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|CountryID=218
|Locality1=Durango
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Guide to '''State of Durango ancestry, family history and genealogy:''' birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.  
Guide to '''State of Durango ancestry, family history and genealogy:''' birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.  
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[[Image:MapaDurango.png|thumb|<center>MapaDurango</center>]]
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{{Click|File:MexicoOGR.png|Mexico Online Genealogy Records}} [[File:Ask the Community Button New Version.jpg|link=FamilySearch Genealogy Research Groups on Facebook]]
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'''Most of your genealogical research for Durango will be in two main record types: civil registration and church records. This article will teach you methods for locating and searching these two record groups.'''
<br>
<br>
==History==
==History==
A Spanish explorer, was the first to colonize Durango,  and settled this part of the northern province of Nueva Vizcaya. On July 8, 1563, he founded the capital city and named it Durango for the town of Durango, Biscay, Spain.<br>
Durango is in the northwest part of the country and bordered by Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Nayarit and Sinaloa. Indigenous peoples were first in the area such as Huichols, Coras, Tepehuanos and Tarahumaras. The Spaniards came in 1532. Natural resources come from mining including gold, silver, iron, mercury and deposits of marble. Durango was admitted as a state in May 22, 1824.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Durango," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durango, accessed 30 May 2025.</ref>
In 1552  a Spanish Captain discovered one of the world's richest iron-ore deposits  that is now an important part of Durango. Gradually, in the following decades, the Franciscans and then the Jesuits began to evangelizethe area, laying the foundations of a large diocese.<br>
Durango did not escape the great national struggle between conservatives and liberals and the capital was taken several times by representatives of both sides, as well as the French intervention between 1864 and 1866 that occupied the state with the support of conservative forces.<br>
Durango played an important role in the Mexican Revolution. Important revolutionary figures fought important battles between 1910 and 1924.
<br>
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durango]
==How to Find the Town of Origin in Mexico==
To search the records effectively, you need to know the town in Mexico where your ancestor lived. These two online classes will teach you how to find that information:
*[https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/343 '''U.S. Hispanic Immigrants: Finding their Place of Origin''']
*[https://familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/481 '''U.S. Hispanic Immigration''']


==Civil Registration==
==Regions==
*Civil registration records are government records covering birth, marriage, and death. They are an excellent source of names, dates, places, and relationships. <br>
{|
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|{{Map of Durango, Mexico}}
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*Civil authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1859, and most individuals who lived in Mexico after 1867 are recorded. Because the records cover such a large percentage of the population, they are extremely important sources for genealogical research in Mexico.  Initially, the Mexican populace, accustomed to registering its vital events with the local parish church, opposed the register. It was not until the republic was restored in 1867 that civil registration was vigorously enforced.<br>
{| style="width:70%"
|-
<ul class="column-spacing-fullscreen" style="padding-right:5px;">
<li>[[Laguna, Durango, Mexico Genealogy |Laguna]]</li>
<li>[[Norte, Durango, Mexico Genealogy |Norte]]</li>
<li>[[Noroeste, Durango, Mexico Genealogy |Noroeste]]</li>
<li>[[Sur, Durango, Mexico Genealogy |Sur]]</li>
<li>[[Centro, Durango, Mexico Genealogy |Centro]]</li>
</ul>


*You will need to know the '''town where your family lived''' and to which '''municipio''' the town belonged. This [http://cdigital.dgb.uanl.mx/la/1080011597_C/1080011597_C.html '''gazetteer'''] will help you find the municipio level for your town.
|}
 
==Resources==
=== 1. Online Digital Records for Civil Registration ===  
===Cemeteries===
For many localities, digital copies of civil registration can be searched online:
'''Tombstone Transcriptions Online'''<br>
 
*[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial Memorial Search] at Find a Grave; ''Also at:'' {{RecordSearch|2221801|FamilySearch}}, [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60525/ Ancestry] ($)  
*'''1861-1995''' - {{RecordSearch|1916235|Mexico, Durango, Civil Registration, 1861-1995}} at [https://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch] — index and images
*[https://billiongraves.com/search# Search Records] at BillionGraves; ''Also at:'' {{RecordSearch|2026973|FamilySearch}}, [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/united-states-billion-graves-index Findmypast] ($)
*'''1861-1995''' - {{RecordSearch|1916235|Mexico, Mexico, Durango and Durango, Civil Registration, 1861-1995|access=browse}} at [http://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch Historical Records] - free, '''browseable images only''', not complete for all localities.
'''List of Cemeteries in the State'''<br>
*'''1861-1930''' - [https://search.ancestry.mx/search/db.aspx?dbid=60397 Durango, Mexico, Civil Registry, Births, 1861-1930], at  Ancestry.com, index and images, incomplete, ($)  
*[https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/search?cemetery-name=&cemetery-loc=Durango%2C+Mexico&only-with-cemeteries=cemOnly&locationId=state_2621 Find a Grave Index of Cemeteries for Durango]
*'''1861-1951''' - [https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60446 Durango, Mexico, Civil Registration Marriages, 1861-1951], at Ancestry.com, index and images, incomplete, ($)
*[https://billiongraves.com/search/cemetery Cemeteries on the map] at BillionGraves
*'''1861-1987''' - [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60475 Durango, Mexico, Civil Registration Deaths, 1861-1987], at  Ancestry.com, index and images, incomplete, ($) <br>
'''Jewish Cemeteries '''<br>
'''"Nascimientos"''' are births. '''Matrimonios''' are marriages. ''' "Defunciones"''' are deaths.
*[https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1411/ JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry] at Ancestry
 
*[https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Cemetery/tree/CemList.htm JOWBR Cemetery Inventory] at JewishGen
=== 2. Microfilm Copies of Civil Registration Records in the FamilySearch Catalog ===
If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a [https://familysearch.org/locations/ '''Family History Center'''] near you. <br>
To find a microfilm:
 
:::a. Click on this link to see a list of [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=176404&query=%2Bplace%3A%22Mexico%2C%20Durango%22%20%2Bavailability%3A%22Family%20History%20Library%22 '''records for Mexico, Durango'''].
:::b. Click on '''"Places within Mexico, Durango"''' and a list of towns and cities will open.
:::c. Click on the '''town or city''' you wish to search.
:::d. Click on '''"Civil Registration"''' topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
:::e. Choose the correct '''event and time period''' for your ancestor. 
:::f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. [[File:FHL icons.png|100px]].  The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.
 
===3. Writing for  Civil Registration Certificates===
If the records are not online, and you do not have ready access to the microfilms, civil registration records in Mexico can be obtained by writing to the local civil registry in the municipality.  This is particularly true for more recent records, which are covered by privacy laws.  Relatives are allowed to request recent records for genealogy purposes.  Civil officials will generally answer correspondence in Spanish. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to state archives. '''''This method is not always reliable. Officials might or might not respond.''''' <br>
*Each state now has a central civil registration office to which you can write for information. <br>
 
Dirección General del Registro Civil <br> Zaragoza # 526 Sur <br> Zona Centro <br> Durango, Durango CP 34000<br>
 
*[http://www.durango.gob.mx Civil Registration online] This site is in Spanish. Use a translation service such as [http://translate.google.com/ Google Translate] or open the site in a browser such as [http://google.com/chrome Google Chrome] to translate the page. <br>
*You can also write to the local town registrar. Write a brief request in Spanish to the proper office using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses:<br>
 
:'''Oficino del Registro Civil'''
:'''([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_postal_codes_in_Mexico postal code]), (city), Durango'''
:'''Mexico'''<br><br>
 
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_postal_codes_in_Mexico '''Find the Mexico postal code here.''']
 
Send the following:
 
*Money for the search fee, usually $10.00, and an international reply coupon (IRC)
*Full name and the sex of the ancestor sought
*Names of the ancestor’s parents, if known
*Approximate date and place of the event
*Your relationship to the ancestor
*Reason for the request (family history, medical, and so on)
*Request for a photocopy of the complete original record
<br>
 
'''Write your request in Spanish whenever possible. For writing your letter in Spanish, use the translated questions and phrases in this [https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/a/aa/LWGSpanish.pdf Spanish Letter-writing Guide.]'''
<br>
 
== Church Records==
 
Although civil registration records are an important source for genealogical research in Mexico, many births, marriages, and deaths were never recorded by civil authorities; therefore, you must use church records to supplement this genealogical source. <br>
 
The vast majority of Mexicans were Catholic and were registered in entries for baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials in the local church records. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the registers, with personal information on the family. Church records are the main source prior to 1850, when civil registration began. After this date one should search in both church and civil records, since there may be information in one record that does not appear in the other. For instance, the church records may only list the godparents, while the civil records may list the grandparents.
 
=== 1. Online Digital Records for Church Records ===
For some localities, digital copies of Catholic church records can be searched online:
*'''1604-1985''' - {{RecordSearch|1554576|Mexico, Durango and Durango, Catholic Church Records, 1604-1985}} at [http://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch Historical Records], index, not complete.
'''Bautismos''' are infant baptisms, which are used for birth information. '''Información matrimonial''' are documents collected in preparation for a marriage. '''Matrimônios'''' are marriages. '''Defunciones''' are deaths.  '''Entierros''' are burials'". Índice''' is the index.
 
=== 2.  Microfilm Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog ===
If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a [https://familysearch.org/locations/ '''Family History Center'''] near you. <br>
To find a microfilm:
 
:::a. Click on this link to see a list of [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=176404&query=%2Bplace%3A%22Mexico%2C%20Durango%22%20%2Bavailability%3A%22Family%20History%20Library%22 '''records for Mexico, Durango'''].
:::b. Click on '''"Places within Mexico, Durango"''' and a list of towns and cities will open.
:::c. Click on the '''town or city''' you wish to search.
:::d. Click on '''"Church Records"''' topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
:::e. Choose the correct '''event and time period''' for your ancestor.
:::f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. [[File:FHL icons.png|100px]].  Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.
 
=== 3. Writing to a Catholic Priest for Church Records ===
Baptism, marriage, and death records may be searched by contacting or visiting local parish or diocese archives in Mexico. Mexico has no single repository of church records. Write your request in Spanish whenever possible. '''''This method is not always reliable. Officials might or might not respond.'''''
 
Write a brief request in Spanish to the proper church using this address as guide replacing the information in parentheses:<br>
 
:'''Reverendo Padre'''
:'''Parroquia de (name of parish) '''
:'''([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_postal_codes_in_Mexico postal code]), (city), Durango'''
:'''Mexico'''
<br>
 
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_postal_codes_in_Mexico '''Find the Mexico postal code here.''']  
 
When requesting information, send the following:<br>


*Money for the search fee, usually $10.00, and an international reply coupon (IRC)  
=== Church Records===
*Full name and the sex of the ancestor sought
*'''1556-1989''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9299/ Mexico, Select Marriages Index, 1556-1989] at Ancestry - index; coverage may vary ($)
*Names of the ancestor’s parents, if known
*'''1560-1950''' {{RecordSearch|1473011|Mexico Baptisms, 1560-1950}} at FamilySearch - [[Mexico Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index; coverage may vary
*Approximate date and place of the event
*'''1560-1950''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9297/ Mexico, Select Baptisms, 1560-1950] at Ancestry - index; coverage may vary ($)
*Your relationship to the ancestor
*'''1570-1950''' {{RecordSearch|1473012|Mexico Marriages, 1570-1950}} at FamilySearch - [[Mexico Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index; coverage may vary
*Reason for the request (family history, medical, and so on)
*'''1604-1985''' {{RecordSearch|1554576|Mexico, Durango and Durango, Catholic Church Records, 1604-1985}} at FamilySearch - [[Mexico, Durango, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index; coverage may vary
*Request for a photocopy of the complete original record
*'''1680-1940''' {{RecordSearch|1473013|Mexico Deaths, 1680-1940}} at FamilySearch - [[Mexico Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index; coverage may vary
<br>
*'''1680-1940''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9298/ Mexico, Select Deaths, 1680-1940] at Ancestry - index; coverage may vary ($)
'''Write your request in Spanish whenever possible. For writing your letter in Spanish, use the translated questions and phrases in this [https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/a/aa/LWGSpanish.pdf Spanish Letter-writing Guide.]]'''
<br>


==Reading the Records==
===Civil Registration===
*''See [[Mexico Civil Registration]] for more resources.''
*'''1861-1930''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60397/ Durango, Mexico, Civil Registration Births, 1861-1930] at  Ancestry.com - index & images; coverage may vary $)
*'''1861-1951''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60446/ Durango, Mexico, Civil Registration Marriages, 1861-1951] at  Ancestry.com - index & images; coverage may vary($)
*'''1861-1987''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60475/ Durango, Mexico, Civil Registration Deaths, 1861-1987] at  Ancestry.com - index & images; coverage may vary ($)
*'''1861-1995''' {{RecordSearch|1916235|Mexico, Durango, Civil Registration, 1861-1995}} at FamilySearch - [[Mexico, Durango, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index & images; coverage may vary


*You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this [[Spanish Genealogical Word List|Spanish Genealogical Word List]] to translate the important points in the document.  Handwriting skills are taught in [https://script.byu.edu/Pages/Spanish/en/welcome.aspx BYU Spanish Script Tutorial].
===Indigenous Peoples===
'''Languages'''<br>
At least two percent of Durango's population speak an indigenous language. 80 percent of those belong to the Tepehuan, a group native to Durango.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Durango," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durango#Demographics, accessed 23 July 2025.</ref> Other smaller groups include the Huichol and the Mexicaneros; both groups speak variations of the native language Nahuatl. Durango is also home to a small percentage of Tarahumara. The Tarahumara make their home base in the isolation of the Sierra Madre in Chihuahuañ but smaller numbers of them inhabit the neighboring Durango as well. Other non-Spanish speakers of Durango are the German-speaking Mennonites who live in small farming communities throughout the state; they number about 20,000.


*Online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:  
===Local Histories===
*[http://www.history.com/topics/mexico/durango History.com's brief history of Durango]
*[http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/durango.html "The History of Indigenous Durango," hosted by the Houston Institute for Culture]
*''Annals of the Spanish Northwest: North Mexican States, 1531-1800,'' by Henry Lebbeus Oak and Hubert Howe Bancroft. N.p.:n.p., 1884. '''''Online at:''''' [https://archive.org/details/annalsofspanishn01oakhrich Archive.org]


:*[https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/lesson/reading-spanish-handwritten-records-lesson-1-the-spanish-alphabet/217 Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1]  
===Map===
:*[https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/lesson/reading-spanish-handwritten-records-lesson-2-words-and-dates/218 Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2]  
*[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/9d2h9g Durango in 1858]
:*[https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/lesson/reading-spanish-handwritten-records-lesson-3-reading-spanish-records/220 Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3]
*[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/wuyr65 Durango in 1886]
<br>
*[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/31cds5 Durango in 1899]
*[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/3160xe Durango in 1922]
*[http://www.zonu.com/images/0X0/2009-09-17-5127/Mapa-de-Durango.jpg Durango in 1999]


==Repositories==
===Archives===
There are 37 historical archives in 31 municipalities in the State of Durango.  Here is the website: [https://sic.gob.mx/lista.php?table=archivo&disciplina=&estado_id=10 State of Durango Historical Archives.]


*Detailed instructions for reading Spanish records, examples of common documents, and practice exercises for developing skills in translating them can be found in the [[Spanish Records Extraction Manual|'''Spanish Records Extraction Manual.''']]
===Libraries===
*[https://script.byu.edu/Pages/home.aspx '''The Spanish Documents Script Tutorial'''] also provides lessons and examples.<br>
There are 11 libraries in four municipalities in the State of Durango. Here is the website: [https://sic.gob.mx/lista.php?table=otra_bib&disciplina=&estado_id=10 State of Durango Libraries.]


There are 160 DGB libraries in 39 municipalities in the State of Durango.  Here is the website: [https://sic.gob.mx/lista.php?table=biblioteca&disciplina=&estado_id=10 State of Durango DGB Libraries.]


===Societies===


==== Tips for finding your ancestor in the records ====
==References==
*Births were usually reported within a few days of the birth by the father of the child, a neighbor, or the midwife. A search for a birth record should begin with the known date of birth and then searching forward in time, day by day, until the record is found.  It might be found within a few days of the actual birth date, but in some instances, it might be weeks or months later. Birth, marriage, and death records are often indexed by '''given name''' or '''surname.'''
{{Reflist}}
<br>
*The Catholic Church continued keeping records after the creation of the civil registration in 1859. Therefore two types of records are available for the marriages. Be sure to search both records. With the separation of church and state in Mexico, formalized by the 1917 constitution, civil authorities determined that for couples to be legally married they had to be married by the state. Because of the close affinity of the Catholic Church and the state authorities, this rule was not always followed, and church weddings were accepted by the state. Normally, however, couples were married by civil authorities prior to a church wedding. On rare occasions they were married civilly after a church wedding.
<br>
*Some municipios are small and therefore only have one civil registration office, but there are other larger ''municipios'' that have several sub civil registration offices that report to the main municipio office. 
<br>
*Death records can be particularly helpful for people who may not have had a civil birth or marriage record but died during the period when civil registration had begun.
<br>
<br>
===Search Strategy===
*Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his '''brothers and sisters'''.
*Next, search for the '''marriage of his parents.''' The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
*You can '''estimate the ages''' of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
*Search the death registers for all known family members.
*Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
*If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.
<br>[[Category:States of Mexico]]








{{H-langs|es=Durango, México - Genealogía|Durango, Mexico Genealogy}}
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[[Category:States of Mexico]]
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[[Category:Durango, Mexico]]

Latest revision as of 16:59, 23 July 2025



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Guide to State of Durango ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.


History[edit | edit source]

Durango is in the northwest part of the country and bordered by Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Nayarit and Sinaloa. Indigenous peoples were first in the area such as Huichols, Coras, Tepehuanos and Tarahumaras. The Spaniards came in 1532. Natural resources come from mining including gold, silver, iron, mercury and deposits of marble. Durango was admitted as a state in May 22, 1824.[1]

Regions[edit | edit source]

Template:Map of Durango, Mexico

Resources[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Tombstone Transcriptions Online

List of Cemeteries in the State

Jewish Cemeteries

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Civil Registration[edit | edit source]

Indigenous Peoples[edit | edit source]

Languages
At least two percent of Durango's population speak an indigenous language. 80 percent of those belong to the Tepehuan, a group native to Durango.[2] Other smaller groups include the Huichol and the Mexicaneros; both groups speak variations of the native language Nahuatl. Durango is also home to a small percentage of Tarahumara. The Tarahumara make their home base in the isolation of the Sierra Madre in Chihuahuañ but smaller numbers of them inhabit the neighboring Durango as well. Other non-Spanish speakers of Durango are the German-speaking Mennonites who live in small farming communities throughout the state; they number about 20,000.

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Map[edit | edit source]

Repositories[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

There are 37 historical archives in 31 municipalities in the State of Durango. Here is the website: State of Durango Historical Archives.

Libraries[edit | edit source]

There are 11 libraries in four municipalities in the State of Durango. Here is the website: State of Durango Libraries.

There are 160 DGB libraries in 39 municipalities in the State of Durango. Here is the website: State of Durango DGB Libraries.

Societies[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Durango," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durango, accessed 30 May 2025.
  2. Wikipedia contributors, "Durango," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durango#Demographics, accessed 23 July 2025.