Decoding the Surname Index

How is the Surname Index structured?

The index is sorted alphabetically by surname.  Within surname it is sorted by first name.  Each record contains the following fields of data:

• Item #                            Item # is used to order copies, see How to Order Copies
• Surname                        Surname or last name of the individual referenced
• First Middle                  If indicated, the first name and/or middle name will be given.
• Maiden Married            For adult females, when indicated, maiden names and other married names are included. When it is likely that a name is a maiden name, it is                enclosed in parentheses.  Females, when possible, are indexed multiple times under all known surnames.
• Birth Yr                        If indicated, year of birth.
• Marriage Yr                  If indicated, year of marriage.
• Death Yr                       If indicated, year of death.
• Event Yr                       If indicated, year of an event other than birth, marriage, or death.

 Year Notes:

•  The year of birth, marriage, death, and event are included when known to help the researcher identify the individual’s time frame.  The index only includes a 4 digit year even when the source document indicates the month and day as well.
•  Years may be given as a range.  Usually this is done in the case of multiple events. 
• Years may be preceded by “ca.” for circa which means approximate or calculated.

Veteran Status

Veterans are indicated as such, may include code for a war as follows:     

VRW                   Revolutionary War                                    V1812                  War of 1812                                            VCW                   Civil War                                                    VWWI                World War I                                                  VWWII               World War II                                                VKW                   Korean War                                                VVN                    Vietnam War

Is all the information in our index correct?  Is all the information in our source documents correct?

The answer to both questions is “of course not.”  We’ve worked hard to provide an accurate index to our content, but undoubtedly there will be some errors.  Our documents, likewise, will contain some errors or inconsistencies.  You, the researcher, must evaluate the content and quality of all evidence that you discover. 

Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to research and verify the documentation in our museum.  We are “just” indexing our content and we hope this effort will be beneficial for your research.