SEARCH THE INDEX NOW

How To Use The
Family Surname Index
of Genealogies & Family Files.

What Names are Indexed?
Surnames of the authors of the books are indexed as well as the surnames of the families covered. This is not an "every-name" index of  each genealogy book on the shelves. The index was compiled from each surname found on the title page of the book and these are cross-referenced.

This important index covers all the genealogies (professionally published and computer/typescript) in the genealogy room collection, Geneva Public Library, Geneva, Ohio, a branch of the Ashtabula County District Library System. These genealogies are shelved in two sections of the room: the hard cover (HC) section or the soft cover (SC) section.  Learn more about How Genealogies are Shelved.

NOTE:  In this case the word “genealogies” does not include genealogy collections published in such books as the Barbour Collection, Mayflower Collection, “Virkus,” Savage’s “Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England,” “Pioneers of Old Franklin County, VA,” “Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio,” and other similar compilations.

 
“How Genealogies Are Shelved”

Genealogies are shelved by the first surname in the title of the book. If there is more that one surname on the title page those names will also be found in the index and are cross-referenced.

Our interpretation of soft cover/hard cover isn’t based strictly on the binding. Notebooks are included in the hard cover section. Some soft bound books are housed on the hard cover shelves if they will stand up without bending. Other softbound books, as well as pronged-folders, are found in the soft cover section.

“Family Files”

Also included in this index are the “Family Files.” These are not actual compiled genealogies, but instead are over 1,800 vertical files of loose items (research notes and letters of inquiry and/or answers to same) on specific family surnames. A majority of the files contain New England/New York/Pennsylvania as well as Ashtabula County names since they were the earliest settlers in this county. That is not to say that the files exclude ethnic groups or people from many other states.

If there are three or more sheets of paper on one surname a separate file is created for that name. Surnames with less than three sheets will be found in a file called: “A – Misc.”; “B – Misc.”; “C – Misc.” and so forth. These miscellaneous files are also included in this index.

In most cases the file names are only by surname. In a few cases, such as certain names common in this county, there may be a surname-only file and a surname-with-specific-first- name file. For the more common area names there may be several surname-only files and/or surname-with-specific… file due to heavy interest in that particular surname. Most notable of the latter are the names Harper and Spencer. Surname files with more than 25 pages can not be searched by volunteers or staff due to the bulk of material. Researchers will have to come on site and search themselves or are free to hire a researcher of their choice.

Family Files Unique Arrangement
(A must read guide to using the Family File)

These files have a unique filing system. Without its knowledge you are liable to leave without a wealth of information from within the over 1,800 files.

How to Use Synopsis
To effectively use these files, a researcher needs to look for files by not only the male members of  a particular Ashtabula County surname but also look under the married surnames of all his daughters.

Whose Idea?
The files were begun by Alice Bliss, a county historian and the inquiry secretary for the Ashtabula County Historical Society (in the years before the genealogical society was formed). When the Ashtabula County Genealogical Society (ACGS) was gifted with the files at her death, several other filing systems were tried. It was decided that Alice’s system was the best, thus ACGS continued to file all their similar materials using Alice’s system. 

Reason Behind the System
When Alice began this system circa the late 1950s she would start a new file for each person who wrote in inquiring about their family.

Example:  A Seymour family descendant in California decided to research their family. They wrote the historical society and Alice started a file called Seymour because it is an Ashtabula County name and the one she would be working on.  Thus,  easier to remember than the name of the writer.

After Alice had done several generations of the family she found out that the maiden name of the Seymour woman in California was Mann. Rather than start another file titled “Mann” she continued to put everything for this researcher in the same file.

A year or two later, perhaps, someone wrote in about the Mann family. Alice began a Mann file and everything for this researcher  was put into the Mann file.

SO, if you are working on the Mann family you would need to look in the Mann file and the files of every one of the Mann family daughters – by their married surnames.

What If…
What if you are working on Warner Mann and all his descendants? You would also have to look under the married surnames of all the women in every generation, to the present, to find all that has been done on the Warner Mann family.

Why Various Colored Folders and Files?
When ACGS took over the Alice Bliss files the society put all of Alice’s files in new colored files within the same color hanging folder. One color per letter of the alphabet. ACGS also stamped all the Bliss material with “Alice Bliss Collection.”  Then, as ACGS added their own inquiry letters and answers, ACGS put their material in manila files in dark green hanging folders. The idea behind this is that a researcher can differentiate between who generated the file.

Why Red Slashes?
In recent times library staff has added a bright red slash across one corner of every piece of paper in every file. This is due to the fact that without the slash it is impossible now days to distinguish between an original and a copy. With a red slash researchers will automatically know which copy belongs to the library.

What If I Inadvertently…?
Before the red slashes we had a problem when a researcher was in a hurry at the end of the day or when they were hurrying to leave to go elsewhere. In haste they might take both our original copy and their copy and wouldn’t discover it until they got home.

Most of the time the researcher was too embarrassed to send the material back. But most of this is irreplaceable material, especially letters from other researchers.

Please, if this happens to you, despite the red slashes, don’t be embarrassed. Instead think of the loss to other researchers. Send the material back to us, with or without a letter. We will understand, after all, we are researchers too.

Copier Available
There is always at least one Xerox machine available at the Library for your copying and the price is reasonable.