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Acknowledgments
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vii |
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Introduction: Family History: The Ultimate Reality Show
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ix |
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Part I
Getting Your Questions Answered
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1
Where Do I Start?
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Step 1
Gather Your Family's Information
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3 |
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Step 2
Organize Your Information
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4 |
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Step 3
Begin Research Using the Census, Vital Records, and City Directories
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8 |
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Three Beginner's Mistakes to Avoid
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13 |
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2
When (and Where) Was My Ancestor Born?
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Strategy No. 1
Birth and Baptismal Records
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19 |
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Strategy No. 2
Birth Announcements
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22 |
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Strategy No. 3
Census
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22 |
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Strategy No. 4
School Records
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24 |
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Strategy No. 5
Social Security Application
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27 |
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Strategy No. 6
Post-1906 Naturalization Records
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29 |
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Strategy No. 7
Death Records
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30 |
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3
Who Were the Parents of My Ancestor?
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Strategy No. 1
Birth and Baptismal Records
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34 |
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Strategy No. 2
Delayed and Corrected Birth Certificates
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36 |
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Strategy No. 3
Death Records
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40 |
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Strategy No. 4
Census
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47 |
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Strategy No. 5
Marriage Records
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48 |
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4
Who Were the Siblings of My Ancestor?
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Strategy No. 1
Census
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55 |
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Strategy No. 2
Death Notices and Obituaries
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55 |
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Strategy No. 3
Proof of Heirship
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58 |
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Strategy No. 4
Divorce Records
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60 |
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5
When (and Who) Did My Ancestor Marry?
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Strategy No. 1
Civil Marriage Records
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68 |
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Strategy No. 2
Church Marriage Records
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75 |
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Strategy No. 3
Unindexed Marriage Records
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78 |
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6
Where Did My Ancestor Live?
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Strategy No. 1
Sources for Addresses
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84 |
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Strategy No. 2
Sources for Photographs
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93 |
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Strategy No. 3
Fire Insurance Maps
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94 |
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7
What Occupation Did My Ancestor Have?
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Strategy No. 1
City Directories
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101 |
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Strategy No. 2
U.S. Census
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105 |
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Strategy No. 3
State Census
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109 |
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Strategy No. 4
Sources for Teachers
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112 |
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Strategy No. 5
Sources for City Workers (Chicago)
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114 |
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Strategy No. 6
Sources for Railroad Workers
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116 |
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Strategy No. 7
Sources for Professionals
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120 |
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8
When Did My Ancestor Die and Where Is My Ancestor Buried?
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Strategy No. 1
Determine the Death Date
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124 |
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Strategy No. 2
Determine the Place of Burial
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128 |
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9
When Did My Ancestor Come to America?
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Strategy No. 1
U.S. Census
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141 |
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Strategy No. 2
Death Certificates
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144 |
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Strategy No. 3
Late Nineteenth-Century Voter Registrations
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144 |
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Strategy No. 4
Church Records
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148 |
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Strategy No. 5
Naturalization Records
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149 |
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Strategy No. 6
Passenger Lists
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161 |
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Part II
Practical Advice
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10
Nuts and Bolts of the U.S. Census
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Tips for Finding Your Ancestor's Entry
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176 |
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Census Indexes
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177 |
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Soundex and Miracode Indexes
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185 |
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Find Your Ancestor by Address
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190 |
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Where to Find the Census
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197 |
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11
Nuts and Bolts of Newspaper Searching
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Before You Start
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202 |
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Selected Chicago Newspapers and Where to Find Them
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203 |
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Indexes to Chicago Newspapers
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207 |
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Selected Suburban Cook County Newspapers
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209 |
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Obituary and Other Search Services
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209 |
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12
Nuts and Bolts of Birth and Death Records
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Birth Records
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213 |
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Death Records
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221 |
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13
How to Use Machines and Catalogs
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Microfilm and Microfiche Machines
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231 |
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Library Catalogs
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244 |
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14
What to Expect at Chicago-Area Research Facilities
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Chicago Historical Society (CHS)
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251 |
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Chicago Public Library
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254 |
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Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Archives
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257 |
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Cook County Bureau of Vital Statistics
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261 |
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Family History Center (FHC)-Wilmette, Illinois
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265 |
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Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
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268 |
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National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)-Great Lakes Region
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271 |
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Newberry Library
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275 |
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University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Richard J. Daley Library
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278 |
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15
Top Web Sites for Chicago-Area Research
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Local Institutional Web Sites
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287 |
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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292 |
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Free Internet Sources
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293 |
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Subscription Databases
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295 |
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16
Ethnic Resources
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General Resources
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301 |
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Resources by Ethnic Group
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303 |
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Cultural Organizations
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309 |
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Beginner's Bookshelf
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312 |
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Index
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314 |
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About the Author
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323 |