Find an ancestor by locality

Using Location information to find an ancestor

Knowing a locality can be very helpful in locating information about an ancestor.  Following are the steps taken to find an ancestor who had lived in Miami County, Ohio.

Known facts:

• The ancestor's name
• His probably birth state (New York)
• The location where he spent most of his time in Ohio
• Names of his wife and family

Unknown facts:

• His exact birthplace
• How he got to Ohio
• Documented sources for his marriage
• What happened to him (he disappeared and was not heard from again)

The Search Process:

1. Searched the Miami County, Ohio article to  see what information was available there.

• There was a link to the Miami Valley Genealogy Index under the heading of Genealogy.
• The link led to a page on the internet for the Miami Valley Genealogy Index.
• That page had the option to search for someone with the first letter of their surname and then the surname, itself.
• The surname was entered and the ancestor's name appeared with a list of transactions, including deeds and his marriage year.
• This was an index, so no further information was available, but there are book and page numbers listed for further research. That will be pursued at a later date.

2. The Miami County, Ohio article also had a section for "Local Histories"

• There was a link for The History of Miami County, Ohio, published 1880, W. H. Beers & Co., which was available at FamilySearch.
• Following that link led to the book, which had been digitized and could be viewed and downloaded.
• Searching through the book revealed information for the ancestor that included:

• His birthdate
• His occupation
• Other places of residence
• The names of his wife and children
• Birth information for his wife

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.