Author: James L. Douthat

Land Records

Public Land Records

James L. Douthat

Following the American Revolutionary War, the colonies found themselves with vast expanses of lands and virtually no money. In fact, the cost of the War and the government at the time were financed by a large number of the wealthy citizens of the country. Many of these were the signers of the Declaration of Independence and they had pledged their lives and fortunes in the pursuit of freedom, which it cost them dearly. When England left the colonies, we found ourselves with huge debts but vast riches in land. The…

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divorce records

Divorce Records

James L. Douthat

With so many marriages ending in divorce, it will affect nearly every level of your genealogical research today and in the years to come. Though the years, divorces have fluctuated between being a church matter and a civil matter. Finding divorce records can sometimes be difficult, but it may provide some information. In the ancient world, divorce was an informal affair and was primarily dominated by males since women had few, if any, rights in the matter. In most cases, a divorce did not have to be recognized or ratified…

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Death Records

Death Records

James L. Douthat

Many times in our genealogical research, we are trying to find the death records of one or more of our ancestors. This can be a daunting task as many of these items were never recorded. Most states did not start recording death certificates until after 1912 while a few states began as early as 1908. If your research goes back into Virginia/West Virginia/Kentucky, you will find that these three states requested the county court clerks have a book for “Deaths” beginning in 1853. The recording of the births or deaths…

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Tax Listing

The Tax Man Cometh

James L. Douthat

In doing genealogical research, we often find a reference to the “Tax Listing” of a particular area. Far too many overlook this very important listing because it gives such a small amount of information. However, several items of interest can be gleaned from the tax listing. Most will turn to the census first, yet sometimes this can be an inaccurate source of information. The tax listing is more accurate as the tax man works year round to gather the information and not just a few weeks as the census taker.…

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Land Records

Land Records

James L. Douthat

Sometimes in our genealogical research, we come to the end of our rope. Turning to the land records of an area seems our last resort. To use the land records of a particular area can be very tricky since most areas have been derived from other areas that may not even be close. If you are on the eastern seaboard, the records will be somewhat simpler, but as you move inland, these records can become more confusing. Recently I was researching in one of the oldest counties in the state…

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WPA records

WPA Records

James L. Douthat

The W. P. A., or Works Project Administration, was a national program and helped to employ many workers to carry out public works projects. When the Great Depression hit in 1929 the economy of the nation collapsed and many Americans were put on the street with no home, no money, and no jobs. The United States Congress set aside $4.88 billion dollars from the emergency Relief Fund in an attempt to get the nation back on its feet. A number of projects were begun by building the infrastructure of the…

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Adoption Records

Adoption Records and Bound Children

James L. Douthat

In nearly every family, there are children that come up missing or we cannot identify where they came from. As always, it is important to know the time period when this occurs as the laws change from time to time. In the early part of this century, the counties had little or no money for care of orphans or indigent families. So these counties fell back on an old German method of taking care of children called bound children. Sometimes a family was unable to care for their children, or…

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Family History Family Reunions

Family History and Reunions

James L. Douthat

Summer is upon us and that usually brings a rash of family reunions. If you are the one to plan the reunion, it can be a challenge to say the least. We share a meal, catch up with our relatives, maybe take a group photograph and everyone leaves for another year. However, is that all there is to a family reunion? Perhaps this year you can introduce some things into the festivities that will spark a little interest in the genealogy of the family. We have a large family reunion…

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Military Records

Military Records

James L. Douthat

Wars have been a part of American life since the first white man stepped onto the shores. Every generation has known of war or rumors of war. No family has been spared the impact of conflict of some kind. For the most part, we mark time periods within the range of some conflict in the country, beginning with King Phillip’s War of 1675 down to the conflict in the Middle East today. The different conflicts have differing resources for research. The very early wars with the French and Indian conflicts…

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Militia Records

Militia Records

James L. Douthat

In doing genealogical research, frequently we find that we have to get into the military/militia records for our ancestors. The military records are fairly easy to find since the Federal Government has kept most of these. The main thing you have to know is about the time period researching. Most of the military records are kept by the war that was fought at the time you are researching. The most difficult records to locate are those militia records from the very early periods of our history. From the very beginning…

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