Vital records in the Southern States can be a genealogy research challenge. So I have been making a list and checking it twice of new or almost new printed sources. Let me share two today:
1. Index to Indian Territory Marriages (Grooms only), 1890 to Nov 1907. Central District–covering the area of Creek and Seminole Nations. Konawa Genealogical Society of the Kennedy Library covering Seminole County Oklahoma, 700 West South Street, Rt1 Box 3, Konawa OK 74849. Entries are arranged alphabetically in spread sheets, by surname of the groom. Central District, one of four districts established by the Federal Government in 1895, included the Creek and Seminole Indians with Muskogee as the court seat. Marriages were recorded in the courthouse in Muskogee. 8 vols. Each volume is in two parts, part 1: grooms; part 2: brides in alphabetical order by maiden surname.
The marriages for Seminole County, 1907 to Oct 1933 continue in 9 more volumes for Konawa and Wewoka townships.
2. Mississippi Eighteenth Century Settlers and their Cemeteries and Records in the 82 Counties: A History/Genealogy Reference Book. July 2010. Mary Collins Landin, PhD. Available from the author, 3084 Tom Collins Road, Utica Mississippi 39175. “There is no alphabetical index to this book because each chapter is alphabetized within counties and alphabetized by counties. Readers are directed to each section to find ancestors.” [Ugh!]
Even without a general index, this is a special book–with considerable data supplied. The central core of this volume is devoted to a master list of cemeteries and then pioneer settlers from the 18th century presented in alpha order by county. References are given for each entry–so the book itself is a master index to early settlers’ burials, if they remained in Mississippi.
Part 2 of the volume includes these pioneer settlers “…still alive in the 1850-1910 censuses.” 1850–all races. 1850 and 1860–freed blacks [recall that the blacks were freed as of 1865]. 1870–blacks only. 1900 and 1910 censuses–all races. In my opinion, this is the most valuable section of the book of more than 626 pages, with multiple columns. Following the survival of persons born before 1800 through the census years and showing the county in which they resided. Migration patterns and family relationships can be pulled out of these sections over time that do not appear in the study of one census year or one county only.
I hope that you will watch for these volumes in the libraries where you do your genealogy research. And add them to your Spring reading list. Spring has arrived in Salt Lake City with blossoms and green leaves and bright colored flowers peeking through the winter debris in people’s gardens. And the violet beds are fragrant and gorgeous–these dainty flowers only bloom for a few short days. Even so, here am I at the Family History Library researching your hard-to-solve genealogy cases.
Stay tuned! for a descriptive summary of the matchee-matchee ancestors who begin in close proximity of each other sharing the same birthday and following along the same migration trail appearing in the same census records together. What? Ugh! Double Ugh Ugh!! Your favorite genealogy expert of choice, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Not only am I gearing up with new examples to entertain you at the Houston Texas Family History EXPO, I will also appear at the Oklahoma EXPO held at the Oklahoma Historical Society, and the DNA-oriented Albuquerque EXPO the first two weeks of April. If you are not currently registered for these three events, and you live within hopping distance–signup and come. You will not be sorry. My sessions alone will be worth the ticket price–I can say that without a blush since I am not being paid to say it. And with speakers coming from Ghana and Israel and FamilySearch and all over this country, you just cannot afford to miss out. So much genealogy data is now available for you to use that I cannot keep up. And only a small nibble is currently online to be accessed where you do your research.
PPS Watch this Genealogy Evidence Blog and I will share with you all as much as I can–as I discover the new stuff. This is not your great aunt’s genealogy world anymore!