Places the family has lived
If you are looking for the places that your family has lived at different points in time, the documents listed below will help you. Depending on the time frame that you are looking for, you will need to choose different documents. For example, a marriage certificate will give you an individual's address at the time of their marriage, and a Veteran's Benefit Record will give you an individual's address at the time that they entered the service. If you have the minimum information required to find one of these documents, select the name of that document. The items in the list are ordered from most to least important. If you do not have the minimum information required, read the paragraph below this list.
Make sure you have checked items at home such as old letters or day books. You may find addresses in them. For a complete list of places to check at home, see the topic Finding information at home . You may also want to check for family histories and local histories in genealogy libraries and public libraries where your ancestors lived. They may mention family addresses.
Finding residences with vital records
Vital records are good places to find an individual's address at the time of their marriage, divorce, and death. Vital records are available from either the county or the state where the event took place, depending on the year of the event.
If you are looking for a person's address at the time of their marriage, but the marriage certificate is not available, many counties and states have similar vital records, such as marriage banns, marriage intentions, marriage bonds, marriage applications, marriage licenses, consent papers for marriage, marriage contracts, marriage returns, and marriage registers. To get the address where you must write to obtain any of these vital records, see the topic Resources by state.
Finding minimum information for vital records
To find a vital record, you must at least know the full name of the deceased for a death certificate, the full married name of one of the spouses for a divorce certificate, and the full name of the groom and/or the full maiden name of the bride for a marriage certificate. You must also know the approximate year of the event, and the state or county where the event took place.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records, you're not completely out of luck. Indexes to vital records have been made for some states and counties. These indexes provide you with the information you need to access the original record. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding residences with military records
Military records will list a veteran's address at the time that they entered the service. Some records will also list post-service residences. To get the address where you must write to obtain a military record, go to the topic Researching through military records ,and see the category "Veterans' Records."
Finding the minimum information for military records
To find an address in a military record, you must at least know the veteran's name, the branch of service, such as Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, the state from which the veteran entered the service, and the war in which the veteran served. If the period of service was after 1916, you must also know entry and release dates, military ID number, Social Security number, whether an officer or enlisted, and date of birth.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you aren't sure of the military branch or of the approximate time when the veteran served, look for military memorabilia an photos taken in uniform. These items can give you the information you need.
Finding residences with probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. Probate records often list an individual's last place of residence. You can usually find probate records in the county where the person lived at the time of their death.
To get a copy of an individual's probate packet or probate estate papers, contact the county clerk, town clerk, or probate clerk where the individual lived at the time of death. For county courthouse phone numbers and addresses, see our Resources by county . The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has a large collection of probate records on microfilm, both from the United States and from foreign countries.
For more information about court records, see the topic Court records.
Finding the minimum information for probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. To find an address in probate records, you must at least know the individual's full name at time of death, the approximate date of death, and the county or town in which the individual lived at the time of their death.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Probate record indexes and abstracts have been created in many counties. These indexes can provide you with the information you need to access the record, even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding residences with census records
Census records are great places to look up an individual's address, because they are taken every ten years -- they can help you track a family's movement over time. Street addresses weren't recorded until 1880, but on the 1860 and 1870 censuses, you may find the address of the nearest post office.
To find out if your ancestor appears in an 1850 or later census, it's easiest to search databases online. Ancestry's census collections have both digitized and scanned copies of every US Census. Even if you don't find the exact name that you need in the index, it is worth it to start looking at all records for families with that surname in the state, as long as the surname isn't too common. For example, if you are looking for Roberto Zubilaga, but only find John Zubilaga and Gianni Zubilaga in the index, look at those records. Using this method, you may come across the family that you are looking for.
At many libraries you can find bound indexes for pre-1880 censuses. These indexes are organized by state and list individuals in alphabetical order by surname, so you don't need to know the county. Different indexes contain different information that will help you find the census record. Some just give you the county that the person lived in; others tell you more. You can find bound indexes at the National Archives and the National Archives regional centers , the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branch Family History Centers , and many other libraries. Different locations have different indexes, so check more than one library if you don't find the index that you need. In addition, Soundex indexes are available, with some exceptions, for the years 1880 to 1920. For information about Soundex, see the topic Soundex: what it is and how to use it.
Once you locate your ancestor's name in an index, you will want to look at microfilm copies of the original census records. The original records will help you find the information you need and verify that you have found your ancestor, and not just someone with the same name. Pre-1930 census records are available at the National Archives and National Archives regional centers. Also check with your local public and genealogy libraries, because they may have census records or be part of an interlibrary loan system. In addition, your local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may either have census records or be able to get copies of them for you.
Access to post-1920 census records is restricted to immediate relatives and descendants. If the individual whose records you are searching for is still living, you must have their written permission to obtain a copy of the record. If the individual is deceased, you must have a certified death certificate. Write to: Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47131. They will send you a form that you must fill out and return with a fee.
You may also want to check the information contained in state and local censuses. Not all states and localities took their own censuses and the contents vary from state to state. However, sometimes the information is quite valuable. Ancestry has a selection of state census records online , and you can also contact libraries, state archives, and genealogy societies in the area where your ancestors lived. They should be able to tell you if any exist and where you might find them. The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is another possible source.
Finding the minimum information for census records
To find an address in census records, you must at least know the individual's name, the state, and the county in which the individual lived when the census was taken.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
Finding residences with directories
Directories are great sources for finding a family's residences. Directories come in all types: city, telephone, county, regional, professional, religious, post office, street, ethnic, and school. The directories that you search will depend on the type of information that you know about the individual. James A. Ethridge's Directory of Directories may be able to help you determine which directory you should look at to find the information that you need. The Directory of Directories is available at most libraries. The directories themselves can also be found in libraries throughout the United States. Because there are so many different directories, you won't find a library that has them all. You may have to check with several libraries before you can locate the directories that you need. For more complete information about directories, see the topic All about directories
Finding the minimum information for directories
To find the a residence in a directory, you must at least know the individual's full name, and some background information about the individual, such as a profession, area of residence, or religion, depending on the type of directory that you use.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding residences with land records
Land records can be excellent sources of genealogical information. Not only will they tell you when and where an individual owned a piece of land, but you may also find information such as the buyer's birthplace or the name of their spouse.
The first thing to do is to check for deeds, title deeds, or patent certificates in the area where the ancestor lived. Deeds are usually in the county courthouse or with the county recorder, and are normally well-indexed. The one thing to watch for in these indexes is that land that was purchased by more than one individual is often only indexed under the name of the first individual mentioned in the deed.
In addition to contacting the county courthouse or county recorder, check with the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have an extensive collection of land records and land records indexes. Your local Family History Center can give you more information about accessing their collection.
If your ancestor was the first owner of the land, e.g., purchased or received it directly from the government, records of the sale or grant should be available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. You can get a copy of the records in the National Archives if you can provide the township and range of the land. The township and range are often available through the following records:
Deeds, deed records, and plat maps, which you can get from the county, as described above.
Tract books, available on microfilm through the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and through many state archives and other genealogical libraries. You can also search the tract books at various Bureau of Land Management offices. Tract books for states that border the west bank of the Mississippi River and for all public land states east of the Mississippi River are available through the Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States Office, 350 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304. For all other public land states, contact a Bureau of Land Management office in Anchorage, Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver, Boise, Billings, Reno, Santa Fe, Portland, Salt Lake City, or Cheyenne. The National Archives also has tract books for the western states.
If your ancestor received land from the government in return for military service, he or his heirs had to file an application to prove that he was deserving of bounty land. Bounty land warrant applications are available through the National Archives. For information about sending for bounty land warrant applications, go to the topic Researching through military records, and see the category "Veterans' Records."
For information about contacting the National Archives, see the topic National Archives -- Washington, D.C.
When looking for land records, many people use computerized land records indexes to help them find the record that they need. Some libraries have computerized land records indexes.
Finding the minimum information for land records
A land record will give the address or location of property that a person owned. To find land records, you must at least know the individual's name and the state or county where the person was living.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Probate records may be helpful in your search for land records, because wills often list property that is being willed to heirs, and may even give a legal description of the land.
Even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records, you're not completely out of luck. Indexes to land records have been made for some states and counties. These indexes provide you with the information you need to access the original record. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding residences with tax records
Tax records vary from state to state, but will normally have the name and residence of the taxpayer, as well as a description of their property.
To obtain a copy of a tax record, write to the county or town clerk in the place where your ancestor may have lived. Addresses for county and town clerks are available through state and county government offices.
Finding minimum information for tax records
From tax records, you can get an address for each year. To find an address in tax records, you must at least know the full name of the taxpayer and the county or town in which the individual lived.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding residences with newspapers
An obituary sometimes will list a person's last residence, as well as the area where the individual was born and grew up. Marriage announcements often list an individual's birthplace or place of residence at the time of the marriage.
The directories listed below will help you find the current owners of old newspapers from the time and place when the obituary was published. If the individual spoke a foreign language, check to see if there was a newspaper in that language, too. An obituary in a foreign language newspaper is likely to print the name of the town where the individual was born, whereas an English newspaper may only list the country. Once you have located the current owners, you can request to search the appropriate copies. The current owners should be able to direct you in your search.
- Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals, available at most community libraries.
- Winifred Gregory's American Newspaper, available at community and genealogical libraries
The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) microfiche. The OCLC has a database of the U.S. Newspaper Program National Union List. You can access the OCLC at most university libraries and some community libraries.
Finding the minimum information for newspapers
To get a copy of an obituary or wedding announcement, you must at least know the approximate date of the event, the full name of groom and/or the maiden name of the bride for wedding announcements or the full name of the deceased for obituaries, and the state and city or town where the event took place (or where the announcement or obituary was likely to have been published).
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding residences with family histories and biographies
If your ancestors had a family history or biography written about them, it can be a great place to look up addresses. You may not only find the information that you are looking for, but also all sorts of other interesting information about the family.
To find a family history or biography, you need to spend some time at a few libraries. Probably the best libraries in which to search are genealogy and public libraries in the area where your ancestors lived. In addition, you may want to check in larger libraries, such as state or university libraries in the area where your ancestors lived. If you are unable to go to those libraries in person, find out if they are part of an interlibrary loan system. Finally, try checking the catalog of the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at your local Family History Center. They may have some appropriate books in their collection.
There are two other places to check for family histories. Try genealogy lending libraries -- these are companies that have book catalogs and will lend books through the mail for a fee. The addresses for three such libraries are listed below. If you have a modem, you can also search selected library catalogs through the Internet. For example, part of the Library of Congress catalog is accessible via modem.
Genealogy Lending Libraries
American Genealogy Lending Library
P.O. Box 329
Bountiful, UT 84011-0329
Telephone: (801) 298-5358
National Genealogy Society
4527 17th Street North
Arlington, VA 22207-2399
Telephone: (703) 525-0050
New England Historical and Genealogical Society
101 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
Telephone: (617) 536-5740
Finding the minimum information for family histories and biographies
To get a copy of a family history or biography, you must at least know the full name of your ancestor and the approximate area (state or county) in which they may have lived.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding a residence with the Social Security Death Index
With the Social Security Death Index, you can get information regarding an individual's birth date, death date, social security number, state/county code of residence, last residence zip code, and the zip code where the death benefit lump sum payment was sent.
In addition, with a name, the social security number that you get from the Social Security Death Index, and $7, you can obtain a copy of the individual's original application for a Social Security card. This often contains much information of genealogical interest. Write to:
Social Security Administration
Office of Central Records Operations, FOIA Workgroup, P.O. Box 17772, 300 N. Greene Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21290
You can search the SSDI online on Ancestry as well.
Finding the minimum information for the Social Security Death Index
To find the zip code of the last residence using the Social Security Death Index, you only need to know the individual's name.
Get help finding the minimum information for: