Canal Researcher Looking for a Line

Question: My wife’s ancestor, William James Rose, supposedly worked on the barges plying the Erie Canal in the 1870s or ‘80s. The family lived near Buffalo, N.Y. Are there historical and/or genealogical sources about people who worked on the Erie Canal?

Answer: Search in the miscellaneous federal papers of the Interstate Commerce Commission in Industrial and Social Branch (Record Group 134) at the National Archives--in Washington and Bayonne, N.J. Explore your local public and university libraries for references under the topic of “American Canals” and “transportation--canals” for possible leads.

The Canal Museum, Weighlock Building, Erie Boulevard East, Syracuse, N.Y. 13202, has a guide to its canal holdings, which relate to canal building and travel in New York. However, you probably will have to hire a researcher there as few of its manuscripts are indexed.

Q: My ancestor, Andrew Jackson Weaver, is shown as a 12-year-old boy in the 1850 Garrard County, Ky., census. He is listed as a boarder with Nathan Storm, and in the 1860 census he is shown as a farm hand with this same family. His marriage bond says he was born in Jessamine County, Ky. Are there any records what would show who his parents were and why he was boarded?

A: Check Garrard County and Jessamine County, Ky., probate records, from about 1838 to 1860. Evidently his parents died, and there should be guardian papers in one of these counties that would mention his guardian and names of his parents. Start with Garrard County records. The Storm family may be related; search the marriage records of both counties to see if a female (possibly an older sister or an aunt) Weaver married a Nathan Storm. Another possibility is that Nathan Storm is his mother’s brother or his maternal grandfather. Some census records enumerate individuals as boarders, when in fact they were relatives. However, probate records should clarify this relationship.

Q: How can I obtain a World War I registration card request form?

A: These forms are available from National Archives Branch, FARC, 1559 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, Ga. 30344. There are more than 24 million World War I Selective Service records on file at this center. In order to conduct research, it needs the full name of the person, the city and/or county at the time of registration and, for certain cities, a home street address or other specific location information (such as ward) is required. The cities for which more information is required are:

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, New Orleans, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Seattle, Milwaukee, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Providence, R.I.; Jersey City and Newark, N.J.; Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo, N.Y.; and Luzerne County, Pa.

Q: How can I find the name of the ship that brought my ancestors from Austria to this country in about 1887?

A: Find the naturalization papers first. However, you can read the passenger lists of vessels arriving at New York (most likely port of entry) at the National Archives. These are not indexed for 1887, but rather are in chronological order and then alphabetically by name of the vessel.

Try the Hamburg Emigration Lists (1850-1934), which are somewhat indexed, and available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.