Research
Museum Policies
History Overview
Tasks
Genealogy
Wine History
Historic Buildings
Business Histories
Pomo and Wappo Tribes
Resources
Artifact Of The Month
Photo Of The
Month
Photos
Documents
Newspapers
Maps
Oral Histories
|
The Museum Research Library has many resources for finding
information on people from the past.
An Immigrant Family
When beginning any genealogical research, here are
some things you should consider doing first:
- Talk to your relatives--The human brain is still
the best research tool. You'd be surprised how much time you can save by
asking someone first.
- Organize the information you have--Papers, photos,
wills, birth/death announcements, and so on. Note dates, make photocopies,
etc.
- Prioritize--Decide which surnames or relatives
to research first.
Surnames
If you are searching for particular surnames, you can look them
up in census records, voter records, phone directories, and cemetery records.
Also, our newspaper files are indexed by the names mentioned in them. Remember,
spellings of names can change!
Appearance
To find out what someone looks like, concentrate on the photo files
for portraits and group photos. Prominent persons are grouped into subfiles.
If you know where the person you are looking for lived or worked,
or an event they participated in, look for a photo of that--you might
find them posing in front of a building or for a newspaper photo.
Births and Deaths
Census records record births. Newspapers frequently announce
births and deaths, and the subject index makes them easy to find. We
also have a complete layout of Oak Mound Cemetery, which contains graves
dating back to Healdsburg's earliest days.
Residence
To find out where someone lived, start with census records or voter
records. Newspaper articles about a person sometimes mention where they
live. If you know where someone might have lived, their name may be mentioned
in articles about the property or in the deed for the property.
Note: The Museum does not store deeds, but they may
be obtained at the Sonoma County Recorder's office, located at 103f 585 Fiscal
Drive in Santa Rosa. Contact them at (707) 565-2651.
|
