Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak’s Roots World

Millions of Historic Documents from Microfilms Now Emerging Digitally Online

FamilySearch’s microfilm conversion initiative is beginning to sail. Over 12 million digital images from thousands of microfilm, representing 8 countries, were published online for free viewing this month. FamilySearch’s online image viewer makes it easy for online patrons to view the newest digital images from Argentina, Costa Rica, France, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and Spain.

This week the complete U.S. 1910 Federal Census name indexes for Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Missouri were also published online at FamilySearch’s Record Search pilot (FamilySearch.org, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) and coming soon to Beta.FamilySearch.org.

See the chart below for the complete list of all the newly added or improved collections.

FamilySearch plans on digitizing and publishing online the bulk of its 2.4 million rolls of microfilm—representing 132 countries. In addition, it is now capturing millions of new images each year digitally “at birth” from its 185 field camera teams worldwide. It all translates to a steady stream of new digital image collections for genealogy enthusiasts to anticipate and enjoy.

It’s always fun getting these updates to see all the records that are coming online, and I was especially delighted to read about the Freedmen’s Bureau records being added to the list.  These records contain so much valuable information, but are next to impossible to penetrate without endless buckets of time and/or extensive indexing.  Will be amazing what we’ll be able to learn in the not-too-distant future as they become more accessible! 

So here’s the latest on all the targeted and in-process projects from Family Search:

A project to index Freedmen Letters from North Carolina is now available. This is the second Freedmen’s Bureau collection FamilySearch has worked on with the National Archives. These records provide the earliest major compilation of information on many emancipated slaves, freed Blacks, and Black Union soldiers, including names, marriages, education and employment information, and receipt of rations, health care, and legal support.

New Projects in the Past Month

·       Jamaica—Civil Births, 1878–1899 [Part C]

·       U.S., Arkansas—WWII Draft Registration, 1942

·       U.S., District of Columbia—Deaths, 1874–1959

·       U.S., North Carolina—Freedmen Letters, 1862–1870

 (See the chart below for a complete list and current status of all indexing projects.)

Recently Completed Projects

(Note: Recently completed projects have been removed from the available online indexing batches and will now go through a final completion check process. They will be published at pilot.familysearch.org in the near future.)

·       Belgium, Antwerp—Foreigners Index, 1840–1930

·       New Zealand—Passenger Lists, 1871–1915

·       Nicaragua, Managua—Registros Civiles, 1879–1984 [Part 3A]

·       U.K., Isle of Man—Parish Registers, 1800–1950

·       U.S., Oklahoma—WWII Draft Registration, 1942

·       U.S., Pennsylvania—1910 Federal Census

·       U.S., Tennessee—1910 Federal Census

·       U.S., Tennessee, Carroll County—Marriages, 1881–1939

·       U.S., Vermont—1910 Federal Census

·       U.S., Virginia—1910 Federal Census

·       U.S., Washington—1910 Federal Census

Current FamilySearch Indexing Projects, Record Language, and Percent Completion