Another Victory for Reclaim the Records!

We want to thank one of our readers, Bob Meinhardt, for reminding us about the newest accomplishment of the exciting, hardworking genealogy group, Reclaim the Records. The last time we wrote about this amazing organization was in February 2020, when we introduced you to them and what they were doing on behalf of all genealogists throughout the U.S. to make public records truly public. (You can read that previous post here.)

Looking for an Ethnic St. Louis Newspaper?

As you probably know by now, the old headquarters building of St. Louis County Library is closed and the demolition process has begun; a new structure will take its place in a year or so. As the History & Genealogy Department prepared for its move to temporary quarters at the Daniel Boone branch, they had to reassess their holdings and make some decisions on what to keep and what to discard. Accordingly, since many of their newspapers were already digitized and online, they offered StLGS a variety of newspaper microfilms.

Updates to the StLGS Website

FHC Conference Recording Update and More

Registration for the 2020 virtual Family History Conference will remain open until early July. As of this week, there are six digital recordings available to registrants. "Civil War Eyewitnesses" from Dennis Northcott and "Using Technology in Genealogy Research" from Cathy Amen have been added to the original four recordings from "The Legal Genealogist," Judy Russell, and are now online. We expect to add John Dougan's lecture this week, followed by the last three talks as soon as the speakers are able to record. Remember that registering for the virtual FHC entitles you to all ten lectures plus the complete syllabus! Each of the lectures is available to view for ninety days from the date they are posted online. For more information on the conference, and/or to register, see the conference page on our website.

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Although many St. Louis researchers know Dennis Northcott, assistant archivist at the Missouri History Museum's Library and Research Center, our newest speaker on technology, Cathy Amen, is a first-time lecturer for our Family History Conference. We thought you might like to learn more about her, so Laura Mackinson, StLGS social media chairperson, asked her these questions:

Laura: What's the most useful new tech for genealogists? Why?
Cathy: Actually, my must-have is my smart phone. There are so many apps available now that make researching quick and efficient. All of the major genealogy research sites (Ancestry, FamilySearch, My Heritage, etc.) have mobile apps that allow you to research, access your trees, review DNA matches, and more, wherever you are. I also love the ability to review physical records, scan them into PDF or JPG format, and upload to my notetaking or genealogy software easily with a few clicks. My research time has become so much more efficient, allowing me to spend time doing what I love—actual research!

Laura: There's nothing wrong with using pencil and paper to do your research, but if you avoid technology, what might you miss out on?
Cathy: The above answer alludes to this question as well. If I relied just on paper and pencil, I would limit my time and ability to research. Technology allows me the ability to organize my findings, attach copies of documents to my tree, and become more efficient. I can easily share my findings with family members, whether by emails, blogs, or Facebook groups. Plus, the use of technology ensures that my research findings will be available for future generations.

Laura: If you had to select only one or two, what tech should genealogists adopt first?
Cathy: I encourage everyone to use a designated genealogy program for organizing and maintaining their tree. It can be an online product, such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, etc. or a personal program that can be modified to suit your needs: Reunion, RootsMagic or Legacy. Please move from paper! Your descendants will thank you!

Laura: What originally sparked your interest in genealogy?
Cathy: I have always loved to read, especially biographies and history. I tried to imagine how my family members lived in other historic times and places. My grandparents always shared family stories and I wanted to validate them. A funny story, my maiden name is Todd. We were told that we were related to Mary Todd Lincoln, since our family came from Kentucky, as did her family. My husband believed it, because as he said, I’m a shop-a-holic and "crazy like she was reported to be.” However, research and DNA totally disproved this family story. None of my family members are happy with me! Our only claim to fame shut down, although I can’t confirm they still don’t use it!

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New on the StLGS Website: Master Index to the St. Louis City/County Biographies

With 170 biographies now online and more waiting to be uploaded, it was time to make it a little easier to find the subjects of the biographies. From the beginning, we have had an every-name index, divided into alphabetical segments, with the subjects' surnames in all caps. However, as the project grew, so did the indexes, making it difficult to just browse. Now, with the addition of the master list, you can see at a glance exactly who is the subject of a biography and go directly to the page. As in most of our indexes, women are listed by both married and maiden names. Check out the new index on the St. Louis City/County Biographies page under the "Indexes" heading. 

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We're Still Here for You!

As we continue to social distance throughout the upcoming weeks, the StLGS office remains closed for the safety and protection of our volunteers and visitors. However, our online store remains open for registrations, memberships, and merchandise, and all volunteers with StLGS email accounts are monitoring their email daily. So, if you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to send a note. We love to hear from our members and friends! For a complete list of email addresses, visit the Contact Us page on our website.

An Overlooked Resource: St. Louis Branch of the Missouri State Archives

Did you know there was a branch of the Missouri State Archives in St. Louis? If you did know about it, do you know where it is located or what projects they are currently working on? We will fill you in on all of that information in this week's blog post.

First, the St. Louis branch of the Missouri State Archives is downtown in the Carnahan Courthouse, just a block east of City Hall, at 1114 Market Street, Room 245. Because this is a working government building, you do have to go through a security check to enter, but once you are in the lobby, visitors are welcome to visit the archives from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You are encouraged to call ahead, though, to be sure staff is available to assist you. (Their phone number is included here at the end.) Parking is available in several lots nearby and the MetroLink station near the Enterprise Center is an easy walk in good weather.

What will you find at the MSA-St. Louis? Archivist Mike Everman and his capable staff are working diligently on St. Louis City Circuit Court records. The case files include all kinds of early court cases: petitions/complaints, summons, depositions, subpoenas, judgments, maps, and drawings. Record books have a daily accounting of actions that occurred for each case. There are indexes for plaintiff versus defendant and an inverted index of defendants against plaintiffs.

The job of the MSA-St. Louis staff is to conserve every record, to open, straighten, clean, and digitize more than four million pages of original documents! Work began in 1999 and the St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project was designated an official project of the Save America's Treasures initiative a year later. Along with the state archives, the staff is also partnering with several universities in St. Louis and the National Park Service.
 
Archivists and interns have already processed and indexed Circuit Court records from 1804 through 1835 and from 1861 through 1868. They are currently indexing 1835 through 1840. Their goal is to "preserve and make available case files, indexes, and record books of the St. Louis Circuit Court, 1804–1875." Later records for the city are in the Civil Courts Building. (Remember that in 1876, St. Louis City and County split, so some later records will be in the county.)

Mike and his co-workers at the MSA-St. Louis are happy to help you locate individuals in the indexes and then look at the actual court cases. He says that "processed and unprocessed case files and record books" are available in the archives office. Although some of the records are currently online, much is not there yet. You can contact the MSA-St. Louis staff, if you have a particular request, and they will be happy to work with you to find what you need. They request that you be specific when you email. Include names and dates, the nature of the case you are pursuing, and, if possible, the location in the city where your people were living.

The Missouri State Archives has much more information on their website that can help you.

1. Missouri State Archives-St. Louis
2. St. Louis Circuit Court Project
3. Civil War Records from the St. Louis Circuit Court

If you had Civil War ancestors in St. Louis, you might also want to check out the St. Louis Freedom Suits project, a joint effort between Washington University Libraries and the Missouri History Museum based on work done by the Missouri State Archives. You can read more here.

St. Louis Circuit Court Records, Prior to 1875
Address above
Phone: 314-588-17476
Email: archrefstl@sos.mo.gov

(To the right is the MSA-St. Louis office and Mike Everman, the archivist. It's a small office, but, as you can see, filled with treasures!
Photos by Ilene Murray)


St. Louis Circuit Court Records, Post 1875
St. Louis City Circuit Court
10 North Tucker Street (63101)
Phone: 314-641-8309
Email Kathy Grillo, Records Manager: kathy.grillo@courts.mo.gov