NATIONAL ARCHIVES RESOURCES FOR GENEALOGISTS
BRENDA KELLOW
SEPTEMBER 8, 2013
Genealogists have been using the Archival Records Catalog (ARC) online for about ten years while sifting everything available on this free site. The National Archives Resources Administration (NARA), created in 1934, closed ARC on August 15, but they have provided us with a new online source, Online Public Access (OPA).
Accessing and working with this site should not be a problem as most of us are familiar with using library access catalogs. The new site, www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/, certainly deserves your attention. It is for beginners as well as the more advanced family researcher.
When you go to the OPA Resources for Genealogists site, www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/, you will see a column for starting your family research. Other columns indicate popular topics, events and tools.
The beginning column offers a ‘how to’ link, research tips, how to use military records and an explanation of their reference reports. The genealogy topics site links to census, immigration, land and other topics. Under events, there are links to nationwide genealogy educational workshops including the D.C. area. Clicking on tools links you to free databases on the NARA facilities, online research tools and catalog guides as well as charts and forms.
Farther down on the page there is a link that takes you directly to informative alphabetized articles from Prologue, such as African American history, census, disabled veteran homes, headstones, prison records, private records and the different wars, etc.
There is also a section on preserving your family papers, memorabilia, and the correct album to use including framing and repair.
You can also access several blogs and share information, respond to news and upcoming events.
When you go to www.archives.gov/research/search/index.html, you can search the resources in the archives. There they even offer tips on how to use the index research site.
If you have trouble using the site, there is a “Help” button where you can actually get help. This site has many prospects and I hope you will all try it right away.
POOF! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SURNAME? Let me preface this by asking you please remember that over time, many surnames were spelled more than one way. If you accept only one spelling, then you may be missing many clues.
Some families ‘daughter out.’ My husband and I are an example of this. We have only daughters whose names change from Kellow to their husband’s surname when they were married. None of their descendants will carry the Kellow name. My husband’s brother had three daughters before fortunately having a son to carry on the Kellow name. And he has a son who will carry on the name. The Kellow spelling did not change from 1500 to the present.
My Burns family spelled their name as it is today, except for one 1870 census and one South Carolina deed.
My Stibbens family is an example of a changing surname. In 1835, it was spelled Stebbins and it appears that way on the San Jacinto Monument in Baytown. In 1880, they spelled it Stibbens. It has stayed that way until this last generation when one branch of the family tree began to spell it Stebbins.
Probably the misspellings, or different spellings of surnames, were the result of illiteracy until the late 1800s when education became widespread. Many of our ancestors were farmers who had never written their own names. Their names might have been written on store ledgers, church records and tombstones, but never by the individual. The spellings probably varied due to different clerks.
Please do not get ‘hung up’ on the spelling of names. Doing so may result in you hitting a brick wall. Be open to spellings. I wish we could have a law requiring genealogists to consider and use different spelling variations.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
Accessing and working with this site should not be a problem as most of us are familiar with using library access catalogs. The new site, www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/, certainly deserves your attention. It is for beginners as well as the more advanced family researcher.
When you go to the OPA Resources for Genealogists site, www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/, you will see a column for starting your family research. Other columns indicate popular topics, events and tools.
The beginning column offers a ‘how to’ link, research tips, how to use military records and an explanation of their reference reports. The genealogy topics site links to census, immigration, land and other topics. Under events, there are links to nationwide genealogy educational workshops including the D.C. area. Clicking on tools links you to free databases on the NARA facilities, online research tools and catalog guides as well as charts and forms.
Farther down on the page there is a link that takes you directly to informative alphabetized articles from Prologue, such as African American history, census, disabled veteran homes, headstones, prison records, private records and the different wars, etc.
There is also a section on preserving your family papers, memorabilia, and the correct album to use including framing and repair.
You can also access several blogs and share information, respond to news and upcoming events.
When you go to www.archives.gov/research/search/index.html, you can search the resources in the archives. There they even offer tips on how to use the index research site.
If you have trouble using the site, there is a “Help” button where you can actually get help. This site has many prospects and I hope you will all try it right away.
POOF! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SURNAME? Let me preface this by asking you please remember that over time, many surnames were spelled more than one way. If you accept only one spelling, then you may be missing many clues.
Some families ‘daughter out.’ My husband and I are an example of this. We have only daughters whose names change from Kellow to their husband’s surname when they were married. None of their descendants will carry the Kellow name. My husband’s brother had three daughters before fortunately having a son to carry on the Kellow name. And he has a son who will carry on the name. The Kellow spelling did not change from 1500 to the present.
My Burns family spelled their name as it is today, except for one 1870 census and one South Carolina deed.
My Stibbens family is an example of a changing surname. In 1835, it was spelled Stebbins and it appears that way on the San Jacinto Monument in Baytown. In 1880, they spelled it Stibbens. It has stayed that way until this last generation when one branch of the family tree began to spell it Stebbins.
Probably the misspellings, or different spellings of surnames, were the result of illiteracy until the late 1800s when education became widespread. Many of our ancestors were farmers who had never written their own names. Their names might have been written on store ledgers, church records and tombstones, but never by the individual. The spellings probably varied due to different clerks.
Please do not get ‘hung up’ on the spelling of names. Doing so may result in you hitting a brick wall. Be open to spellings. I wish we could have a law requiring genealogists to consider and use different spelling variations.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].