National Archives – On Granny's Trail

Learn more about NARA records at “The Twelve Key” blog

Posted on January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 by Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail"

good2no

I just came across an excellent blog for any of you who are interested in U.S. National Archives records, and wanted to share a link to it. It is called The Twelve Key, by Claire Prechtel Kluskens, who is a senior reference and projects archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, DC.

In my first visit to her blog I learned about the carded medical records for Mexican War volunteers in a link to an article she wrote about it for NGS Magazine in 2014, and I was able to order my great-great grandfather’s medical record from the Mexican War. According to his pension file, which I obtained years ago, he had been hospitalized when he lost a finger “in a charge made by lancers” at the Battle of Buena Vista. I am very interested to see his medical record! I’ll post it here when I receive it.

The Twelve Key website has links to Kluskens’ extensive historical and genealogical publications, as well as research guides she has produced for the National Archives, and syllabus materials for lectures. You are going to love this website!

National Archives, Native Americans, Research tips

Native American Research Out West

Posted on December 4, 2015December 7, 2015 by Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail"

“Navajo Medicine Man”, Edward S. Curtis [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Navajo_medicine_man.jpg

I guess this post could be more aptly named, “Native American Research at your nearest National Archives regional facility,” but would you have have dosed off? I nearly did just writing it.

I have mentioned in other blog posts my love for the National Archives website, and today I noticed they have really pumped up the section on Native American research, so I thought I would give you an idea of what you might find. I hope you will want to venture farther and explore the links there, as there are some fascinating records to be found. And if you don’t have any Native American ancestry, don’t stop reading here!

If your ancestors made their way Out West, the chances are very high their lives intersected with the native population (land ownership issues, water rights, commerce, schools, employment, etc.), and this generated records. Some of the most valuable genealogical records I have for my non-native Arizona and New Mexico ancestors come from records held by the BIA, or Bureau of Indian Affairs, or Record Group 75 at NARA (the National Archives). Continue reading “Native American Research Out West” →

Archives and Libraries, Military, National Archives, Uncategorized, Websites

More Federal Records to Rock Your Socks (pt.2)

Posted on January 31, 2013January 31, 2013 by Dayna Jacobs - "On Granny's Trail"

I recently posted about interesting federal record groups at the National Archives that most of us have never heard of, but are pretty awesome. I thought you would like to learn about some of them, so here is Part 2 of Record Groups to Rock Your Socks. Refer to the original post for a step-by-step guide to finding these and other great records.

Did you have a veteran ancestor who was a resident of an Armed Forces Retirement Home? Today’s gem is “Records of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, 1803-1943.” Notice the link to search the OPA (Online Public Access) for entries from this record group.

The NARA website gives this summary of the retirement home history: “Established as the Military Asylum, Washington, DC, by an act of March 3, 1851 (9 Stat. 595), with branches (1851-58) in New Orleans, LA, and East Pascagoula (Greenwood’s Island), MS, and at Western Military Asylum, Harrodsburg, KY.”

Look at the cool things you can find for both inmates (residents) and employees:

Whenever you find a record group at the National Archives you would like to access, check to see if they have created a finding aid, such as this one: