Genealogy
Welcome to the Genealogy Department of the Waco-McLennan
County Library. Our collection includes:
- over 15,000 books
- Census and Soundex
- Family Search (a CD-ROM product from The Church of JesusChrist
of Latter-Day Saints that contains the Ancestral File and
International Genealogical Index)
- Texas County Records on microfilm are available through
Interlibrary Loan.
- Our department also contains 10 microfilm readers, 3 microfiche
readers, 2 microfilm/-fiche copiers, 1 photocopier, and 7
computers with internet access.
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New Database
FootnoteTM.com is the newest addition to the online resources
available on all public computers at the Waco-McLennan County Library.
What is Footnote? It is a collection of digital images of millions of
historical documents held primarily by the National Archives. Records
from Allen County Library, Pennsylvania Archives 1625-1880, and FamilySearch
have also been made available to this database. No longer does one have
to physically travel to obtain access to the primary sources provided
by these institutions.
Footnote’s collection is presently divided into over 364
collections of records that can be actively perused. Are you looking
for a pension application of a Texas Confederate soldier? Visit Confederate
Soldier Service Records. Are you curious about your ancestor’s naturalization
petition? Visit Naturalizations 1700- mid 1900s. Do you need the service
record of an ancestor who participated in the Revolutionary War? Visit
the Revolutionary War Service Records.
Did you know that the Bureau of Investigation (now known
as the Federal Bureau of Investigation) kept records on almost all Americans
of German ancestry during the years 1909 to 1921 and that those records
usually included birth information, names of all living relatives, political
views, religion, and much more? The amount of personal information available
in the Bureau of Investigation records is truly amazing. The amount
of information to be found in FootnoteTM.com is even more amazing!
Waco-McLennan County Library
to Offer Beginner's Genealogy Class
The Waco-McLennan County Library together with the Central Texas
Genealogical Society will sponsor a Beginner's Genealogy Class on
Saturday, August 29, 2009 from 10:30 am- 1:00 pm at the Central Library,
1717 Austin Ave.
The class is free and will cover topics such as how to use genealogy
forms, an introduction to basic records, Internet sources and research,
and a tour and orientation of the Genealogy Division's collection
at the Central Library. The instructor for the class will be Apala
Wilson of the Central Texas Genealogical Society. For more information,
call Bill Buckner at 750-5945.
10th Annual Genealogy Lock-In – Discover History for Yourself
Click for Lock-In Photo Album!
Click for Fact Sheet
In celebration of October as ‘Family History’ month, the Genealogy Division of the Waco-McLennan County Library System, in cooperation with the Central Texas Genealogical Society (CTGS), will be sponsoring the 10th Annual Genealogy Lock-in on Friday, October 30, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at the Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave. This event is free and open to any members of the public who have an interest in genealogy.
If you are new to genealogy join us for the Genealogy Beginner’s Class or for a lecture by
Edward Loera, ProQuest Training Representative, on how to get the most from the databases Ancestry Library Edition or HeritageQuest. Enjoy a discussion by James Harkins from the Texas General Land Office about the GLO’s vast collection. Ask Aaron Holt from the National Archives Southwest Region about your Indian ancestor or discover how to access your ancestor’s military records. Then visit the re-enactors area and get a taste of how your ancestor might have lived during the American Revolution with Bill Covington or Civil War with Charles Oliver.
The Lone Star Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) will be sponsoring an ‘Ancestors Road Show’ before and during the Lock-in from 3:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Professional genealogists will provide free 15-minute consultations to family history researchers who submit questions for review. This is a great opportunity to have a professional review those “brick wall” problems.
Time slots will be limited. Road show appointments are limited to one-per-customer on a first-come, first-served basis. Walk-up registration will begin at 3 p.m. on October 30. The registration process includes submitting a filled-out questionnaire and an initial screening interview, where yourgenealogical problem will be analyzed and assigned to a consultant. Questionnaires will be available at registration or can be downloaded beforehand from the Lone Star Chapter website http://www.lonestarapg.com/roadshow_form.pdf. Contact the number below for additional information.
The purpose of the event is to showcase the Library’s genealogy collection and provide an awareness of the hereditary and historical societies represented in this area. It's a great opportunity for both the novice and the experienced researcher to learn more about genealogy, pursue their individual family’s history, and to learn about local hereditary and historical societies. The Lock-in will include genealogical advice, instruction, food, and door prizes.
Participants need to arrive between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Doors will be opened at 6:30 p.m.There will be no admittance after 7:30 p.m. Participants may leave at any time. Security will be provided.
Library facilities other than Genealogy will not be available for use during the Lock-in. Children under the age of 16 attending the event must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information contact Bill Buckner, Manager of the Periodicals/Genealogy Division at the Waco-McLennan County Library at (254) 750-5945 or e-mail bbuckner@ci.waco.tx.us.
McLennan County Cemetery Interest Group
The McLennan County Cemetery Interest Group is an informal
group of citizens interested in the cemeteries and/or burials in McLennan
County, Texas. Our group is a volunteer organization of the Waco-McLennan
County Library-Genealogy Division.
Members include:
- Bill Buckner, Division Manager and other staff members
- Members of the Central Texas Genealogical Society Projects Committee
- Members from the general public.
Anyone interested in helping to preserve cemetery data
for the future is welcome. There is no charge or fee associated with
our group-we are volunteers working to protect McLennan County history.
Our goal is to become the source of information on Waco and McLennan
County cemeteries by providing accurate documentation of cemetery histories
and inventories.
The McLennan County Cemetery Interest Group seeks to provide
a forum for discussion on our area cemeteries, as well as to become
a source of information and record preservation for all McLennan County
cemeteries and burials. Our activities to date include:
- Creating a Master List of McLennan County cemeteries
- Establishing guidelines for inventorying cemeteries
- Creating forms to ensure uniform collection of data
- Inventorying cemeteries in danger of being abandoned and cemeteries
not previously recorded
- Updating cemetery inventories on file at the Library.
- Maintaining a resource file on each identified cemetery.
If you are interested in preserving the historical information
of our cemeteries please join us for a meeting! For more information,
click here: http://txgenweb3.org/txmclennan/CTGS/mccig.htm
FREE FORMS
Our cemetery survey forms may be accessed by clicking
on the link below. Terms of Use: Intended for personal, non-commercial
usage. Please leave copyright statement intact.
Cemetery Inventory
Form
Cemetery Survey Form
Electronic
Genealogy Resources
Ancestry Library edition (ALE): this family history
research database in the library version of Ancestry.com and contains
over 1.2 million records including the US Census from 1820's-1930's,
births, marriages and death records, immigration records, biographies,
newspapers and periodicals and more. Available for in Library use only.
Genline: Swedish Church Records Online: this digital
image database of Swedish church records from the 16th-20th century
has over 16 million records. Records consist of birth/baptismal, confirmation,
marriage, death/burial, church ledgers and household examinations rolls.
Available for use in the Genealogy Department at the Central Library.
HeritageQuest Online: Among the TexShare databases,
HeritageQuest Online provides patrons with searchable genealogy content.
Census images and indexes are provided for various census as well as
access to 25,000 family and local histories.
For additional information on available electronic resources:
visit the Databases section of our web site.
Internet
Genealogy Resources
The following list of Internet sites are provided as a
resource for additional genealogical information.
Disclaimer: The Waco-McLennan County Library System
does not monitor, and has no control over, information accessed through
the Internet and cannot be responsible for its content.
Research
Categories
(Click
on the topic name to access links to helpful web sites)
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