Step-by-Step Vermont Research, 1880-Present

Vermont Step-by-step research 1880--present ---

Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What should be asked?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews What to Ask the Relatives
 * Genealogy: 150 questions to ask family members about their lives
 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military.

Using the clues to lead to census record searches.
'''We find a Kenneth Rushlow, the only one in the Vermont 1940 census, living in Montgomery, Franklin County, Vermont, age 4, in the home of William Rushlow. That would make him 22 years old when John Rushlow is born, so it is likely that he is the Kenneth Rushlow we are seeking. We will want to prove that assumption in vital records later. This is a great record though, because also living in the home are Kenneth's grandparents, William and Elizabeth Rushlow.'''

'''As we follow this family back through earlier censuses, we find William Rushlow, the older, and William Rushlow, the younger living next door to each other in 1930. In 1920, he is a young man in his parent's home. In 1910, William Rushlow, the younger is a teenager in his parents' home, and in 1900, a 4 year old chiild.'''

Also notice that here in 1900, we are given the birth date of William Rushlow as 1866.

There is no 1890 census, but it looks like the 1880 census shows William Rushlow, born in 1866, as a 13 year old child in the home of his parents, Nelson and Julia Rushlow.





Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
- For more information, see Vermont Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or (even towns in some states) recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
 * In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations.
 * A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
 * A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using the census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents.



Using the census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
 * establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
 * find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.



Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:
 * birth date and place of the deceased
 * maiden name of the wife
 * names of the deceased's parents
 * '''birth places of the deceased's parents.'

Some of the databases available provide index entries. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists. It will contain many details not given in the index. In some cases, the image of the original is found online. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate in other cases. -

How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
 * online databases
 * writing to a county courthouse (prior to state civil registration beginning in 1867)
 * purchasing them through the mail

Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Vermont Counties.

Order Certificates from Vermont Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for Vermont Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Vermont, see How to Find Vermont Birth Records, How to Find Vermont Marriage Records, and How to Find Vermont Death Records.

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at
 * Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.


 * If you find your ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

Obituaries

 * Try these Vermont links:
 * Archives.com Obituaries for Vermont ($)
 * Newspaper Obituary collection for Vermont: starts about 2003 to present ($)
 * Ancestry.com United States Obituary Collection for Vermont ($)
 * Vermont Obituary search
 * GenealogyBuff Vermont
 * ObitsArchive.com - Vermont ($)
 * ObituariesHelp.org - Vermont Newspaper Obituaries Listings
 * The Obituary Link Page - Vermont Obituary Links
 * — index and images
 * Search for obituaries in ProQuest Newspapers.com Library ($)

Cemeteries

 * Try these Vermont links:
 * Vermont Find A Grave Index, 1751-2012 ($), index
 * BillionGraves Name Search.
 * Interment
 * New Horizons Genealogy
 * USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project (Vermont)
 * Vermont Cemetery Records (at LDS Genealogy)
 * Vermont Old Cemetery Association
 * Linkpendium
 * I Dream of Genealogy Vermont Cemeteries
 * I Dream of Genealogy Vermont Cemeteries

'''Notice the wealth of information found in these FindAGrave records. Each name in blue is also a link to another FindAGrave record for that person.'''

World War II Draft Registration
Likewise, the World War II draft in 1942 may give birth date, birth place, residence, occupation, employer, and other family members as contacts. Search for your male relatives born in this time period at
 * , index and images.

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Step 6: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that your ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records are the next goal. Immigration refers to people coming into a country, such as the United States, and emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Usually these records are passenger lists of the ships they sailed on. A typical record will show name, age, and country of origin, but in ship lists after 1906 you can find the actual town of birth, the next of kin still living in the old country and their residence, and the names of relatives in the place they are traveling to.

Immigration records
Passenger lists and border crossing lists are the most common immigration records. There are many immigration records available. Click here to see a complete list of available immigration records online. Notice that they are listed by state, but under the letter "U" there is a long list of records that cover all of the United States. Unless family information tells you the port where family arrived, you will need to search all of the United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records for the time period when your ancestors arrived.

There are also some immigration records unique to Vermont:
 * U.S. Passport Applications for Vermont, 1795-1925 ($)
 * Passenger and Immigration Lists Index for Vermont, 1500s-1900s ($)
 * , index/images

Naturalization (Citizenship) Records
Naturalization is the process of becoming a citizen. Records can include the immigrant's declaration of intent to become a citizen, petitions for citizenship, and final certificate of naturalization. Naturalization records after 1906 can show birth date and place, spouse's name, marriage date and place, and lists of children with their birth dates.

Vermont naturalization records could be recorded at the county court or the Federal District or Circuit Court. You must look for them in both locations. Try searching first in any county where the person lived, unless the census tells you the year they were naturalized, and you have evidence of where they lived that year. If you cannot locate them in the county records, try searching for them in the Federal courts.

Vermont Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * Browse Only.
 * Vermont, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1790-1954, index & images ($).
 * images only.
 * images only.

Step 7: Study each record for other possible searches.
You can now go through a process of working back and forth between all the different record types. Most researchers find clues in the census records that alert them to new certificates to obtain. The certificates then give them ideas of new facts to look for in the census. For example, when a marriage certificate gives you a wife's maiden name, you will then want to look for her in earlier censuses listed with her family as a child. When the census shows you her parents' names, you may then search for their death records. The death records might show their patents' names and take you back to the census to search for them. The death records might show their patents' names and take you back to the census to search for them. A naturalization record listing children's names might lead you back to birth certificate searches, and so on. Here is a simple pedigree showing what we have discovered so far: Here are some sample research projects you could continue with:
 * Continue looking up all the children of each couple in the birth, marriage, death, Social Security, cemetery, and military collections until you have complete information on each of them.
 * Continue looking for the Rushlow family in the, , and  census records of Vermont.
 * Go back through the steps in this article, applying them to the Ouimette, Patlow, St. Francis, Elwood families.

Local histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Vermont; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "Vermont" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "Vermont" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, Vermont. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Vermont and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.

Biographies
These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.
 * County and Town Histories Vermont with biographies
 * American Biographical Library for Vermont ($)
 * Vermont Men, 1894, ($), index/images
 * Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont Vol. 1, e-book, Vol. 2
 * The Vermont historical gazetteer: a magazine, embracing a history of each town, civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military. Vol. 1, ebook, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5
 * Encyclopedia, Vermont biography; a series of authentic biographical sketches of the representative men of Vermont and sons of Vermont in other states, e-book
 * One Thousand Men, e-book
 * VERMONT BIOGRAPHIES PROJECT, index

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.
For more information, see U.S. Probate Records Class Handout.

County probate records

 * County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration. In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet. Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.


 * Currently, these records are microfilmed and digitized:
 * Vermont, Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Index and Images.


 * Eventually more of these records may become available online.


 * In the meantime, this online directory by Genealogy Inc. will enable you to arrange to have them searched for a fee: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the Courthouse and Government Records to find the address and phone number of the County Clerk of Court. Ask them about the years covered by their probate records and their procedure and fees for ordering copies probate packets. When you write, always ask for the full probate packet, not just the will or administration.

Step 10: Contact a county historical or genealogical society.
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 * County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.


 * If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings.