This file is as complete and accurate as possible, however if you
should find errors, have additions or deletions, send them to me
and I will update the file.
 
Bill Green         bgreen@milo.nodak.edu     bill90@Delphi.Com
 
Date of last update: 4 November 1993
 
*************************************************************************
 
  GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF THE UNITED STATES
                  NATION WIDE SOCIETIES
                      24 July 1990
                   (C) Copyright 1990
                      Robert McLaren
                    7810 Kincardine Ct.
                 Alexandria, VA 22310-4025
 
The following file contains a listing of nation-wide genealogical and
historical societies in the U.S.  Included in the listing, where known, are
telephone numbers and yearly dues.  This listing is donated to the public
domain and may be freely  copied.  Under no conditions can this listing be
sold or used in any other commercial fashion. If you think this list has any
value, then donate that value in helping your local genealogical society (or
the National Genealogical Society).
 
If you write to any of the societies on this list for information, remember
to include a self addressed stamped envelop (SASE).  Many of these societies
work with a limited budget, supplemented by volunteers, and can not afford to
respond unless a SASE is included in your letter.
 
     National Genealogical Society
     4527 17th Street, North
     Arlington, VA 22207-2399
     (703) 525-0050
       Dues:  $30.00 per year (individuals);
              $25.00 per year (organizations)
 
     Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 73086
     Washington, DC 20056-3086
       Dues:  $25.00 per year (single); $30.00 per year (family)
 
     African-American Family History Association
     P.O. Box 115268
     Atlanta, GA 30310
       Dues:  $15.00 per year
 
     Armenian Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 1383
     Provo, UT 84603
 
     Armenian Family Heritage Society
     1950 Third Street
     La Verne, CA 91750
     (714) 593-0432; FAX (714) 593-0879
 
     International Society for British Genealogy and Family History
     P.O. Box 20425
     Cleveland, OH 44120-0425
       Dues:  $10.00 per year
 
     American-Canadian Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 668
     Manchester, NH 03105
     (603) 622-1554
       Dues:  $20.00 per year
 
     Czechoslovak Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 16225
     St. Paul, MN 55116
       Dues:  $10.00 per year (single); $15.00 per year (family)
 
     Czech Society of America
     2701 South Harlem
     Berwyn, IL 60402
       Dues:
 
     Dutch Family Heritage Society
     2463 Ledgewood Drive
     West Jordan, UT 84084
       Dues:  $30.00 per year
 
     Dutch American Historical Association
     8 East 12th Street
     Holland, MI 49423
       Dues:
 
     Holland Society of America
     122 East 58th Street
     New York, NY 10022
       Dues:
 
     Finnish American Historical Society
     19885 Melrose
     Southfield, MI 48075
       Dues:
 
     Finnish American Historical Society
     P.O. Box 3575
     Portland, OR 97208
       Dues:
 
     Genealogical Society of Flemish Americans
     18740 Thirteen Mile Road
     Roseville, MI 48066
       Dues:
 
     American-French Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 2113GH
     Pawtucket, RI 02861-0113
       Dues:
 
     German Genealogical Society of America
     P.O. Box 291818
     Los Angeles, CA 90029
       Dues:  $18.00 per year (single); $28.00 per year (contributing)
              $50.00 per year (supporting); $8.00 per year (associate)
 
     Immigrant (German) Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 7369
     Burbank, CA 91510-7369
     (818) 848-3122
       Dues:  $15.00 per year
 
     American Historical Society of Genmans From Russia
     631 D Street
     Lincoln, NE 68502-1199
     (402) 474-3363
       Dues:  $25 per year
 
     Germans From Russia Heritage Society
     1008 East Central Avenue
     Bismarck, ND 58501
       Dues:
 
     Palatines to America
     Capital University
     Box 101
     Columbus, OH 43209
       Dues:
 
     The American/Schleswig-Holstein Heritage Society
     P.O. Box 21
     LeClaire, IA 52753
       Dues:  $5.00 per year
 
     Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 20266
     Charleston, SC 29413
       Dues:
 
     Hispanic Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 810561
     Houston, TX 77281-0561
       Dues:
 
     Genealogical Society of Hispanic America
     P.O. Box K
     Denver, CO 80209-0420
       Dues:  $15.00 per year (single); $20.00 per year (family);
              $12.00 per year (student and senior citizen)
 
     Hispanic Society of America
     613 West 155th Street
     New York, NY 10032
       Dues:
 
     The Huguenot Society of America
     New York Genealogical and Biographical Society's Building
     122 East 58th Street
     New York, NY 10022
       Dues:
 
     Huguenot Historical Society
     P.O. Box 339
     New Paltz, NY 12561
     (914) 255-8445.
       Dues:
 
     The National Huguenot Society
     c/o Miss Vera Reeve, National Registar General
     1118 Broadway
     Vicennes, IN 47591
       Dues:
 
     American Hungarian Society
     177 Somerset
     New Brunswick, NJ 08903
       Dues:
 
     Irish American Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 26507
     Prescott Valley, AZ 86312
       Dues:  $30.00 per year
 
     Irish Genealogical Society
     P.O. Box 16585
     St. Paul, MN 55116
       Dues:
 
     Irish Genealogical Society
     99 Ash Street
     New Bedford, MA 02740
       Dues:
 
     Irish Family Names Society
     P.O. Box 2095
     La Mesa, CA 92044-0600
       Dues:  $12.00 per year
 
     American Italian Historical Society
     29 Roxbury Place
     Glen Notch, NJ 07952
       Dues:
 
     Japanese American Society
     1302 18th Street NW
     Washington, DC 20036
       Dues:
 
     Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
     332 Harrison Avenue
     Elkins Park, PA 19117-2662
       Dues:
 
     American Jewish Historical Society
     2 Thornton Road
     Waltham, MA 02154
       Dues:
 
     Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
     Genealogy Department
     6500 South Pulaski Road
     Chicago, IL 60629
       Dues:
 
     Norwegian-American Historical Association
     St. Olaf College
     Northfield, MN 55057
       Dues:
 
     American Oriental Society
     Sterling Library
     New Haven, CT 06520
       Dues:
 
     Polish Genealogical Society
     984 North Milwaukee Avenue
     Chicago, IL 60622
       Dues:  $15.00 per year
 
     American-Portuguese Genealogical Society, Inc.
     P.O. Box 644
     Taunton, MA 02780
       Dues:
 
     Presbyterian Historical Society
     425 Lombard Street
     Philadelphia, PA 19147
       Dues:
 
     Swedish Pioneer Historical Society
     5125 North Spaulding Avenue
     Chicago, IL 60625
       Dues:
 
     Swedish American Historical Society
     1900 Pattison
     Philadelphia PA 19145
       Dues
 
     Crotian/Slovene/Serbian Genealogical Society
     2527 San Carlos Avenue
     San Carlos, CA 94070
       Dues:
 
     Slovenian Genealogical Society
     6625 Jeffrey Lane
     Lafayette, IN 47905
       Dues:
 
     Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
     c/o Frank Miller Heacock
     200 Washington Street, Suite 614
     Wilmington, DE  19801
 
***************************************************************************
 
                       VITAL RECORDS
 
Civil governments have created records of births, marriages, and deaths.
Records containing this information are commonly called "vital records,"
because they refer to critical events in a person's life. These are the most
important documents for genealogical research, but the births, marriages, and
deaths of many people have never been recorded by civil authorities.
 
To find a civil vital record, you will need at least the approximate year and
place in which the birth, marriage, divorce, or death occurred. You may need
to search other records first to find clues about these events, such as
family Bibles, genealogies, local histories, biographies, cemetery records,
censuses, citizenship applications, pension files, newspaper notices, and
probate files. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries these sources must
often be used as substitutes for civil vital records. These other records may
not be as accurate, however, as the vital records kept by church authorities
and civil governments.
 
General Historical Background
 
The practice of recording civil vital statistics developed slowly in the
United States. Early vital information was sometimes recorded in brief
entries in register books until the twentieth century, when it became more
common to create certificates. Some town clerks in colonial America
(especially New England) recorded vital information, but these records are
incomplete. The federal government has not registered vital records, except
for some Americans born outside the country.
 
Records of marriages were generally the first vital records kept in a
locality. In most states, the counties or towns began recording marriages as
soon as they were established.  Whether the marriage ceremony was performed
by a civil or a church authority, local laws required the marriage to be
recorded in civil records.
 
The local health departments of a few large cities began recording births and
deaths by the mid-1800s. For example, records exist for Baltimore (from
1875), Boston (from 1639), New Orleans (from 1790), New York (from 1847), and
Philadelphia (from 1860). The early records are usually incomplete. Many
counties in the East and Midwest were recording births and deaths by the late
1800s.
 
Each state eventually developed its own laws and created a statewide
registration system.  Unfortunately, these records do not exist until the
early 1900s in most states. Local offices did not always comply immediately
with the registration laws. Within 20 years after registration laws were
enacted, most states were recording at least 90 percent of the births,
marriages, and deaths. (See the state research outlines for more
information.)
 
Regional Differences
 
New England. These states have kept good vital records. The town clerks kept
register books as early as the 1600s (see the "Town Records" section for
details). Most of these states have statewide indexes of the existing
records. The New England states began statewide registration of births,
marriages, and deaths between 1841 and 1897. Except for New Hampshire (which
began recording marriages as early as 1640), many New England marriages in
colonial times were not recorded because of the laws and religious customs of
the region.
 
Middle-Atlantic. It is unusual to find any vital records before 1885 for New
York and Pennsylvania, except in the larger cities. All of the states began
statewide registration of births and deaths between 1878 and 1915. Statewide
registration of marriages began between 1847 and 1906. New Jersey and
Delaware have marriage records dating from the 1660s (or the creation of the
counties).
 
South. In the southern states, laws for civil registration of births and
deaths were enacted between 1899 and 1919. Marriages were a legal contract
which involved property rights, so the counties recorded them carefully,
starting in the early 1700s (except in South Carolina).  Most states
initiated statewide marriage files between 1911 and 1962. Virginia began
recording births, marriages, and deaths in 1853.
 
Midwest. Government officials in the midwestern states began files of births
and deaths as early as the 1860s in many counties. Statewide registration of
births and deaths was initiated between 1880 and 1920. Officials began
recording marriage dates as soon as each county was established and generally
began statewide registration between 1880 and 1962.
 
West. The western states vary greatly in their registration of vital records
due to their different settlement patterns. Most areas began statewide
registration of births and deaths between 1903 and 1920. While most counties
were keeping marriage records by 1890, or the date the county was created,
statewide registration generally began between 1905 and 1978. Hawaii's
records of births, marriages, and deaths date from the 1840s.
 
Birth Records
 
Birth records generally give the child's name, sex, date and place of birth,
and the names of the parents. Records of the twentieth century provide
additional details, such as the name of the hospital, birthplace of parents,
occupation of the parents, marital status of the mother, and the number of
other children born to the mother.
 
If no record was filed at the time of an individual's birth, he may have
arranged for a delayed registration of birth by showing proof of his birth as
recorded in a Bible, school, census, or church record, or by testimony from a
person who witnessed the birth. These registrations generally date from 1937,
yet the birth may have occurred many years earlier. The registration is
usually in the state where the birth occurred.
 
A corrected record of a birth may be filed if a name was changed or added.
Most corrections require affidavits of eyewitnesses or evidence from other
official records.
 
Marriage Records
 
Marriages were usually recorded by the clerk of the town or county where the
bonds or licenses were issued (generally where the bride resided). You may
find records that show a couple's intent to marry and records of the actual
marriage.
 
Records of Intention to Marry
 
Various records may have been created that show a couple's intent to marry.
Banns and intentions were made a few weeks before a couple planned to marry.
Thecouple may have been required to announce their intentions in order to
give other community members the opportunity to raise any objections to the
marriage. This was a rather common custom in the southern and New England
states through the mid-1800s.
 
Banns were a religious custom in which the couple announced to their local
congregation that they planned to marry. They may have also posted a written
notice at the church.  Intentions were written notices presented to the local
civil authority and posted in a public place for a given period of time. The
minister or town clerk recorded these announcements in a register, or you may
find them interfiled with other town or church records.
 
Marriage bonds are written guarantees or promises of payment made by the
groom or another person (often a relative of the bride) to ensure that a
forthcoming marriage would be legal. The person who posted the bond was known
as the surety or bondsman. The bond was presented to the minister or official
who would perform the ceremony. The bond was then returned to the town or
county clerk. These documents were frequently used in the southern and
middle-Atlantic states up to the mid-1800s.
 
Applications and licenses are the most common types of records showing intent
to marry.  These gradually replaced the use of banns, intentions, and bonds.
A bride and groom obtained a license to be married by applying to the proper
civil authorities, usually a town or county clerk. These records have the
most information of genealogical value, including the couple's names, ages,
and residence. Later records also provide their race, birth dates,
occupations, and usually the names of the parents. The license was presented
to the person who performed the marriage and was later returned to the town
or county clerk.  Applications for a license are primarily a
twentieth-century record. These often contain more detailed information than
the license.
 
Consent papers may be available if the consent of a parent or guardian was
required, often when the bride or groom was underage. The consent may have
been verbal, or written on the license or bond.
 
Contracts or settlements are documents created for the protection of legal
rights and property. These are occasionally a part of a marriage application,
especially in regions that were colonized by France or Spain.
 
Records of Marriages
 
In most cases it can be assumed that the couple married a short time after
announcing their intent, even though you may not find proof of the actual
marriage. A minister, justice of the peace, military officer, ship officer,
or state official could legally marry a couple. You may find the following
records that document the actual marriage:
 
Certificates. The individual who performed the ceremony or the civil office
where it was recorded may have given the couple a certificate of marriage.
This may be in the possession of the family. The clerk of the court may have
a copy.
 
Returns and Registers. Town and county clerks generally recorded the
marriages they performed in a register or book. If the marriage was performed
by someone else, such as a minister or justice of the peace, that person was
required to report, or "return" the marriage information to the town or
county clerk.  This information may have been reported in writing or
verbally, or, more frequently, the official recorded the event on the license
or bond and returned this document to the clerk. For this purpose, many
licenses and bonds were printed with a separate section of the document
designated as the "return."  The information on the return usually included
the names of the couple, the date and place of the marriage, and the name of
the person who performed the marriage.  Twentieth-century returns often add
the residence of the couple, the names of the parents or witnesses, and the
certificate number.
 
The town or county clerk recorded ("registered") the marriage returns in a
separate register or book, although you may find some early returns in court
or town minutes and deed books. He may also have written on the license or
the bond the date he registered the marriage.
 
Twentieth-century marriages are still registered by the county or town, but
most states now require the counties to report the marriages to the state
office of vital records. Many counties keep duplicates of the records they
send to the state.
 
Personal Records of the Individual Who Performed the Ceremony. Before the
twentieth century, the information on many marriages was not returned. If
evidence of a marriage was not presented to a civil clerk, this information
might be found only in the personal journal or other records of the official
who performed the marriage.
 
Divorce Records
 
Divorces before the twentieth century were uncommon and in some places
illegal. Records of divorces contain data on family members, their marital
history, their property, residences, and dates of other important events such
as the children's births.
 
County officials began keeping divorce records as soon as a court was
established in the area. Most divorce actions are found in dockets, minutes,
and case files of the county, circuit, or district court. In some areas of
the United States, divorces have been under the jurisdiction of a chancery,
common pleas, domestic, probate, superior, or supreme judicial court.
 
Divorce records are often open to the public and can be obtained by
contacting the clerk of the court. You will also find clues to separations
and divorces in local newspapers.
 
Death Records
 
Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important
information on a person's birth, spouse, and parents. Death records often
exist for individuals for whom there are no birth or marriage records.
 
Early death records, like cemetery records, generally give the name, date,
and place of death. Twentieth-century certificates usually include the age or
date of birth (and sometimes the place), race, length of residence in the
county or state, cause of death, name of hospital and funeral home, burial
information, and the informant's name (often a relative). They often provide
the name of a spouse or parents. Since 1950, social security numbers are
given on most death certificates. Birth and other information in a death
record may not be accurate since the informant may not have had complete
information.
 
Death certificates may be filed in the state where an individual died and the
state where he is buried.
 
Locating Vital Records
 
Records at the Family History Library
 
The Family History Library has copies of many vital records, primarily those
before 1920.  However, if a record was never kept, was not available in the
courthouse at the time of microfilming, was not microfilmed, or is restricted
from public access by the laws of the state, the Family History Library does
not have a copy. You may use the records at the library for your family
research, but the library does not issue or certify certificates for living
or deceased individuals.
 
The Family History Library has statewide collections and special indexes of
vital records for California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The
library has good collections of county vital records for several states.
 
Locating Records Not at the Family History Library
 
Birth, marriage, divorce, and death records may be obtained by contacting or
visiting state offices of vital records or the appropriate clerk's office in
a town or county courthouse.  Genealogical societies, historical societies,
and state archives may also have copies or transcripts. To protect the rights
of privacy of living persons, most modern records have restrictions on their
use and access.
 
Current addresses and fees for obtaining vital records are given in Where to
Write for Vital Records:  Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces
(Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, August
1987). This booklet can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
 
Another helpful source of current fee information is Thomas J. Kemp, Vital
Records Handbook (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988; FHL book 973
V24k). This includes samples of application forms that can be sent to state
offices to request copies of vital records. It also provides telephone
ordering numbers for most offices. Payment by bank card is generally
accepted.
 
You will also find WPA inventories (see the "Archives and Libraries" section)
that describe the record-keeping systems and available vital records of 39
states. After deciding who has jurisdiction over the records for the time
period you need, write a brief request to the proper office. Some offices
will require that you submit a standard search application form. Send the
following:
 
-Check or money order for the search fee ($1 to $15)
-Full name and the sex of the person sought
-Names of the parents, if known
-Approximate date and place of the event
-Your relationship to the person
-Reason for the request (family history, medical, etc.)
-Request for a photocopy of the complete original record
 
If your request is unsuccessful, search for duplicate records that may have
been filed in a city, county, or state office.
                                   (Source: FHC Research Guide)
 
***************************************************************************
 
                       STATE ARCHIVES
 
Before you visit an archive or a library, contact the organization and ask
for information on the collection, hours, services, and fees.
 
          National Archives
          Pennsylvania Avenue at 8th Street, NW
          Washington, D.C. 20408
 
The National Archives has a vast collection of documents created by the
federal government. The records most often used by genealogists are census,
military, land, and immigration records.
 
There are many helpful guides to the collection. The most comprehensive is
Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, 1982, Revised
(Washington, D.C.: National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1985).
 
Microfilm copies of many of the records at the National Archives are
available at the Family History Library, other major archives and libraries,
and at field branches of the National Archives. You may purchase microfilms
from the National Archives or request photocopies of the records by using
forms obtained from the Archives.
 
-National Archives Field Branches
 
Field branches of the National Archives collect records of federal government
offices and courts within the area they serve. These branches are located in
or near Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Worth, Kansas City, Los
Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. See the state
research outlines for addresses.
 
          Library of Congress
          1st-2nd Streets, S.E.
          Washington, D.C. 20504
 
The Genealogical and Local History Section of the Library of Congress has a
very large collection of published genealogies, manuscripts, histories,
directories, maps, and newspapers.
 
          National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution
          1776 "D" Street N.W.
          Washington, D.C. 20006
 
          New England Historic Genealogical Society
          101 Newbury Street
          Boston, MA 02116
               (Dues: 1993  $40 for an individual)
 
The society's collections of New England family and local histories and
manuscripts are especially helpful. Members can borrow printed resources from
their lending library.
 
          New York Public Library
          Local History and Genealogy Division
          Fifth Avenue & 42nd Street
          New York, NY 10018
 
The New York Public Library has collected many published sources, such as
local histories, city directories, maps, newspapers, and genealogies.
 
          Newberry Library
          60 West Walton Street
          Chicago, IL 60610
 
The Local History and Genealogy Collection of the Newberry Library has an
extensive collection of manuscripts and published sources.
 
          Allen County Public Library
          900 Webster Street
          Fort Wayne, IN 46802
 
The Allen County Public Library has a very large collection of sources for
all states, including U.S. census records, periodicals, and local histories.
 
Other Libraries
 
The following libraries also have exceptional genealogical collections. These
libraries collect major national sources as well as records of the states
they serve.
 
     American Antiquarian Society (in Worcester, Mass.)
     Lee Library (Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)
     Dallas Public Library
     Detroit Public Library
     Historical Society of Pennsylvania
     Los Angeles Public Library
     State Historical Society of Wisconsin
     Sutro Library (San Francisco State University)
     Western Reserve Historical Society (in Cleveland)
 
Your local public library can help you locate these and other archives and
libraries. A directory of many repositories and manuscript collections is the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Directory of
Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States 2nd ed. (Phoenix:
Oryx Press, 1988.).
 
State Archives and State Libraries
 
Each state has a state archive or a state library. Many states have both.
These serve as the repositories for state and county government records. They
often have some federal records as well, such as the U.S. census schedules
for the state. Addresses are available in the state research outlines and at
your public library.
 
County and Town Courthouses
 
Many of the key records essential for genealogical research were created by
local county or town governments. These include court, land and property,
naturalization and citizenship, probate, taxation, and vital records. The
county and town courthouses are the primary repositories of these valuable
records. (However, some courthouse records have been destroyed or transferred
to state archives.)
 
The individual counties have organized their records and offices in many
different ways.  The state research outlines provide further information on
how to obtain these records.
 
A letter to a county courthouse can be addressed as follows:
 
Format:                     Example
 
County official:            County Clerk
County courthouse:          Missoula County Courthouse
County seat, state, zip:    Missoula, MT 59801
 
Historical and Genealogical Societies
 
Historical and genealogical societies have been organized in each state, most
counties, and some towns. These societies collect many valuable records and
offer various helpful services to researchers.
 
Federal Repository Libraries
 
The federal government has designated at least one library in each state
(generally a major university library) to receive a copy of published federal
records. These include a wide variety of information, such as pension lists,
private land claims, veterans' burial lists, and individuals' petitions to
Congress.
 
Inventories, Registers, Catalogs
 
Most archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that
describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides
before you visit an archive so that you can use your time more effectively.
 
The WPA inventories of county and state records can also be very helpful.
These were produced between 1936 and 1943 through the Historical Records
Survey programs of the Works Projects Administration (WPA). They provide
historical background and descriptions of records at government and church
archives"although some records have since been transferred to other archives.
Most were published in small quantities and are only available at a few
libraries. The unpublished inventories are usually at the state archives or
the local archives they describe.
                                   (Source: FHC Research Guide)
 
***************************************************************************
 
                NEWSPAPER GENEALOGICAL COLUMNS
 
--
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*   Bill Green       Minot, North Dakota  58701  *       Home of the       *
*            bgreen@milo.NoDak.Edu               *      NORSK H0STFEST     *
*              Bill90@Delphi.Com                 *        Velkommen!       *
****************************************************************************
 
 
 
