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Today's Feature
If you find your family history rushing into the Golden State, look no further than the more than 16 million names in the just-added California Marriage and Divorce Indexes, spanning roughly 1960-1985, on Ancestry.com. Discover bride and groom names, along with marriage date and county in the marriage collection. Or dig up your ancestors’ names and divorce date and location in the divorce index. These great indexes will ensure you strike gold when searching for your California ancestors.
Historical Records
13.5 million
names added this week
U.S. County Land Ownership Atlases, c. 1864-1918
This fabulous collection is a rich multi-part set of atlases, land ownership information, images, and histories. It covers over 50 years and 1,200 U.S. county atlases. In many cases the land owner’s name is visible right on the maps, along with other features such as lakes, streams, roads, railroads, etc. Some photos of owners, buildings, and homes are included in the collections. You could spend hours browsing this collection and gather immense information for your research.
U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858
Are you looking for information on Revolutionary to pre Civil-War ancestors? This database is a great place to start. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress promised bounty land as an inducement to military service. This practice of issuing bounty land warrants to veterans or their heirs for service rendered was continued to the 1850s. If you have ancestors who served in these wars, you will probably find something of interest in this collection.
British Phone Books, 1880-1984 Releases 1-3
Ancestry has updated its British phone book collection. The database now contains 1266 phone books and provides near full county coverage for England as well as containing substantial records for Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. You will also find advertisements for local businesses which can provide a fun look into the culture of the time. Phone books can be great for pinpointing individuals to a particular place and time between census records.
Passenger Ships and Images
Ancestry has added to its collection of passenger ship descriptions and images. You will be able to get useful information about that ships that your ancestors came to America on, and usually see a photograph or picture of that ship. This makes a great addition to an immigration record. For each ship listed in this database there is a description of it, containing such information as the shipping line, ship type, dimensions, history, etc. For about 1,000 ships there will also be an image.
Library of Congress Photochrom Print Collection: Germany, Austria, & Switzerland, 1890-1910 - In German
This database is a great collection of approximately 2,200 public domain photographs and prints. The pictures come from the U.S. Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Division and cover the years 1890-1910. In the collection are fascinating photos and prints from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. You may search for a photo or print by year or place, and/or by using keywords or names that may be found in the title or notes sections of the pictures. Use this collection to add context and imagery to your European research.
Hamburg Passenger Lists, Handwritten Indexes, 1855-1934 - In German
This database contains handwritten indexes to the passenger lists of ships departing from Hamburg, Germany. These indexes can help in your search of the original passenger lists database (Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934). These indexes are especially helpful for locating records for those years that have not yet been electronically indexed.
Family and Local Histories
This valuable, newly added collection of family histories contains histories, records and information for early colonial families in the New England area, as well as early settlers in Alabama. If you are looking for information from the 1700’s and early 1800’s in these areas, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to spend some time looking through these books.
Coming Soon:
• German City Directories
• Como, Italy Vital Records
Ancestry.com Enhancements
Ancestry.com’s New Home Page
Ancestry.com has launched a brand-new home page for logged-in members. We conducted surveys and analyzed site traffic and learned that Ancestry members want easy access to the search function, their own personal trees as well as information on the newest records and features added to the site. Based on information we gathered directly from you, we have designed a page that puts your interests first.
This new page combines the best of the old home page with all of the personalized features and tools that were once a click farther away on the My Ancestry page. By combining the two pages into a single new home page, we’ve reduced the number of clicks it takes you go get to the features you use most. This helpful new home page gives you access to all your family trees, reminds you of your recent activities, shows you what’s new on the site — and helps you get where you’re going faster than ever before.
From the Ancestry Store
The Ancestry Store is your best source for historical and genealogy software, books, CDs, maps, and photos. With nearly 10,000 products you are bound to find something that fits your family history needs. Browse thousands of maps and photos, find family tree software, and discover helpful books like The Source, Redbook, and The Official Guide to Ancestry.com. Check the home page often for new online specials and discover the latest releases in the “What’s New” section.
Contents
Historical Records
Ancestry.com Enhancements
Ancestry in the News
Recent Articles
From The Ancestry Store
Ancestry in the news
Two Brothers Are Reunited after 63 Years
After 63 years apart, two brothers find each other after one of their sons discovers a lead on Ancestry.com.
See What Granddad Did in the War
Ancestry.com and the National Archives join forces to make more family history records available.
A Taxing History
Ancestry.com’s new collection of IRS tax records (1862 – 1918) reveals annual incomes and taxable possessions, such as Abraham Lincoln’s income in 1864 of $25,000.
Recent Articles
U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1794-1995
Did your ancestors pass through Ellis Island or another U.S. port? This collection may lead you to the paperwork your ancestors filled out to become U.S. citizens.
Supersizing Our Newspaper Collection
The Historical Newspaper Collection has recently doubled in size from 20 million images to 40 million images. Learn more about what's available.