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Biography

Online Resources

• History of Florida, past and present, historical and biographical, Vol. I, Images, partial index.
  • Vol. II, Images, partial index.
  • Vol. III. Images, partial index.
• County and Town Histories, includes biographies

Biographies provide useful genealogical information such as a person’s birth date and place; names of family members, including maiden names; education; occupation; and social, political, and religious affiliation. They may also contain a physical description of the person, previous residences, and immigration information. Biographies are the product of family knowledge or previous research about early settlers and prominent citizens of a state, county, or town. Local histories may contain biographical sketches of lesser-known people

Biographies in Local Histories

• Biographical information is often found in state, county, and town histories.
• Towards the end of the 19th century, began publishers soliciting short biographical/family histories from local founding families, offering to publish them in an upcoming local history. This then became an incentive for family members to buy a copy of the book.
• Families represented were not necessarily prominent. Practically everyone living there, especially in the Midwest, counted as an early settler.
• These biographies often start with the first member of the family to settle in the area, and detail their descendants at the time of publishing. They may tell where the family moved in from. Children's marriages often are given, with maiden names included.

Finding Biographies

• The county Wiki page lists several county histories. It also lists local libraries, and societies which probably have copies of local histories.
• Many histories are no longer under copyright and can be found in the following online, digitized book collections. Search with keywords "History" and "the name of your locality" (state, county, or town).
  • FamilySearch Books
  • Google Books
  • World Cat
  • HathiTrust
  • Internet Archive
• The FamilySearch library has extensive collections of these local histories. Many are digitized. Search the FamilySearch Catalog under your locality for the topics "Biography" and "History".
• Harry Gardner Cutler, History of Florida, Past and Present . . . , Three Volumes (Chicago, Illinois and New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Company, 1923; FamilySearch Library book 975.9 H2c; Volume 1 on film 1321188, Volume 3 on film 1697443 item 10). Volumes 2 and 3 have biographical information.

St. Augustine Historical Society Index

• St. Augustine Historical Society (Florida). The Biographical Card Index. This index is compiled from various records located in the St. Augustine Historical Society and other depositories. Some information contained in the biographical and genealogical file will also be found in the biographical card index. The chronological document file contains letters, wills and other miscellaneous documents. The lot and block survey card index contains descriptions of houses and other property arranged by blocks and lot numbers. Information in the Colonial St. Augustine Houses and Streets file may also be found in the lot and block survey card index.(on 38 FS Library films beginning with 967146)