Alaska, Pioneer Home Discharge Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes discharge records from 1913-1958.

The Alaska Pioneer Homes system was first established in 1913 when the territory established a home in Sitka for indigent men. The age requirement of 65 years was implemented in 1915. Women were first admitted in 1950. Additional homes were opened in Fairbanks in 1967, Palmer in 1971, Anchorage in 1977, Ketchikan in 1981 and Juneau in 1988.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These court and pension records may contain:
 * Name
 * Residence
 * Death date
 * Country of origin
 * Next of kin

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The date of the event or the name of a spouse or child

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information found in the record to locate the death record
 * Search for other vital records such as birth and marriage
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Alaska.
 * Alaska Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.