Find an ancestor by locality

Using Location information to find an ancestor
Knowing a locality can be very helpful in locating information about an ancestor. Following are the steps taken to find an ancestor who had lived in Miami County, Ohio.

Known facts:

 * The ancestor's name
 * His probably birth state (New York)
 * The location where he spent most of his time in Ohio
 * Names of his wife and family

Unknown facts:

 * His exact birthplace
 * How he got to Ohio
 * Documented sources for his marriage
 * What happened to him (he disappeared and was not heard from again)

The Search Process:
1. Searched the Miami County, Ohio article to see what information was available there.


 * There was a link to the Miami Valley Genealogy Index under the heading of Genealogy.
 * The link led to a page on the internet for the Miami Valley Genealogy Index.
 * That page had the option to search for someone with the first letter of their surname and then the surname, itself.
 * The surname was entered and the ancestor's name appeared with a list of transactions, including deeds and his marriage year.
 * This was an index, so no further information was available, but there are book and page numbers listed for further research. That will be pursued at a later date.

2. The Miami County, Ohio article also had a section for "Local Histories"


 * There was a link for The History of Miami County, Ohio, published 1880, W. H. Beers &amp; Co., which was available at FamilySearch.
 * Following that link led to the book, which had been digitized and could be viewed and downloaded.
 * Searching through the book revealed information for the ancestor that included:
 * His birthdate
 * His occupation
 * Other places of residence
 * The names of his wife and children
 * Birth information for his wife