Hannah Frame Vanderlinden Marriage Chicago 1887

This is the marriage license of Frank Vanderlinden and Hannah M. Frame of Kensington, Cook County, Illinois. They were married in 1887 by James M. Belding.

Some quick Google searches of Reverend Belding located the likely name of his search. I've taken to googling just about every minister listed on every marriage license I am working on just to see what I can located.

The marriage license itself was downloaded from the Familysearch site (http://pilot.familysearch.org).

We'll be mentioning this family again in an upcoming article of Casefile Clues. I am hoping that by using the name of the minister, I'll be able to locate church records or something on Thomas and Elizabeth Frame, parents of Hannah. Hannah's younger brother William, was my wife's great-grandfather.

Google Is Not As Smart As It Thinks It Is

Google doesn't always find what you want. I searched for the Illinois State Archives at Google just now and this lovely map came up with the address and the phone number (which are correct).

The problem is that the link Google brought up (which is purple in the image) first (right next to the map) isn't the Illinois State Archives website. Google wants you to think that it is. It's a site with affiliate links (which are fine), but that doesn't get me where I wanted to go, which was the state archives site. And of course, many of the links take you to places other than what you were looking for in the first place.

Of course, as soon as I clicked I realized I was in the wrong place and went back to get to where I really wanted to go (one of the links UNDER the map). The thing is, I knew what I was looking for, new genealogists don't.

Google is not quite as smart as it thinks it is.

I'm not opposed to people making money, but this site came up first because they optimized their page for Google. It was NOT a fluke. They knew what they were doing.

Always pays to check before you click. And to think.

10% Casefile Clues Discount

I'm announcing this here because for me Facebook has been acting up all day. We are having a 10% discount on Casefile Clues today until midnight tonight. Blog readers can take the discount here http://www.casefileclues.com/facebook.html whether they are FB fans or not.

1892 Illinois Probate Guide

The things one finds on http://www.archive.org/ are absolutely amazing. I'm reading partrs of the 1892 edition of A Practical Treatise Upon the Jurisdiction of, and Practice in, the County and Probate Courtsof Illinois, Embracing A Collation of Statutes and Authorities Upon the Settlement of Estates of Deceased Persons; Correlative Relations of Guardian and Ward; ...."

by William Jones and Joseph Cunningham, Chicago, T. H. Flood, 1892.

Lots to learn in there for the genealogist and lots that makes sense once one reads it.

There will undoubtedly be references to this book in upcoming issues of Casefile Clues.

Back Issues of Casefile Clues and Subscribing

An update on back issues of Casefile Clues.

Your subscription starts when you sign up. I'll usually send the issue that "just ran" when you sign up, unless it somehow slips my radar (you can always ask me if I forget). I've started grouping back issues in groups of 10 for those who weren't subscribers earlier. When you subscribe, I can send you every issue since the last set of back issues "cut off." That way if you get the back issues, you have as complete a set as you want and I'm not messing with selling individual back issues.

So anyone who subscribes now or in the near future can get issues 11 until when they started at no charge--just ask.Back issues 1-10 can be purchased with a credit card for $4.30. You do not need a PayPal account, just a major credit card. Those who wish to pay by check can email me for information at mjnrootdig@gmail.com. This allows me to make back issues available to those who want them keeping paperwork and procedure to a minimun.

To request a sample copy of Casefile Clues, send an email to samples@casefileclues.com.

Thanks!

Are your sources really that specific?

The ability to merge sources (particularly census) into a tree at Ancestry.com is really a nice one.

However, one must be careful not to indicate that a source says something it does not. The reasons are pretty obvious--but here's an example with the names changed.

Thomas Smith was born in Harford County, Maryland, on 2 May 1865 and you have three primary sources to back it up. The 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 census all indicate he was born in Maryland. Let's say that they all point to a year of birth of 1865

Yet if you aren't careful when you tie the census record to his date and place of birth, you seemingly indicate that the census indicates he was born on 2 May 1865 in Harford County, Maryland. I've never seen a census between 1880 and 1920 that provides that specific of a place of birth.

Shouldn't you create a "new" place/date of birth that is 1865 in Maryland and tie the census source to that?

Or am I just a stick in the mud?

Google Maps

I have been experimenting with Google Maps for the Casefile Clues column that I'm wrapping up.

This image includes some of the locations relevant to a 1910 census entry for my wife's great-great-grandfather Louis Demar. He was living 42 West 119th Street in 1910--which is one of the places shown on the map. The other places were important for other reasons and all play a role in completely and accurately analyzing this census entry.

Issues 1-10 of Casefile Clues

Starting today, we are offering back issues of Casefile Clues in sets. First set will be issues 1-10 and we will continue in that fashion so that subscribers can get the ones they missed easily. Those who want set 1-10 can purchase it through https://www.paypal.com/cg...i-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8934803 or can email me directly for information.

Those who wish to subscribe to Casefile Clues can do so here.

Which Copy Do You Have?

One of the necessary items of citing genealogical sources is what copy of a document was actually used.

The image shown here is a handwritten copy of the Declaration of Intent for Rolf Habben, made out in Hancock County, Illinois, in 1886. This image was made from a photocopy of the copy which was contained in the homestead file.

Rolf Habben had a handwritten copy of his declaration of intention.

At one point in time, Hancock County had the originals of these declarations of intent.

There was the "real deal" at the county courthouse, the copy Habben had, and the copy made from Habben's copy that was included as a part of his homestead file.

Then there is the photocopy I have (of the copy in the homestead file).

Then there's this image I made to post on the website.

Then there's the PDF file I made that contained a high quality scan of the entire homestead file (one of the documents in that file was the declaration of intent).

Which copy of a record do you have?

This copy was discussed in this week's edition of "Casefile Clues."

Back issues of Casefile Clues

Reminder: 12 October is the deadline to subscribe to Casefile Clues and get all the back issues as a part of your Casefile Clues subscription. After 12 October, past issues will be bundled and sold in groups. Thanks for all your support. I appreciate it!

Subscription information is available at:
http://www.rootdig.com/subscribe.html

Free Sample Issue of Casefile Clues

I am offering a free sample issue of my weekly newsletter Casefile Clues to anyone who requests it. Simply send me an email at mjnrootdig@gmail.com and one will be sent to you (as an attachment).

Bigger Screenshot of Philip Troutfetter's Statement

For those who were helping me, I have clipped a larger part of the scan from Philip Troutfetter's homestead claim. The word in the red circle is the one I am trying to read.

Clicking on the image will pull up a larger view of it.

Thanks!

Offer on Back Issues of Casefile Clues

If you missed Friday's offer of subscribing to Casefile Clues and getting back issues 1-10 as a part of that, email me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com sometime today (Saturday, 10 October) and we'll get it taken care of.

I forgot to post the offer on this blog yesterday.

Can't Read it on a BLM Case File

Philip Troutfetter should be a case study in and of himself, perhaps even a whole book of case studies devoted to him.

The two images on this post come from his homestead/preemption claim filed in Colorado. It references earlier claims he had which were relinquished.

I have circled in red what I cannot read. The larger image (posted first) shows the entire "answer" and the second image shows zoomed in portion. Clicking on either image will bring it up larger in the browser.

It looke like "S ho," but I'm not certain what that means. I thought it might mean "standard homestead" but I'm not certain and that is only a guess. I'm requesting copies of the papers from the National Archives, but it will be a while before they arrive.

What is Casefile Clues?

For readers of this blog who don't know, Casefile Clues is my weekly genealogy how-to newsletter. Each week includes a case study, document analysis, or problem-solving article. Occasionally all three are combined, it just depends upon the family.

Casefile Clues is not a genealogy "news" letter. There's not news about new sites, new software, or what famous person has had their family researched. There are plenty of sites, blogs, and newsletters that provide that information.

Casefile Clues is intended to give you weekly reading to actually help you with your own genealogy. Case studies and families cover a variety of areas and time periods, all gleaned from research I have done on my children's ancestors which covers a fairly large range of geographic regions.

Columns are meant to be easy to read and easy to understand. That doesn't mean the problems are easy to solve. I just don't believe that reading about genealogy methodology has to be tedious.

Citation of sources is extremely important and every document is cited as close to the rules of Evidence Explained as I can get. Occasionally I will make a mistake and I encourage readers to bring that to my attention so if can be mentioned and corrected in the next possible issue.

We have beginners and advanced researchers reading Casefile Clues. My goal is to help everyone with their research.

Casefile Clues is only $15 a year and comes weekly in your email--either as PDF file or as an in email message.

More information about Casefile Clues is on our Casefile Clues site http://www.casefileclues.com
Subscription information is at http://www.casefileclues.com/subscribe.html. There are no ads on the www.casefileclues.com site and the newsletter is ad-free as well. That way, there are no advertisers to worry about making happy or irritating!

A PayPal account is not required to use a credit card. Those who wish to inquire about other payment options (check, money order, etc.) can contact me directly at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Any other questions about the newsletter can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com, including requests for a sample copy.

Thanks!
Michael

Sample Copy of Casefile Clues

I am offering readers of the Rootdig.com blog a free copy of "Casefile Clues" as a sample--hopefully to encourage readers to subscribe.

Requests for a copy can be sent to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com.

Thanks~

Patent Database at Ancestry.com 1790-1909

Ancestry.com recently (or at least I just noticed it) a US Patent Database from 1790-1909.

From the Ancestry.com site:
"This database contains invention patents granted from 1790-1909 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). "

While I haven't used the Ancestry.com database extensively, I think I'm going to stick with Google on this one. Google's patent database also starts in 1790 and contains information up to the last few months, according to its website. The Google site for patent also offers searches more flexibility and creativity in terms of searches than Ancestry.com does. The advanced Google search box appears in this blog post with a blue background on the top part of the image.

I am not a big fan of global searches on Ancestry.com. The only time I find a search of the entire site helpful is when the name is uncommon and I am clueless about the person and need a jump start on my research. Otherwise I like to know what I am searching (which probably stems from my control issues). Even names that I think may be uncommon come up too many times on global Ancestry.com searches and I WASTE too much time sifting through all the matches that I do not need.

I found some neat patents on Google just browsing to create this blog post.

A relative in Kansas made an adjustable shoe tree.

A closer relative in Hancock County, Illinois, made a hog feeder. Parts of Fred Trautvetter's patent are shown here as well.

Neat things on the patent database. I think I'll stick with Google's interface with these records. I can also download the patent as a PDF file too. Google will also let me create a direct link to the patent I located and send that in an email, or even post it here:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=9tFMAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

That link will take you directly to Trautvetter's feed trough patent for those who want to take a look.

Page number 0

I am not certain what is going on, but this results page at Ancestry.com for Asa Landon in 1860 indicates that he is listed on census page number "0."

If you cannot see it, look in the source citation.

There is not a page 0. I just checked.

I'm not certain what is up with this, but I might just have to stop copying and pasting Ancestry.com's source citation to use as a starting point for my own citations.

Is She Buried There?

The more I look through things, the more I realize that I also have holes and gaps in my research.

This is the stone for John and Anne Rampley in the Buckeye Cemetery, Walker Township, Hancock County, Illinois. Actually a very pretty cemetery on the top of a hill.

There is no death date for Anne on the stone. I will have to get her death certificate to determine if she really is buried there or not. John and Anne had no children and I know she survived him. My suspiscions are that when she died no one had her death date inscribed on her stone.

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1877 Birth In Chicago

This is an entry from the 1877 Cook County, Illinois, birth register. The baby, was unnamed at the time of birth. A quick look at the other entries on the page indicated that the majority of births were apparently not registered at the time of birth. Always look at a record in context. In this case, that aspect of the record is not unusual.

The only real altering I did to the record was to cut just the bottom part of the image and split it in to two so that it would not be as wide. Obviously the yellow line was not on the original record either. I probably should have made a note that the line was added as a way to see where the record continued. When I copy images like this (which makes them easier to print and have the image be nice and readable and closer to the original size), I rarely copy just the entry.

There are quite a few clues here. What I should have done was to put the heading underneath the various entries so that others would know what the various things meant. Garabaldi is the name of the street where the family was living and where the birth took place. Without knowing what the heading was and given the few entries I copied, one might be tempted to think it meant something else. A few entries on the page in this column had "St" or "Ave" after the name making it a little more clear what the column was for had there been no heading. David Dodge was the doctor.

In an upcoming column of "Casefile Clues" we'll look at this document in more detail as part of a larger problem. This image was obtained on the pilot.familysearch.com site.

More Accuracy than there is at Ancestry Maps Beta

I will admit that the Maps (Beta) at Ancestry.com are neat, but I'm not always immediately impressed with the latest.





I am well aware of the importance of geography in genealogy.





I am also well aware of the importance of not assuming something is more accurate than it is.





The 1910 census for a relative indicates he was living in Lima, Adams County, Illinois. The census indicates only Lima Township...not the village of Lima which is where Ancestry.com's map "puts the dot."





The problem is that Lima township is not the smallest thing and it certainly encompasses more than the village of Lima. The "red" on the map shows the civil township of Lima with Adama County. There's a vague gray dot on the map which represents the village of Lima.

I just wish the maps beta was more accurate with regards to location and did not indicate a level of precision that is not there.

I haven't taken a look at maps for the Colonial era.

1910 Census Results at Ancestry.com

Note (THIS PROBLEM HAS NOW BEEN FIXED. I am leaving the original post here as I don't believe in "altering history," but I appreciate the quick response to this issue from the folks at Ancestry.com).

I hope it is just me (well actually I don't). If it is just me, then I'm really confused.


The 1910 census search results I've been getting today at Ancestry.com provide city and county, but the state is not listed. It is there if I click on more specifics, but in my results page it would be nice if the state were shown.






Is anyone else having this same problem?

Update: My contact at Ancestry.com is looking into this.

What is Sarah's Last Name?

If you had been indexing the 1820 census for Nicholas County, Kentucky, how would you have read the last name of the Sarah who appears in this image?

I know what it is (or at least think I do), because of research I have done on this person in this location. But an indexer usually has not done extensive research on all the families in a certain area. Consequently they must guess as to what the last name is.

A visit to our sister site will reveal how Ancestry.com indexed the name (which was a very reasonable guess) and what I think it is.

For reasons like this, one always has to think of other ways letters could be read and other ways sounds could be spelled.

Michael's Email Address

Effective immediately, the best way to reach me is throught mjnrootdig@gmail.com. My other email address is non-functional at present.