesota Genealogical Reference Guide. St. Paul: Warren Research and Publishing, 1997

Wilson Reference quarto F605 .W376 1997

Westin, Jeane Eddy. Finding Your Roots: How Every American Can Trace His Ancestors, at Home and Abroad. Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1977.

Walter 929.1 W527

Williams, Ethel W. Know Your Ancestors: A Guide to Genealogical Research. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1960.

Location: Wilson Reference CS16 .W53 1960

Whittemore, Henry. Genealogical Guide to the Early Settlers of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1967.

Location: Wilson 929.2 W618

Wright, Raymond S., III. The Genealogist's Handbook: Modern Methods for Researching Family History. Chicago: American Library Association, 1995.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS9 .W74 1995

Atlases, Maps, and Gazateers

Andriot, John L. Township Atlas of the United States. McLean, VA: Documents Index, 1991.

Location: Wilson Borchert Map (Reference) quarto G1201 .F7 A57x 1991

Kirkham, E. Kay. A Genealogical and Historical Atlas of the United States of America. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1976.

Location: Wilson Borchert Map quarto G1201 .E6225 K5 1976

Lind, Marilyn. Using Maps and Aerial Photography in Your Genealogical Research: With Supplement on Foreign Aerial Photography. Cloquet, MN: Linden Tree, c1985.

Location: Wilson quarto CS49 .L55 1985

The Settling of North America: The Atlas of the Great Migrations into North America from the Ice Age to the Present. New York: Macmillan, 1995.

Location: Wilson folio G1106 .E27 S4 1995

Thormdale, William. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987.

Location: Wilson Borchert Map HA217. T46x 1987

Bibliographies

American Family History: A Historical Bibliography. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio Information Services, 1984.

Location: Wilson Reference HQ535 .A587 1984

Filby, P. William. American and British Genealogy and Heraldry: A Selected List of Books, 3rd ed.. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1983.

Location: Wilson Reference CS47 .F52x 1983

Filby, P. William. A Bibliography of American County Histories. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985.

Location: Wilson Reference E180 .F54x 1985

Gilmer, Lois C. Genealogical Research and Resources: A Guide for Library Use. Chicago: American Library Association, 1988.

Location: Wilson Reference Z688 .G3 G54 1988

Goodspeed's Catalogue of Genealogies and Local Histories. Boston: Goodspeed's Book Shop, 1928

Location: Wilson 016.92 G62

Greenwood, Val D. Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1990.

Location: Wilson Reference CS47 .G73 1990

Hamilton, Ann B. Researcher's Guide to United States Census Availability, 1790-1910. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 2000.

Location: Wilson CS49 .H36x 2000

Jarboe, Betty. Obituaries: A Guide to Sources, 2nd ed. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall, 1989.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CT214 .J3x 1989

Kemp, Thomas Jay. The 1995 Genealogy Annual: A Bibliography of Published Sources. Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources, 1996- (annual)

A bibliography of family histories, handbooks, and source material published in 1995.
Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS1 .G46x

Kirkham, E. Kay. A Survey of American Church Records for the Period before the Civil War, East of the Mississippi River, 1958.

Wilson 280 K635 v.1-2

Kirkham, E. Kay. A Survey of American Church Records: Major and Minor Denominations Before 1880-1890: Religious Migrations of Some of the Major Denominations. 4th ed. Logan, UT: Everton Publishers, 1978.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CD3065 .K5 1978

Library of Congress. American and English Genealogies in the Library of Congress, 2nd. ed. Washington, Govt. Printing Office., 1919.

Location: Wilson quarto 016.92 Un3

Library of Congress. Genealogies Cataloged by the Library of Congress Since 1986. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1991.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto Z688 .G3 L53x 1991

Library of Congress. United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress: A Bibliography. Edited by Marion J. Kaminkow. Baltimore: Magna Carta Book Co., 1976.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto E180 .L5x 1975 v.1-4

Minnesota Historical Society. Holdings of Newspapers in Master Negative Microfilm. St. Paul, MN: MHS Newspaper Microfilming Project.

Location: Wilson Reference MFilm 3113

Neagles, James C. The Library of Congress: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Pub. Co., 1990.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto E180 .N4x 1990

Northwest Minnesota Historical Center. Guide to the Northwest Minnesota Historical Center Collections. Moorhead, Minn.: Livingston Lord Library, Moorhead State University, 1988

Wilson quarto F605 .N67x 1988

Printed Sources: A guide to published genealogical records. Edited by Kory L. Meyerink. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1998.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS9 .P75x 1998

Using Maps in Genealogy. Reston, Va.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survery, 1994.

Location: Wilson Gov Pub (US Docs) I 19.2:g 29/28; also check Wilson Gov Pub (US Docs) I 19.15/3:M 32

White, J. Todd, ed. Fighters for Independence: A Guide to Sources of Biographical Information on Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1977.

Location: Wilson 016.973 W584

Yantis, Netti Schreiner. Genealogical Books in Print: A Catalogue of In-print Titles. Springfield, Va.: Schreiner-Yantis, 1975

Location: Wilson 016.9291 Y17

Biographical Sources

Barthelmas, Della Gray. The Signers of the Declaration of Independence: A Biographical and Genealogical Reference. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997.

Location: Wilson Reference E221 .B37 1997

Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1985 -.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CT214 .B51x ; also available in electronic index version while in the Library ( http://galenet.gale.com/a/acp/db/bgmi/ ), ask at Reference desk

Biography Index. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1949-.

Location: Wilson Reference CT214 .B56x

Burke's Presidential Families of the United States of America. Edited by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd. London: Burke's Peerage, 1981.

Location: Wilson Reference CS69 .B82 1981

Virkus, Frederick Adams, ed. The Compendium of American Genealogy; First Families of America; the Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States. Chicago: A. N. Marquis, 1925-42. 7 v.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS69 .V814 v.1-7

Dictionaries

Colwell, Stella. Dictionary of Genealogical Sources in the Public Records Office (Great Britain). London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1992

Location: Wilson Reference CS434 .C65x 1992

Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965.

Location: Wilson 929.1 Sa92a v.1-4

Directories

American Association for State and Local History. Directory: Historical Societies and Agencies in the United States and Canada. 12th ed. Madison, WI: American Library Association, 1986.

Location: Wilson E172 .A538

Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. The Genealogist's Address Book. Baltimore, Md. : Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS44 .B46x 1998

Filby, P. William. Directory of American Libraries with Genealogy or Local History Collections. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, Inc., 1988.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto Z675 .G44 F56 1988

Meyer, Mary K. Directory of Genealogical Societies in the United States and Canada. Pasadena, MD: Meyer, 1976.

Location: Wilson 929.1 M575

Schaefer, Christina K. The Center: A Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Capital Area. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS44 .S33 1996

Sourcebook of County Court Records: A National Guide to Civil, Criminal, and Probate Records at the County and Municipal Levels within the State Court Systems. Tempe, AZ: BRB Publications, 1997

Location: Law Reference KF8700 .A19 s68z 1997

Encyclopedias

Pine, L.G. The Genealogist's Encyclopedia. Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 1969.

Location: Wilson Reference CS9 .P48 1969

Indexes

Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1985 -.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CT214 .B51x ; also available in electroni index version, ask at Reference desk

Biography Index. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1949-.

Location: Wilson Reference CT214 .B56x

Coldham, Peter Wilson. Child Apprentices in America: From Christ's Hospital, London, 1617-1778. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1990.

Location: Wilson Reference CS68 .C518 1990

Evans, Helen F. Index of References to American Women in Colonial Newspapers through 1800. Bedford, NH: The Bibliographer, 1979.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS61 .E86x 1979 v.1-2

Index to American Genealogies. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1967.

Location: Wilson 016.9 In2a

Jacobus, Donald Lines. Index to Genealogical Periodicals. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1963-66.

Location: Wilson 016.929 J159 v.1-3

New York Times Obituaries Index, 1858-1968. New York: New York Times, 1970.

Location: Wilson Reference CT213 .N47 1970

New York Times Obituaries Index, 1969-1978. New York: New York Times, 1980.

Location: Wilson Reference CT213 .N532x 1980

Personal Name Index to the New York Times. Byron A. Falk, Jr., and Valerie R. Falk, ed. Succasunna, NJ: Roxbury Data Interface, 1977.

Location: Wilson Reference CT104 .F34x 1976 and Wilson Reference CT104 .F34x 1986

Research Publications, Inc. Bibliography and Reel Index: A Guide to the Microfilm Edition of United States Decennial Census Publications, 1790-1970. Woodbridge, CT: Research Publications, 1975.

Location: Wilson Gov Pub (Desk Ref) HA195 .R4x 1975

Social Security Death Index. Covers more than 60 million individuals who died from the early 1960s to date.

Location: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm

Sperry, Kip. A Survey of American Genealogical Periodicals and Periodical Indexes. Detroit: Gale Research Co., c1978.

Location: Wilson Reference CS42 .S6x 1978

Stemmons, John D. A Selected Topical Index to Newspapers. Salt Lake City, UT: Stemmons Publishing, 1992.

Location: Wilson Reference MFiche 114

Guides to Working with Government Documents

National Archives Trust Fund Board. Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, D.C.: National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and Service Administration, 1985.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CD3033 1985

Schaefer, Christina K. Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.

Identifies all repositories of naturalization records by types of records held, dates of coverage, location of original and microfilmed records.
Location: Wilson Reference CS49 .S28 1997

Szucs, Loretto and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. The Archives: A Guide to the National Archives Field Branches. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1988.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CD3029 .S98x 1988

United States. National Archives and Records Service. Genealogical and Biographical Research: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, D.C.: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1983.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS47 .U5x 1983

United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Using Records in the National Archives for Genealogical Research. Rev. 1990. Washington, D.C.: NARA, 1990.

Location: Wilson Gov Pub (US Docs) AE 1.113:5/990

United States. National Archives and Records Service. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1983.

Location: Wilson Reference quarto CS68 .U54x 1983

Writing Guides

Kempthorne, Charley. For All Time: A Complete Guide to Writing Your Family History. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1996.

Location: Wilson CS16 .K45 1996

Lackey, Richard S. Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1985.

Location: Wilson CS16 .L3 1985

Searching MNCAT

You can use MNCAT, the University Libraries' computerized catalog, to search for specific subjects. The following are some examples of useful subject terms for genealogists; other examples are found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings books located in Wilson Reference.

genealogy
american newspapers--indexes
bounties, military--united states
church records and registers--[country/state]
genealogy--bibliography
genealogy--periodicals
names, personal
obituaries
probate records--[country/state]
registers of births, etc--[country/state]
ships--passenger lists
united states--emigration and immigration
vital statistics
wills--[country/state]
[country/state]--genealogy for example:

united states--genealogy
minnesota--genealogy
germany--genealogy

[ethnic group]--genealogy for example:

polish americans--genealogy
jews--genealogy
afro-americans--genealogy

Internet Resources

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet: http://www.CyndisList.com/index.htm

A useful directory of over 54,000 web sites pertaining to genealogy.

The Genealogy Page, National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/genindex.html

Lists NARA publications, microfilm guides, and articles on research collections.

U.S.GenWeb Project

Access to Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.

Social Security Death Index via Ancestry.com

Death Certificate Search (State of Minnesota)

Locate death certificates issued in the state of Minnesota between 1908 and 1950.

Vital Records Information

This page contains information about where to obtain vital records (such as birth, death, marriage certificates, and divorce decrees) from each state, territory and county of the United States.

Electronic Newsletters

Ancestry's Daily News: http://www.ancestry.com

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: http://www.ancestry.com/columns. eastman/index.htm (Geared toward new software and technoligy)

Everton's Family History Newsline: http://www.everton.com/FHN/

The SurnameWeb

Page comments: Janet M. Roseen