Out Of Stock! Do Not Order!------------------------------- St. Louis Family History Research Guide; by Ann Carter Fleming; Published: 2008; Softcover; x + 274 pp; 8.5x11; ISBN 9780981594309; Item: FP001

In this essential new book, Ann Carter Fleming shares her knowledge of St. Louis records and repositories containing clues to your heritage. From census to cemetery, Ann shows you how, why, and where to access the information you need to discover your history.

Did your ancestors leave their footprints in St. Louis?

St. Louis Family History Research Guide is the definitive resource for St. Louis research, providing information about local repositories, available records, and numerous websites.

Due to the separation of the City of St. Louis from St. Louis County in 1876, family history research presents several challenges. Whether your ancestors lived in the City or the County they may have used either courthouse to record marriages, probate records, and wills. To aid in your search determine:

• When did your family arrive in St. Louis?
• What family events took place in St. Louis?
• Did the event take place before, during, or after 1876?
• Where did your family live at the time of each event, City or the County?

St. Louis Family History Research Guide is a practical and informative reference book that outlines research techniques and cites an extensive number of sources, some common, others unique. It illustrates how to interpret and analyze the records in relationship to the unusual history of St. Louis City and County.

Table of Contents:

History

• Successful St. Louis research hinges on understanding the historical evolution of the city and county. Read how and why the jurisdictional boundaries changed and where records can be found today.
• You'll learn about:
• St. Louis County — Before 1877
• St. Louis County — After 1876
• St. Louis City — After 1876
• St. Louis Post Offices
• Neighboring Counties
• Historical Resources

St. Louis City Neighborhoods

• Many individual neighborhoods in St. Louis City have an ethnic or regional focus. Locally, the community uses regional terms to distinguish the City areas. In this chapter, a city neighborhood map helps you discover the many different St. Louis City areas.
• You'll learn about:
• The St. Louis City Flag
• Benton Park
• Carondelet
• Central West End
• Downtown
• Fairgrounds
• Lafeyette
• Old North St. Louis
• And a dozen other communities!

Communities & Neighborhoods

• St. Louis County has more than 500 square miles of land, as compared to about 70 square miles for the City of St. Louis. With the same boundary lines, in 1876 the City had the majority of the residents with only a sparse population in St. Louis County. In this chapter, municipality and county boundary maps accompany the area descriptions to help you understand the history.
• You'll learn about:
• Bridgeton
• Concord Village
• Creve Coeur
• Florissant
• Kirkwood
• Mattese
• Riverview
• Valley Park
• And over 50 other communities!

Research Facilities

• Learn how to efficiently utilize local St. Louis repositories where important documents have been stored.
• You'll learn about:
• St. Louis Government Centers
• Research Repositories
• Family History Centers
• Repositories Outside St. Louis
• Religious Repositories
• National Archives & Records Administration
• National Park Service
• Adjoining Counties

Academia

• St. Louis has a strong educational community with public and private schools, ranging from kindergarten to graduate school. Learn how to access and utilize educational resources. The school district map serves in conjunction with the neighborhood maps to help identify educational institutions where information about your ancestors might be found.
• You'll learn about:
• How to use educational records
• in your research
• 20 different colleges and universities
• 74 different high schools

Atlases, Gazetteers, & Maps

• Atlases, gazetteers, and maps are essential tools in genealogical research. Find out what tools are available for St. Louis City and County and where to find them.
• You'll learn about:
• Atlas of the City and County of St. Louis, by Congressional Townships
• Atlas of the City of St. Louis, 1905
• Historical Atlas of Missouri
• A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets Past and Present of St. Louis County, Missouri
• Online maps
• And more!

Biographical Sources

• Discover important biographical sources that can help you with your St. Louis research. While looking for new clues about your direct-line ancestors and collateral lines, do not overlook any possibilities.
• You'll learn about:
• Historical Women of St. Louis
• Historical Men of St. Louis
• First Families of St. Louis
• Pageant & Masque of St. Louis
• Who’s Who in Missouri
• And more!

Birth & Adoption Records

• The Missouri Board of Health began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1883. In 1893, the legislature repealed the law because compliance was low since the registration was not mandatory. Learn more about these and other important fact surrounding the history and availability of St. Louis birth and adoption records.
• You'll learn about:
• Birth Records
• Adoption Records
• Baptismal Records
• Bible Records

Business, Occupation & Society Sources

• Starting with the fur trading business in the 1700s, St. Louisans have had a wide variety of occupations extending from the shoe manufacturing and steamboat operations to the current day beer and aircraft production. Bring history to life when you learn how your St. Louis ancestors lived.
• You'll learn about:
• River Related Businesses
• St. Louis Businesses and Commerce
• Governmental Positions
• Trades and Occupations
• Genealogical & Historical Societies
• Lineage Societies
• St. Louis Clubs & Societies

Cemeteries in St. Louis

• Cemetery research can be a very rewarding part of family research and can often provide important clues to vital information. Use the City and County Cemetery Map and list of cemeteries in this chapter to discover 446 St. Louis City and County cemeteries where your ancestors may have been buried.
• You'll learn about:
• Cemetery indexes
• Neighborhood indexes
• Cemetery histories
• Online resources
• Additional resources

Census: Federal, State, & Local

• Census records are the border of your genealogical jigsaw puzzle. Learn how and where to access important St. Louis census resources including territorial censuses, agricultural schedules, industrial schedules, mortality schedules, slave schedules, veteran's schedules, and more.
• You'll learn about:
• Reading and understanding the records
• Federal Population Schedules
• Federal Special Schedules
• Missouri State and Territorial Censuses
• City of St. Louis Census Records
• City Ward Maps

Death Certificates, Funeral Homes, & Coroner Records

• The state of Missouri started issuing death certificates in 1910. Prior to that, St. Louis had a death register starting in 1850. Burial permits began in 1882. Find out when, where, and by whom important vital records were created, where these records are kept today, and how to use these records effectively.
• You'll learn about:
• Death records
• Burial Permits
• Religious Records
• Social Security Death Index
• Funeral Homes
• Death Notices
• Coroner Records

Directories: City, County, & Social

• City or county directories provide a year-by-year address for residents of large metropolitan areas. The directories usually provide the resident’s name, address, and occupation. Learn about 320 sources for directory information including Polk, Gould, Bakers, Kennedy, and other directories, and where to find them.
• You'll learn about:
• City Directories
• Business Directories
• Commercial Directories
• County Directories
• Street Directories
• Criss-Cross Directories
• Phone books
• Red books
• And more!

Ethnic Records

• The river brought people from all walks of life to St. Louis. In this chapter, you'll discover the many types of ethnic records available for your St. Louis ancestors and how to find them.
• You'll learn about:
• African American
• Bohemian-Czech
• Chinese
• Creole
• French
• German
• Irish
• Italian
• Jewish
• Polish
• Scandinavian
• Scots

Government Records: Courts, Elections & Tax Records

• Court records come from different types of courts and different levels of government. They may be federal, state, county, or city records. Different locations house each type of court record. In this chapter you'll learn how to navigate the confusing maze of St. Louis City and County government records.
• You'll learn about:
• Legal vocabulary
• St. Louis court systems
• Federal, State, Circuit, County and City jurisdictions
• Election records
• Tax records
• Office of the County Clerk
• Recorder of Deeds
• Voter registration
• And more!

Historic Homes, Museums & Parks

• St. Louis has many interesting and noteworthy homes, museums, and parks full of history. Perhaps your ancestor lived in one of these historic homes or visited the museums or parks. This chapter shows you how and where to find information about historic museums, parks and homes.
• You'll learn about:
• 28 Historic St. Louis locations
• Old St. Louis Courthouse
• The Old Post Office
• Historic Buildings
• Information about Historic Homes
• Museums & Buildings
• Parks

Institutions

• Various types of institutions produce records on a daily basis. These records are of interest to genealogists and may help determine the lifestyle of one or more of your ancestors. Some of these records are available to the public; however, others are closed. This chapter helps you utilize records from hospitals, orphanages, prisons, and other institutions.
• You'll learn about:
• Selected lists of St. Louis hospitals and dispensaries
• Selected lists of different orphanages and homes
• Prisons

Land: Deeds, Grants, & Patents

• Land records are a very valuable genealogical source and are often underutilized. Land records may provide the names of various family members and even prove kinship between parents, children, and sometimes grandchildren. This chapter will help you find and maximize these critical resources.
• You'll learn about:
• French and Spanish Land Grants
• Missouri Land Patents, 1831–1969
• St. Louis County Land Records, 1804–1876
• St. Louis City Land Records, 1877–Present
• St. Louis County Land Records, 1877–Present

Marriage & Divorce Records

• Marriage laws have been in effect since the Louisiana Purchase and the territorial days. Prior to 1825 the Superior Court of Missouri granted divorces. Since 1825, Missouri law authorizes the Circuit Clerk’s office to process divorce cases for residents of a given county. Learn the laws and resulting paperwork surrounding St. Louis marriages and divorces.
• You'll learn about:
• Recorder of Deeds Office
• Circuit Court Office
• St. Louis City Hall
• African American Marriages
• St. Louis County Records
• St. Louis City Records

Migration, Immigration, & Naturalization

• St. Louis is and was the home of many families from foreign lands. Some of those pioneers sailed to this country and moved directly to St. Louis. Other St. Louis citizens migrated from other states, perhaps with earlier generations living in the United States. Understanding migration, immigration, and naturalization records is key to unlocking their histories.
• You'll learn about:
• Migration
• Immigration
• Passenger Lists
• Naturalization
• Pre-September 1906 Records
• Post-September 1906 Federal Records
• Passports

Military Events & Records

• Most of us have a family member who served in the military, perhaps as far back as the American Revolution. This chapter will help you understand the history of military conflicts and how to find resulting records.
• You'll learn about:
• Colonial Wars (Pre-1776)
• American Revolution (1776–1783)
• War of 1812 (1812–1815)
• Indian Wars (1832–1837)
• Mexican War (1847–1849)
• Civil War (1861–1865)
• Post Civil War Records
• Spanish-American War (1898–1902)
• Philippine Insurrection (1899–1902)
• World War I (1916–1918)
• World War II (1941–1945)
• Subsequent Wars

Newspapers in St. Louis

• Newspaper research can be very rewarding as articles throughout a newspaper can provide clues and helpful information to genealogists. While not every fact may be accurate, it is information contemporary to the event. Newspaper advertisements provide a glimpse into the past including clothes, furniture, automobiles, weather, and travel. Perhaps your ancestor owned a business that advertised in the newspaper. The classified ads offer information about real estate and The classified ads offer businesses.
• You'll learn about:
• Newspaper Indexes
• Over 200 different St. Louis
• Newspapers and where to find them

Religions in St. Louis

• Religious records can provide family information about baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. Membership lists, minute books, and other organizational records can also provide additional family clues. Learn where to find these important records.
• You'll learn about:
• Baptist
• Catholic
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Congregational
• Episcopal
• Evangelical
• Jewish
• Lutheran
• Methodist
• Presbyterian
• United Church of Christ
• Other Religious Congregations

Wills & Probate Records

• Wills and probate records often contain proof of kinship to the deceased’s individual spouse, children, and sometimes grandchildren; location of current and previous residence; and the value of the estate, often with a list of the household goods.
• You'll learn about:
• Probate vocabulary
• St. Louis County Before 1877
• St. Louis County After 1876
• St. Louis City After 1876
• Will Books
• Probate Records

About the Author

Ann Carter Fleming is a family historian who specializes in St. Louis research. As a ninth-generation St. Louisan, Ann has researched in this area for more than twenty-five years. She has extensive knowledge of the records and the repositories that hold the collective history of St. Louis families.

Both a Certified Genealogist and a Certified Genealogical Lecturer, she enjoys sharing her knowledge and skill in locating information on family history with others. As a volunteer, Ann served as president of the St. Louis Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society, secretary of the Missouri State Genealogical Association and is a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and on the board of the St. Louis County Library Foundation and the Friends of the Missouri Archives.

Mrs. Fleming is the author or coauthor of several publications including NGS Research in Missouri (Family roots Publishing which carries), as well as five family histories and numerous articles in genealogical publications.