United States, Public Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These records consist of an index of names and contact information for metropolitan New York City from telephone directories, marketing lists, court records and voter registration lists. Information from other records include real estate property records; credit applications and ratings; business records; driver and other licenses; some vital record indexes; vehicle, web domain, voter registrations.

The collection includes records from 1898 to 2005.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The content varies by record. You may find any of the following:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Address or residence
 * Names of family members
 * Names of individuals living in the same household
 * Relationships
 * Occupation

How to Use the Record
To search the collection by name fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the age and location to find the family in census, church, and land records.
 * The occupation may lead to employment or other related records such military files.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have nearby.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.

Related Wiki Articles
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Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.