Well, that was interesting. Apparently mine is not an uncommon name. I'm not even the youngest one in the nation. The U.S. Public Records Index did list my addresses, going back 26 years, when I was living in Washington, D.C.
Searching South Dakota, the U.S. Phone and Address Directories 1993-2002 contains correct information for that time period. The "View Neighbors" option is interesting. Since the time of these records, one elderly neighbor has passed away. The other three women listed have since married and have different last names now. I sold my house last summer, so the U.S. Public Records Index still shows my old address.
I found my paternal grandfather and grandmother's marriage license, but the last name was spelled Hays instead of Hayes. I found it my searching my granmother's maiden name. They were married in Jasper County, Indiana. The date corresponds with the information my father gave to me. Their last name was also misspelled in the 1900 United States Federal Census. This tells me that I need to check alternate spellings as I search these records.
In searching the "Photos and Maps" tab, I found a 1917 map of South Dakota in the New Encyclopedic Atlas and Gazetteer of the World. Also found interesting historical information in the 1915 Ideal Atlas. This would be a useful resource for learners interested in our state's history and geography.
The Library of Congress Photo Collection 1840-2000 is really interesting, especially the old sterographs. It's cool that there is a printer-friendly option which include citation information. I also found the same photograph of a harvest scene near Brookings that I used in my OIASter post.
This is just way too much fun!!!! I'm trying a two week free trial of Ancestry.com so I can play with this some more at home.
We do have a patron that just loves to use AncestryLibrary in our computer lab. She said she's been doing genealogy work for many years, since before the advent of AncestryLibrary. This makes her work so much easier.
OK, now I can go home and finish the HeritageQuest and Sanborn Maps part of this lesson.
GentleReader, aren't you correct? Too much fun!! And one thing leads to another..... As you point out, it helps to know a little something before you begin. You made some great finds. Happy to hear about your patron. We know that many patrons come to their libraries specifically to search Ancestry. :)
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