AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESEARCH IN MUSCOGEE COUNTY |
Help Needed!
I would like to create a page specific for research in African-Americans who lived in
Muscogee County. Please, please share with us any documents that you have
regarding your ancestors who lived in Muscogee County. There are multiple sources, i.e.
newspaper abstracts, wills, deeds, inventories of estates, which make mention of
slaves or freedmen. Suggestions are always welcome!
Excellent and very, very thorough intro to courthouse records by David Paterson.
This especially applies to Upson County, and he gives many examples including names of slaves
so you just might be lucky!!
Ex-Slave Marriages to 1876 Ex-Slave Marriages 1875-1877 Case Study - Determining Maternity
David E. Paterson provides some guide lines for determining maternity through available records.
He has done a case study on the Alpheus Beall's slaves showing how to apply the data found on
various records. Although this deals with a Slave Owner in Upson County, you could gain insight
to apply to your own research.
EARLY COUNTY FREEDMAN'S BUREAU
Michael Dennis' Letter to the Freemen's Bureau, November 30, 1865 with Introduction by David E. Paterson .
Although this deals with Early County information, it is helpful as a "how to find information in the
Freedman's Bureau Files" document, and also provides insights into Plantation Life.
Porterdale Cemetery - Columbus (African-American) City Cemetery Records, including
Porterdale. http://www.blackcemeteries.com
John Allen has a marvelous site...and he just completed the Porterdale
Cemetery (Columbus) (11,000 people!) What a great asset to researchers.
There is a link right in the middle of this page...but be sure to also
click on his Georgia Cemeteries, as he has many cemeteries in various
counties.
Documents
FIRST STOP!
Georgia's Slave Population in Legal Records
by David E. Paterson
After the Civil War, licenses were issued to African Americans
and are usually in a separate book. They often contain former slave owner when available. This
is probably still available in the Muscogee County Courthouse.
During these brief years Form A- Marriage Licenses were used and you may find them in the
Courthouse in a bundle. These contain the parent's name, age of bride and groom, etc.
David was recently awarded the "Award for Excellence in Research
Using the Holdings of an Archives" category.
Tom Blake's slave data includes largest slave holders in 1860, and matching surnames in
the 1870 Census for many southeastern counties.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Eajac/
It is helpful to fellow-researchers if you mention that you are looking for an African-American ancestor. This points them in the right direction to share information.
The revised edition of "The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy" (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997) includes a very useful chapter entitled "Tracking African American Family History." Includes types of records and what information you might find there and where to locate them. The Bibliography is also excellent.
African-American Family Research" Part 1
by Roseanne Hogan, Ph.D.
(Ancestry Magazine, Mar/Apr 1996, Vol. 14, No. 2)
African-American Family Research" Part 2
by Roseanne Hogan, Ph.D.
(Ancestry Magazine, Jul/Aug 1996, Vol. 14, No. 4)
The Challenge of African American Research" (above)
by Curt B. Witcher, FUGA
(Ancestry Magazine, Sep/Oct 1997, Vol. 15, No. 5)
The Freedman's Savings & Trust Co. and African American Genealogical Research"
by Reginald Washington
(Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration Summer
1997, vol. 29, no. 2)
GAGenWeb Project
is part of the USGenWeb Project.
Send comments about GAGenWeb Project to, Kemis Massey, County Coordinator.
Page last updated: Sunday, 21 Dec, 2008 23:45:04 EST
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