NUCMC via the LOC is Gone. Kaput. Done.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Manuscripts, NUCMC  , , , ,  Leave a comment

This is a long post. Several of my genealogical education presentations involve locating manuscripts and what those searches yield. Personal papers, business records, records of organizations, diaries, journals, general store ledgers, old address books, Aunt Jenny’s genealogy work from 1920, and many other saved items. I teach how to find these no matter what library, archives, historical society, ethnic organization, or university library special collections might hold things that have clues on our families, places, time periods, wars, and religion. I show the differences in searches done via several free finding aids found online and in repositories. The Historical Records Survey, National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC), ArchiveGrid, WorldCat, and some others are online. Each search result looks a bit different, and some are very different. The finding aids and search terms on each can offer varying results and the amount of mouse clicks to reach the actual full description varies. This post is an overview mainly to show the demise of one search. Full details on using the finding aids and accessing the results are in my presentation slides and handouts. In this blog post, I am mainly covering NUCMC and on a sad level. I’m not going deeply into the origins of NUCMC and the other finding aids in this post.

In 1959 NUCMC began collecting descriptions of manuscript collections housed in research repositories around the U.S. Over the years, those results have been available in several ways, beginning with annual printed books and evolving into online descriptions. Sure, much of NUCMC can be found on ArchiveGrid and WorldCat today but NOT all of what NUCMC had in the printed and other earlier editions. All are means of finding gems that aid in our research. The latter two are free online as has been NUCMC to a point. I love to show how quick a search could be on NUCMC via its section on the Library of Congress (LOC) website. It also required fewer steps than Worldcat.org to see a full description of a manuscript collection and to determine if it’s something worth further investigation. I do know that Archive Finder (part of ProQuest) states it has all of the NUCMC descriptions back to day one but we can’t use that from home and the repositories that include Archive Finder in their finding aids are not in every library or other repository. Archive Finder also requires an onsite search at repositories and that often limits those who are not members, alumni, students, librarians, etc.

As mentioned earlier, NUCMC began collecting manuscript descriptions from repositories across the U.S. in 1959 and that participation grew and grew. In the 1980s it became an electronic finding aid. In recent years the search on NUCMC on LOC was done via WorldCat. Yet, the results we saw looked very different and required fewer filters to be checked than directly on WorldCat. Via LOC It was usually a quicker search with more immediate results. As I was updating some of my presentation handouts and slides at the end of this past summer, I found that a search using the NUCMC page on the LOC website returned an error code. Tried again with same error. I asked a couple other researchers to check and they also received the error code. Guess what! It’s done. Over. Gone. Out of existence. Useless. Defunct. That search capability is no more and I needed to know what happened.

I finally located a news release from the LOC:

“05/27/2026: The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) was launched in 1959. Over the past 67 years, the program has collaborated with more than 1,800 institutions and repositories, creating bibliographic and name authority access for over 139,000 collections. Through this work, participating institutions and repositories have developed new ways for end users to discover and access their valuable collections. In the past three years, only four institutions have remained active in the NUCMC program for collection access support: America’s Packard Museum (Ohio); the Maine Historical Society; the Swiss Center of North America (Wisconsin); and the University of Montana-Missoula. With the retirement of NUCMC’s last librarian, Roberto Sicre, at the end of May, the Library of Congress will sunset the NUCMC program. The participating institutions have established contingency plans to continue supporting user access to their resources through online finding aids. Questions about the history of the NUCMC program can be sent to [email protected].”

I knew that with so many repositories themselves capable of describing, cataloging, and placing information online about manuscript collections, they no longer contributed to NUCMC. NUCMC on the LOC website began to have a link that said “Searching on OCLC WorldCat” and Searching on ArchiveGrid” instead of simply searching via NUCMC. For several years I have used and liked the search results when clicking on the NUCMC link to WorldCat as opposed to going directly to WorldCat. I use WorldCat, ArchiveGrid, and other finding aids several times each week. I will miss the NUCMC screen version of searching on OCLC WorldCat as it saved me time and produced a full description without extra clicks. (I have some upcoming presentations in which I will demonstrate what EACH finding aid’s results look like and am updating those for upcoming webinars.)

If you wish to learn more about each of these finding aids, check their websites to learn more about their histories, behind the scenes work, and what each includes.

The media release from the LOC is here: https://www.loc.gov/aba/news/

City directories in Little Falls, Morrison County, Minnesota (or anywhere)

Paula Stuart-Warren  City directories  , , ,  Leave a comment

If you ever checked an old city directory, no doubt you have seen advertisements in the front, back, middle, and on pages with the listings of people in the community. The various directory companies that existed over the years needed the business advertisers to subscribe and pay for advertising. If there weren’t enough businesses, the directory company didn’t find it feasible to compile and publish a directory for that community. Thus, less populated cities are not targets of city directories.

Unless a business, printing company, or newspaper decided that their community needed such a directory. A recent article I found on the website of the Morrison County Historical Society that is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota expands on that. https://morrisoncountyhistory.org/?p=11124        

“When you held a Polk Directory in your hands, you knew that a trove of information about people, places, businesses, organizations, and local governments was at your fingertips.” “. . . not generally published in smaller communities, like Little Falls. . . Little Falls did not see it’s first official Polk Directory until 1976-77.” “Into that environment stepped the Herald Printing Company, publisher of the Little Falls Herald weekly newspaper. They decided it was time to get the word out. Thus was born the 1892 Little Falls City Directory.”

Author Mark Worcester continues with a few more Little Falls directories occasionally published. Some of them did go beyond the city limits and hopefully will include Buckman that holds a special spot in my childhood. His excellent article will be added to my already extensive lecture about city directories!

The article is worth reading to learn more about other publishers. Then your chore is to see what other companies stepped in when your towns did not have the population and  businesses large enough for the R. L. Polk company.

October 2026 cemetery tours in Minnesota and beyond

Paula Stuart-Warren  Cemeteries, Minnesota  , , ,  Leave a comment

October is American Archives Month, Family History Month, and ends with Halloween and then November immediately brings Día de los Muertos. Tying these together as a professional genealogist could be done in many ways. This year I want to highlight cemeteries. These four tours are in Minnesota and other cemeteries and historical societies across Minnesota and the U.S. offer similar events. Check websites to register, learn more details, and whether there is a cost.

October 10. Stearns County History Museum. Sundown Cemetery Tour- St. James Catholic Cemetery, Cold Spring (Jacobs Prairie)3 cemeteries. 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm. https://stearnshistorymuseum.org/event-items/sundown-cemetery-tour-st-james-catholic-cemetery-cold-spring-jacobs-prairie/

October 10. Oakwood Cemetery Walking Tour. Red Wing Community Education. 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.  https://redwing.arux.app/

October 21. Ramsey County Historical Society. History Revealed – Oakland Cemetery – South in Saint Paul.1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. https://rchs.com/event/history-revealed-oakland-cemetery-south-3/

October 22. Otter Tail County Historical Society. State Hospital Cemetery & Poor Farm Cemetery Tour/ Fergus Falls, Minnesota. 11:00 a.m. Details: https://www.otchs.org/WalkingTour.html. No registration required. Fee of $10.

National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools on September 30

Paula Stuart-Warren  Native American  , , , , ,  Leave a comment

It’s a sad remembrance. What our fellow human beings, our governments, and some ostensibly religious connections did to Native American children and their families in Canada and the U.S. is horrific. Supposedly trying to educate but more like take away their heritage, culture, and family life is what happened over many decades. Boarding schools for children taken away from their parents at an early age, not allowed to visit their family, or return home for a funeral, or to help family, is what this day remembers. One of the sad and even angering part of much of my Native American research over many years was reading through Bureau of Indian Affairs records and correspondence related to the boarding schools and children. I sat at a table in a couple locations of the U.S. National Archives and had tears as I read page after page of this material.

Language, clothing, hairstyle, and cultural activities and traditions were being purposely erased even related to children barely beyond being a toddler. The day of remembrance started in Canada with a story recalled by an elder whose favorite orange shirt was taken from her as a child on her first day at a Catholic residential school. The day is also known as Orange Shirt Day because “The day of remembrance started in Canada with a story recalled by an elder whose favorite orange shirt was taken from her as a child on her first day at a Catholic residential school.” This link includes more information and several events across the state of Minnesota. We need to remember what has happened not just on September 30th each year.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/30/native-american-boarding-school-remembrance-day-events-in-minnesota

Saint Paul’s Como Lake has signs to share Dakota history

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota  , , , , ,  Leave a comment

Minnesota Public Radio carried a story a few days ago that really spoke to me. I love that these signs are very near to where I live by the beautiful Como Lake and Como Park. It all ties parts of my life together. I recognize names mentioned in the article. Recognizing the importance of Dakota history in this area of Saint Paul has long been neglected. I’ve been privileged to research the family history of many Dakota over the last 30 years. My late mother-in-law knew many of the families who were her childhood neighbors. I’ve noticed in various exhibits over the last few years that such signage is actually being read. The amount of walkers around Como Lake portends to many learning important facets of Dakota history. Language matters and the signs are available in six languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Karen and Dakota. Installation was done in partnership with the Capitol Region Watershed District.The full article is at https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/17/como-lake-visitors-greeted-by-new-signs-with-dakota-history-and-language

25 years since the unthinkable. 9/11 is in our hearts.

Paula Stuart-Warren  9/11, Federation of Genealogical Societies  , , , ,  Leave a comment

As I write this, the clock shows we have entered 11 September 2026. Twenty-five years ago this morning, the unthinkable happened in our beloved country. Terrorists under Osama bin Laden attacked the U.S. The World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania were the places the terrorists and their planes caused many deaths and much destruction. A loss of almost 3,000 lives.

For many genealogists, it was also the beginning of the 2001 Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. The convention center in Davenport, Iowa was the site. I was a co-chair of this carefully planned event. We were expecting almost 2,000 people. The local genealogists were our hosts.

Then came the news of the attacks. A hush fell over those already at the pre-conference events and meetings. I will never forget the hush and then the crying of so many friends. I will never forget everyone who pitched in to help. We decided to still hold whatever educational sessions and meals that we could. Those who pitched in to help were among the many who could not return home because all U.S. planes were grounded.

We were protected by city, county, and federal officials. They were not noticeable by their choice. The conference went on, more people arrived by car, speakers drove across the country, hugs and tears were everywhere. About 1,600 genealogists, librarians, historians, vendors, and others ended up taking care of each other, learning from the experts, sharing meals, celebrating FGS, and we were a big caring and saddened family.

I am still close to many of those who pitched in above and beyond anything I have ever experienced. I never want the horror to be repeated, but the goodness that also came out of that week still brings tears to my eyes. Many special friendships were begun or strengthened. I visited Ground Zero in NYC back in 2004 with one of these friends and, of course, more tears for all those who were lost. The loss continues to many families due to so many issues caused by the after effects. I will watch the Commemoration Ceremony later this morning. Check out the website: https://www.911memorial.org/

Next time you meet up with any fellow genealogists, please share a hug.

Almost here: Research Plans: A Hands-On Workshop.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Classes, Minnesota Genealogical Society  , , ,  Leave a comment

An in-person class on research planning is only a few days away in Minnesota. Working on your family history? Not sure about the next steps to take in genealogy research? Not sure what clues some records are giving you and where to go next? Join my in-person class on “Research Plans: A Hands-On Workshop.” Saturday, September 12, 10-11:30 a.m. at the Minnesota Genealogical Society’s Minnesota Genealogy Center in the Twin Cities area. Plus a 5-page handout with reminders of the thinking, analysis, and steps. Some interesting documents for the class, You will truly be surprised at what you already know and what knowledge others in the class know. To Register: https://mngs.org/event-6736162

Webtember is here? A month of Wednesdays featuring free genealogy webinars.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Legacy Family Tree Webinars, Webinars  , , ,  Leave a comment

Webtember happens every Wednesday in September and includes 19 FREE genealogy related webinars. Legacy Family Tree Webinars is offering varied topics by a variety of excellent presenters. Watch all 19, most, or some of them on the Wednesday each is presented. Recordings will also be available through September. I’d appreciate it if you’d register via my affiliate links to help keep this blog running.

Register for any or all webinars: https://familytreewebinars.com/upcoming-webinars?ref=566036&language=english

Subscribe to watch them after September or any of the 2,810 already recorded webinars and the syllabus material for September and the past ones. Only 11, 578 pages already in the syllabus for those 2,810 recordings: https://familytreewebinars.com/checkout?ref=566036

To learn a bit more about Webtember: https://familytreewebinars.com/lp/webtember?ref=566036

Deathindexes dot com updates

Paula Stuart-Warren  Genealogy  , , ,  Leave a comment

One of the several genealogists who keep track of online research material for us is Joe Beine. His Online Death Indexes website (USA) has some newly added or updated death related records links for: AL, AK, AR, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NYS, NYC, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, and WY.

You can find a list of the latest additions and updates on his blog:
https://genrootsblog.blogspot.com/2026/09/online-indexes-for-death-records.html

Joe has links to these and other types of records state by state (and Washington, DC):  https://www.deathindexes.com/