Search the Ledgers
Search for a name, place name, or other keyword. The search function accepts single words (ex. Adams), but also full names (ex. Ira Adams). Search results will include entries where the name appears in any field in a person’s record.
Tips for searching
Names have been entered as they appear in the handwritten ledgers. The ledgers were written by a series of scribes over 80+ years. To account for inconsistencies:
- Repeat your search with a variety of spellings.
The same name may be spelled differently, for example, Meyer/Meier/Maier, Bulwinkle/Bulwinkel/Bullwinkle/Bulwinkel. - Repeat your search with the umlaut, if applicable, as well as with the umlauted vowel replaced by the vowel + e (ae, oe, ue).
Over time—or by choice—changes occurred in the spelling of surnames, particularly in those with umlauted vowels (a,o,u), for example, Döscher > Doscher, Müller > Mueller, Pfähler > Pfaehler, Bösch > Boesch. - If your search includes first name, use just the first three or four letters.
Christian names are frequently abbreviated in the ledgers, for example, “Marg.” [Margarethe], “Henr.” [Henriette], “Joh.” [Johann], “Wilh.” [Wilhelm].
For more information about navigating the database, see the Guide for Users.