histories and biographies

Use histories and biographies in ancestry and genealogy immigration research.

Township, City, County, and State Histories and Biographies

Local, county and state histories detail the events in a particular region and the people who played a part in them. These histories detail the early settlements, who held offices, founded various towns, started different churches, and other valuable information. It is common to find histories written between 1870 and 1920 with biographical sketches of the individuals and families. Most of these histories were written in the west, in those states bordering the Great Lakes, and in the Midwest. These histories give insight and are helpful to the researcher since this is the region where most immigrants settled.

As you look for the local, county, and state histories, look for books or volumes that focus solely on biographical sketches of people from the locality. Most sketches are written about men and generally include their family, education, and occupation. These sketches will also tell the subject’s date of birth, parents’ names, and wife’s and children’s names. Look for comments about where they were born. If the subject was an immigrant, the foreign country was always mentioned, and perhaps the birth town.

Other Resources to Help Trace Immigrant Ancestors

Are you developing a family history for an individual or family? Are you trying to find their immigrant origins? Start by seeing the articles

The following videos can help you get a head start in understanding immigration and country of origin ancestor research.

 

How to Find the Origin of Immigrants Coming to America
An introduction to immigration and migration historical research. You will be introduced to a five-step methodology to find the immigrant origins when conducting individual and family history research.

Addition videos include:

The following are records I have found extremely helpful and full of clues to finding an individual’s birthplace and immigrant origins. It is designed to provide a quick reference and direction for finding and searching for records as probable places to find information. You can use these records to develop an immigrant paper trail to assist you in finding and tracing an individual immigrant’s origins. Check out these articles:

Records for Tracing Immigrant Ancestors
Cemetery Records Census Records Church Records 
Colonial Town Records Historical and Genealogical Societies Histories and Biographies
Land Grant Records Maps and Gazetteers Naturalization Record
Obituaries Passport Applications Ship Passenger Lists
Social Security Applications Social Security Death Index

Check out the following country profiles to learn more about their immigration and migration in America.

Immigration and Migration in America
Czechs and Slovaks Danish Dutch
English Finnish French
German Greek Hungarian
Icelandic Irish Italian
Norwegian Polish Russian
Scandinavian Scottish Swedish
Welch United States Western Migration

Articles include:

Learn more about immigrant records at “Immigrant Records at the National Archives.”