United States, Panama Canal Zone, Employment Records and Sailing lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

	This article describes a collection of historical records scheduled to become available at FamilySearch.org.
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Record Description

The collection consists of employee records (service history cards), sailing lists of contract laborers,and employee identification records (metal check cards and applications) from Record Group 185 Records of the Panama Canal, 1848-1999, located in Archives II in College Park, Maryland. This collection covers the years 1905 to 1937.

For a list of records by surnames currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection

The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content

The records may include the following information:

• Name
• Position or job
• Service dates
• Residence

How to Use the Record

To begin your search it is helpful to know the full name along with some identifying information such as birth date, birth place, residence, or approximate dates of employment.

Search the Collection

To search the collection
⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page
⇒ Select the "Record Category"
⇒ Select the "Record Description" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:

• There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
• You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
• Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details about your ancestor. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

The following suggestions may help you in your search:

• Compile a list of other personnel with the same surname. This is especially helpful if the surname is unusual.
• When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
• If you are having difficulty locating your ancestor, look for variant spellings of the surnames. You should also look for abbreviated names and nicknames.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections. 

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection

"United States, War of 1812 Index to Service Records, 1812-1815" images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 15 September 2011).  Alexander J. Erwin; citing Military Records, En-Eu, image 1241; Federal Archives and Records Center, Washington D.C., United States.