USGenweb Archives
File Preparation

Thank you for checking about how to contribute your genealogical materials and data for use in the USGenWeb Archives. All contributed materials will remain accessible, without charge.

Using the Forms

Over 45 states now use forms at

genrecords.org
genrecords.net


Both sites send your data to the Archives. These forms do the processing of your files and, in most cases, handle the uploading of the files for us. If you use the forms, you do not need to add the notice mentioned below The form handler does it automatically.

How to assist the archivists:

• Please copy the USGenWeb Archives Notice (below) to your hard disk and place it at the top of each item you submit. (Just update the contributor and email address.)

or

Submitted by (your name)
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

• Indicate the county name in the subject of the transmittal email.
• Submit items for more than one county in separate emails.
• Submit files in text format, preferably saved in a text editor, such as, Tex-Edit Plus © (MAC) or Notepad/Wordpad (PC).
• Or check with the archivist to assure your file formats and programs are transferable and readable.
• Submit spreadsheet data in either comma or tab delimited format. While we accept some spreadsheet and data base files, they take a great deal of extra effort to prepare for readable viewing. If you can convert them to a text format, prior to submission, that is preferable. Follow file size guideline (next).
• Keep files to around 100 kb in size. Split into smaller ones, if necessary. Larger ones eat up bandwidth, and the search engine only scans the first 100 kb.
• Notify us if you change your email address. If you have a permanent email address, please use that. Or, use the E-Mail Registry.

USGenWeb Archives Notice Examples

Union County SD Archives Obituaries.....Smith, John 2010
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Submitter Submitter Email address Date of submission

Some types of records to get us started

• Federal Census (free, slave, mortality, agriculture, veterans... schedules)
• State Census
• Vital Records
  1. Marriage
  2. Birth
  3. Death
  4. Divorce (or under court?)
• Court records (county, federal, civil, circuit, probate....)
• Church records (members lists, baptisms...)
• Bible Records
• Newspapers (obits, marriage & birth announcements, local events...)
• Prison Records
• Military Records (rosters, muster rolls, service records, pension applications...)
  1. Revolutionary
  2. Civil War,
  3. Indian Wars
  4. Mexican
  5. Spanish-American
  6. War of 1812
  7. WWI
  8. WWII
  9. Korean
  10. Viet Nam
  11. Persian Gulf
• Land Records (deeds, land transfers, federal land grants, surveyor's records...)
• Tax Records (land, property, state, federal, local....)
• Local Histories
• Local Directories (phone books, old county and city directories....)
• Occupational (?) (Mining inspector's reports, Accident reports, railroad reports, company newsletters....)
• Educational (?) (school histories, newsletters, KY's school census, yearbooks?)
• Cemeteries
• Deeds/grants
• Miscellaneous
• Newspapers/obits
• Ship Lists
• Tax lists
• Wills

Archives Submission Guidelines

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