Transcription Content/Record Set Ideas
Complete Record Set: a transcribed record that covers a defined period of time OR is a given scope of data.
Incomplete Record Set: something you have transcribed that is part of a larger complete set.
Note: Both types of record sets need to be searchable and on-site.
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Transcribing a huge record such as a census, vital stats, etc can seem discouraging and unachievable. Try chunking out your records by a time period, location or alphabetically which allows your work to be considered a complete record set. |
Timing for Record Sets: New complete record-sets or incomplete record-sets are to be added to a project no less than once every six (6) months, with at least one complete record-set added yearly (Based on review dates). Both record sets may be complete record-sets, but both may not be incomplete record-sets.
Copyright: Use the Digital Copyright slider to see if you can use works without the author's permission: https://librarycopyright.net/r
Note: State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) records are open records. HOWEVER, if the record was transcribed by someone at Family Search, Ancestry, etc,
their permission is required. Images are not copyrighted. (effective July 2018 per C McDaniel)
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Cemeteries
are normally an ongoing project, but a very
helpful incomplete data record. A cemetery index is considered a complete record set when the cemetery:
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Township trustees are typically the contact people for the rural cemeteries in their township. City government is normally responsible for city owned cemeteries.
Ancestry.com (may require a subscription)
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Transcribing a census can seem daunting, but if you chunk the records out by township, your work is considered a complete record set. |
1940 U.S. Census Images at National Archives
Lynn McCleary transcribed all counties for the years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880
U.S. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records (1761 – 1969)
Ancestry.com (requires a subscription): https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60722/
Biographical sketches, county histories, plat maps, farm directories, city directories
and
more
Local libraries offer free resources. Many provide free access to historical records either remotely or on-site. Resources may include Ancestry Library Edition, American Ancestors, HeritageQuest online, Newspapers.com. Check the libraries website to see what is available.
Iowa County History Books - Images offered by Google Books
The Iowa Digital Library - Sponsored by U of Iowa - has lots of digital images which could be transcribed. The collection includes the county plat maps from the 1875 Andreas Atlas, and transcribing resident names from your county's plat map is certainly worthwhile. There are also diaries, journals, letters, etc.
Iowa
State Gazetteer & Business Directory 1918 - 1919 Provided by Hathi Trust Digital Library
The Annals of Iowa (1863-1884) (1893 – at least 2014) on line and searchable publications offered by State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Historical Maps & Atlases - the images may be copyrighted but there are directories and landowners you can transcribeIowa Counties Historic Atlases - hosted by U of IA digital library
Library of Congress - provides access to a massive digital collection
Transcribe or Link to Davenport public library: https://www.davenportlibrary.com/research-tools/patents
The Blue Book of Optometrists & OpticiansBonus: Cheryl Siebrass transcribed the Blue Book abbreviations key you may use.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.100924433&view=1up&seq=159
1878-79
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn4gx2&view=1up&seq=77
1880-81
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn4gx3&view=1up&seq=87
1886-87.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015057718168&view=1up&seq=116
1850 - 1950
In 1816, Congress authorized the publication of a list of all federal employees every two years. It appeared in book form under the title /Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States./ The Oregon State Library, Salem, Oregon, has in its collection 77 volumes of registers for years ranging from 1863 to 1959 (noninclusive).(See the browse table for years available).
Registers include the name of each government employee, office held, where employed, where born, whence appointed, and pay received, as well
as information regarding the Navy, such as names and conditions of all ships and vessels belonging to the United States and when and where they
were built.
https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2525
Upper right side of this page in Ancestry, see a Box titled "Browse this collection"
> Choose the year and then select Volume 2.
> For 1905 the Iowa the pages are:
> Post-Offices and Postmasters pg 103
> Clerks in Post Officepg 451
> Free-Delivery System pg 795
> Rural Free Delivery pg 1072
> Substitute Rural Free Delivery pg 1378
> Railway Mail Service RR Postal Clerkspg 11 & pg 1587
> Mail Messenger Servicepg pg 1715
> Mail Contractorspg pg 1751
> Electric & Cable Car Service pg 1766
> Regulation, Screen, or Other Wagon Service pg 1772
> Star Servicepg 1808
> Special Mail Service pg 1921
https://www.blm.gov/services/land-records
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/
History of HomesAn example of how to present this information: http://iagenweb.org/plymouth/T
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Iowa,_United_States_Genealogy
OR
Use this link and change the county in the url to your county name:
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Clinton_County,_Iowa_Genealogy
The above site has case types that are particularly important for genealogy research like marriage, divorces, probate/estates, name changes, and adoption records.
• marriage – 4,369,504 cases
• divorce – 6,979,501 cases
• estate – 4,968,717 cases
• probate – 5,580,719 cases
• name change – 2,900,354 cases
• adoption – 77,157 cases
About 10 to 15 million new court cases are being added every month.
<https://www.familysearch.org/
Funeral Home Records
Family Search link: Do a search for your county. Example: funeral records for Dallas County were found at http://iagenweb.org/dallas/
The Iowa Digital Library has lots of digital images which could be transcribed. The collection includes the county plat maps from the 1875 Andreas Atlas, and transcribing resident names from your county's plat map is certainly worthwhile. There are also diaries, journals, letters, etc.
https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui_root
Iowa Historical Maps & Atlases - the images may be copyrighted but there are directories and landowners you can transcribeIowa Counties Historic Atlases - hosted by U of IA digital library
Huebinger's Map for the River to River Road (1910) Wonderful maps that even mark locations of schools and cemeteries near the road, vintage ads, some short historical articles, vintage photos, descriptions and plat maps of the various towns, garages, hotels, etc. NOTE: Lynn McCleary & Conni McDaniel Hall have downloaded all of the images and are happy to share with you.
IA Dept of the GAR
Contains biographies. The book is only 200 pgs. Search page by page to find ones that are connected to your county.
http://www.spanamwar.com/Iowagraves.htm
51st Iowa Volunteers:
http://www.spanamwar.com/51stiowa.htm
with link to roster listing
51st Co. M
http://www.spanamwar.com/51iowaCompanyM.htm
51st Iowa Volunteers:
http://davidlovell.tripod.com/
49th Iowa Volunteers:
http://www.spanamwar.com/49thiowadeparts.htm
49th Roster:
http://www.spanamwar.com/49thiowaroster.htm
52nd Iowa Volunteers:
http://www.spanamwar.com/52ndiowa.htm#history
Click on a soldier's bio, to see birth date, home town, date entered the service, casualty and incident information and if the
body was recovered, etc.
WWII Casualties: Iowa | National Archives
http://koreanwar.org/
The National Archives -There are multiple Iowa holdings; be sure to scroll down the entire page.
National Archives at Kansas City, Missouri
A “Year in Review” section in old newspapers. Provides historical information.
County History – (Per Bill Waters, he finds digitized newspapers contain enough information about his county to keep busy for the rest of his life.)
Early Settlers Associations
List of graduates from public, private schools and colleges.
Engagement, marriage, anniversary & birth announcements
Advantage Preservation Access to Iowa community newspapers and documents
Wikipedia: List of Iowa Online Newspaper Archives
Iowa Newspapers & Obituaries sponsored by LDS Genealogy
Godfrey Memorial Library (Requires a subscription)
Newspapers.com (Requires a subscription)
Create an index to place as an on-site record set. (Depending how on you choose to organize the data, it could be considered either a complete or incomplete record set.)
Local town Facebook sites. Ask if someone could provide a list of graduates.
Ancestry.com (requires subscription)
Family Search: https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1202535
Iowa birth records 1904 - 1906 and 1909 - June 1921:
State Historical Society of Iowa
https://iowaculture.gov/history/research/collections/vital-records
Scroll down to “State Birth Record Indexes”
Familysearch.org
The Iowa Historical Society has digitized death records on line
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Add complete record sets by arranging and adding your data by year. |
Ancestry.com (Subscription Required for Most Information)
Hathi Trust Digital Library - This link is for 'State of Iowa (change search term for a specific county)
State Historical Society of Iowa Various digital resources & links to other resources. (Lincoln letters, children's diaries, etc.)
Library of Congress, Chronicling America 1777 to 1925
Library of Congress - IOWA 1800-1899 Wide variety of items available for Iowa online
Iowa Digital Library - Maps & Images, use tools along the left side to select a time period or other option.
American Memory from the Library of Congress Search Page for House & Senate Documents (can view original docs, change 'return' qty to 10000 or more to view all.)
Need Access to a subscription only website? Mary Schwanke recommends the following: "I tell people to check with their local library and see if they offer free access to resources like HeritageQuest, Ancestry, etc. I can access many from the comfort of my home using my library card, some you need to access from the library, and not all libraries offer this but it is worth a check!"