USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1661-1899 : with family genealogies > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
MANNING, HORACE, bought the house next south of the Congregational church and still resides there. This was remodeled and moved there by Justin M. Cooley.
MARSH, 'ABIJAH, owned and probably built a house on the corner of the Deerfield road and the road leading to the station, opposite of Bartlett's corner, about 1780. That was torn down, and Luther S. Wilcox built on the old site in 1858.
MARSH, ASA, and his son, Amos, built, or rather lived, in a house on the Deerfield road a mile or so above Bartlett's corner. Probably the house was built by Lieut. Ebenezer Bard- well in 1752.
MARSH, ASA, JR., lived on the Levi Morton farm, now owned by Henry S. Higgins, Jr. He came from Douglas and built the house in 1782.
MARSH, ELIJAH, bought the place recently owned by Sam- uel C. Wood, in the Straits, about 1840, and his son, Joseph - Marsh, now a bookseller at Northampton, remained there a few years and then sold. The place is in the Bradstreet grant.
MASTERSON, JAMES, bought the B. G. Alden place. The house was built about 1832.
MATHER, BENJAMIN, a sea captain, came in 1787 when about 60 years of age. He built a small log house on the south side of the crossroad on land now owned by Thomas Fleming. He lived there summers and the rest of the time with his son, William Mather. Capt. Mather died in 1821.
MATHER, SAMUEL, commenced to build a house on the south side of his brother, William's, land, but for some reason sold it after the roof and sides were boarded. He sold it to Oliver Morton, Jr., in 1816, who moved it to where W. I. Fox now lives. Mather removed to Ashfield.
MATHER, JOSEPH, lived for sometime in the Phineas Graves house, then in the Martin Woods house and, later, in a house that stood where Eli Crafts built.
MATHER, WILLIAM, bought the Dea. Elisha Belding farm, on Chestnut Plain street, but removed to Gorham, Ontario Co., N. Y. He was town clerk several years.
MORTON, OLIVER SR., came from Hatfield and built his
103
house just south of the center cemetery, where C. K. Waite lived, as early as 1760 or '61, on the west side of Chestnut Plain street, on lot 38 or 39, fourth division of Commons. This, after his decease in 1789, was occupied by his son, Samuel G. Mor- ton and, later, by his grandson, Samuel G. Waite, Loren Hay- den, Jerre Graves and C. K. Waite, and now by his son, Charles H. Waite.
MORTON, OLIVER, JR., bought the frame of the house of Samuel Mather, which was the front part of his house, in 1816. The ell part was his first house, built about 1800, on the south part of his father's farm. This is now owned by W. I. Fox. It has been greatly improved by Horace B. Fox and his son, the present owner.
MORTON, DANIEL, from Hatfield, built as early as 1759 on lot No. 42, fourth division of Commons, north of Gutter brook. He bought part of lots, possibly 39, but certainly 40, 41, 42 and 43, from the center cemetery to Thomas Crafts' south line. These extended west one-half mile. His house was a two-story structure and, for many years, this was kept as a wayside tavern as it was on the route for the stream of travel passing into the towns north and west. He died 20 Jan., 1786, and was succeeded by his son, Consider, and he by his son, Arnold, and then by Rufus Dickinson and his heirs.
MORTON, DANIEL, JR., built the house that Edward Holley now owns, in 1790. He sold this and built in Claverack about 1800, on the east side of Claverack road, on lot 11 or 12. Since his death it has been owned by Col. Caleb Crafts, Thomas Crafts and James M. Crafts. The old house was pulled down in 1866 and a new one built. This last was burned 21 April, 1873. The land is now owned by John M. Crafts.
MORTON, SIMEON, came from Hatfield and built a house between 1771 and '74, at West Whately, on the Dry Hill road, since owned by Reuben, his son, and Daniel F. and Leander L. Morton, sons of Reuben. It is now owned by George W. Moor. The house was long ago pulled down.
MORTON, DEXTER, son of Simeon, built on the Dry Hill road, about a quarter of a mile north of his father's, on the east side of the road, in 1803. A few years after his death ( 1859) the land was sold off in sections to suit the purchasers, as well as the buildings, all in complete condition. Thus a very good farm was placed in the list of abandoned farms.
MORTON, RICHARD TOWER, built the Jerre Haffey house
104
in 1820. He pulled down the old house, built probably about 1710 by Samuel Wells and afterwards owned by the Colemans. He owned the David Stockbridge new hotel property at his death and since owned by his son, Frank B. Morton.
MORTON, JOHN LYMAN, built the house next north of his father's in 1842. After covering the outside and laying the floors it was used for several months by the Second Congrega- tional Church society for their stated meetings, and sold later to William F. Bardwell, and in 1886 to Dr. James D. Seymour. It is on the west side of the street, a fine, pleasant cottage.
MORTON, DEA. LEVI, came from Hatfield and built on Pleasant Hill in 1783. I do not have the number of his lots, but the old house, long ago taken down, stood very near the present residence of George Dickinson. The house of Mr. Dickinson was built for his son, Horace, and moved to its pres- ent commanding position, and it is a very sightly place.
MORTON, DAVID, son of Dea. Levi, lived on the Daniel- Allis place, but removed to Leicester many years ago.
MORTON, LEVI, JR., bought the place now owned by H. S. Higgins. Two other sons of Levi, Sr., Chester and Justus, removed to Hatfield and died there.
MORTON, JOHN BARDWELL, came from Hatfield and bought the Capt. Seth Frary place at West brook about 1825. After his death his son, Eurotus, owned the place, but sold to Elias B. McClean and bought the James Scott farm at North Hatfield.
MCCLELAN, ELIAS B., came to Whately and bought of Eurotus Morton the farm formerly owned by Moses Frary, Noah Coleman, Capt. Seth Frary and John B. Morton. He died in 1882 and was succeeded by his son. George B., who has added much to the beauty of the place by remodeling the house and outbuildings.
MOSHER, JACOB, came in 1806, from Hollis, N. H., and settled in the Straits. He was a cooper by trade and built a house, about 1845, where Morris Powers now lives. Michael Conery preceded Mr. Powers. Mr. Mosher pulled down an old house that was built by Abraham Scott, I think, who moved it here from Great Plain.
MUNSON, MOSES, came from Farmington, Conn., in 1784. He lived at West Whately, perhaps with his son, Joel, on the Easter road.
MUNSON, MOSES, JR., built a gristmill and house on what
GEO. B. MCCLELLAN'S RESIDENCE.
105
is now known as the Dea. Jim Smith place, north of the West brook, on land now owned by Asa T. Sanderson, in 1784. He sold to Dea. Smith in 1806. Mr. Munson was also a builder of bridges and a general contractor.
MUNSON, REUBEN, came from Farmington, Conn., in 1784. He built a house soon after, a little southeast of the southwest schoolhouse, where he lived, and died in 1837. After him was his son, John Munson, and he was succeeded by his son, Eras- tus Smith Munson. The buildings were all burned about 1880.
MUNSON, OSEE, lived on the place built on Grass Hill road about one-third of a mile from Paul W. Field's, about 1800 by Zenas Field. It was afterwards occupied by Stephen Clark and many others, including Lyman B. Abbott. Osee was a strong abolitionist and run the underground railway.
MUNSON, JOEL, was usually called "Silver Joel" to desig- nate him from Joel, son of Reuben. He built on the "Easter road," so called, leading from Whately center to West Whately over Mt. Esther. He had a mill on Poplar Hill brook where he turned cider mill screws, some four feet long or more, for press- ing the apple pomace, and large blocks called "nuts" to crush the apples and a variety of such articles, also plows, etc.
MUNSON, JOHN, bought the John Graves place on Grass Hill and lived there a number of years, then occupied his father's old homestead. I think they manufactured hats for many years as I recollect, but which of them I do not recall.
MUNSON, ERASTUS SMITH, lived with his father and, after the burning of the old homestead, bought the Hiram Smith place and built large and commodious barns. When he died he left his large estate to his two sons, Lyman A. and Herbert S.
NASH, JOSEPH, was here sometime before 1783, as at that time he was a citizen and elected to a town office. He lived in Bradstreet's grant, some twelve or fifteen rods south of the house of S. W. Allis. The house has been gone a great many years.
NASH, ABNER, brother of Joseph, came with Joseph. He built the house, near Joseph's, which was afterwards owned by Joseph Brown, on what is S. W. Allis' land, torn down about 1833.
NASH, ABEL WELLS, bought the cottage house built for Seth Belden, and built the present house on the farm, about 1855, in the Bradstreet grant. Since his death his son, Charles W., has occupied it.
106
NASH, THOMAS, came about 1840, furnished the mill vacated by Hiram Smith with woolen machinery, and lived in the Ashley Smith house. The mill was burned and he returned to Williamsburg.
NOLAN, JAMES, bought the place formerly owned by Isaac Chapman, about 1860. It is probable that Hosea Curtis lived here prior to living on the Elder Todd place west of Poplar Hill, but I am not certain about it.
ORCUTT, STEPHEN, JR., by trade a tanner and shoemaker, built a house at West brook, just north of the brook, on lot 61, first division of Commons, about 1800, better known as the Lemuel Waite place. He was an active business man.
ORCUTT, ELEAZER F., a hotel keeper, built over the house next north of the hotel, in 1887, making it a beautiful residence. He was a man of great ability and died in 1889. The place is now occupied by his widow and son-in-law, Geo. A. Elder, Esq.
PARKER, ABRAHAM, built a house on lot 69 or 70, at Can- terbury, in 1749. He came from Groton, Mass. He was drowned 12 March, 1757, and was succeeded by his energetic widow and, when old enough, by his son, Benjamin, his son, Captain Asa, and he by his son, Edwin C. In 1876 or '77 it was bought by Otis Hagar and is now owned by his brother, Dexter F. Hagar.
PARKER, ABEL, a cousin of Abraham, removed to Hawley. He built a house which he sold in April, 1775, to Dea. Thomas Sanderson, with forty-five acres of land, lot 66, second division of Commons.
PEASE, JABEZ, came from New York state about 1842 and bought the Andrew Scott farm in the Bradstreet grant. The house was built in 1823, taking the place of an old one built by Joseph Scott and occupied by his sons, Consider, Leonard and Andrew.
PEASE, HENRY C., bought the farm and house built by John Ashcraft in 1863. Edward A. Scott sold to Mr. Pease. The farm is part of the Gov. Bradstreet grant.
PEASE, CHARLES F., bought the John Wood place, for- merly owned by Solomon Atkins and Benjamin Scott, Jr., in 1789. Mr. Pease bought in 1847 and it is now occupied by George F. Pease.
PEASE, JOHN H., son of Charles F., bought the place, about 1893, that was built by Chester G. Crafts, about 1873. This is on lot 37, second division of Commons.
107
PHILIPS, RICHARD, bought the place in the Straits next south of Bartlett's corner, formerly owned by A. N. Claghorn, Martin Woods and others too numerous to mention. This, too, is in the Bradstreet grant.
PEASE. SOLOMON, probably lived in the Straits, but soon removed to Heath. In 1803 he built the house torn down by John Woods who put up the present house owned by the heirs of Charles F. Pease. Phineas Graves bought it.
POWERS, MORRIS J., lives on the Jacob Mosher place, built in 1833. The house torn down on this place was removed from Great Plain, by Abraham Scott, about 1785- - the Jonathan Edson house. This is in the Bradstreet grant and it was drawn not far from three and one-half miles by strings of oxen, by Mr. Scott, on the snow.
POTTER, ERASTUS, bought the place in Hopewell built by Reuben Jenney, in 1819, perhaps a few years earlier. It is now part of the great farm of S. W. Allis. The house has been occupied by many families.
QUINN, EDMOND, came here in 1861, bought the gambrel- roofed house in the Straits and the land, all in the Bradstreet grant. The house was built by Benjamin Scott as early as 1740. There have been many owners. Martin Graves sold it in 1788, and Heman Swift, R. T. Morton and others owned it, and now the heirs of Edmond Quinn.
REED, SIMEON, owned the house and lot where David Callahan resides. There was a small house on the place, con- taining one room, pantry and bedroom, when he bought it, in 1823. He built a nice cottage house. He was a wheelwright and had a shop on the place, a progressive man and good workman.
ROBINSON, HIRAM, from Ware, lived on the Quinn place and removed to Ohio.
ROGERS, BENJAMIN, came about 1779 and settled on a place in the west part of the town, near the north line on the road from "Hard Scrabble," as the southeast part of Conway used to be called, leading to the Baptist meeting-house, and 'probably built there. After his death the place was owned by his son, George, and then by his son, Daniel, who died in 18 -. George was a shoemaker and tanner and, doubtless, run the tannery formerly owned by Paul Belden, after his removal to Brookfield, Vt. His son, Daniel, was often called "Pidgeon Rogers."
1
108
RUSSELL, CHARLES, came from Hadley. He built about 1844 the house, later owned by Luther W. Clark, in Canter- bury, and now owned by Dr. Charles Shepard, who has remod- eled the house, making it one of the prettiest places in town.
ROOT, FREDERICK J., from Westfield, lived on the Ran- dall Graves place now owned by his widow, Mary Elizabeth, who married Stephen C. Kingsley, 21 Dec., 1898. They reside on the place.
RICHARDSON, WINSLOW, came from Bridgewater about 1778. He is supposed to have lived on and owned the farm where tradition says Hosea Curtis lived, east of the Baptist meeting-house, where afterwards Isaac Chapman lived. It is now owned by James Nolan.
ROSEVELT, JACOB, one of the Hessian soldiers under Bur- goyne, lived in the house opposite Bartlett's corner. He was a wheelwright and carried on his business there.
SANDERSON, JOSEPH, came from Groton, in 1751, and set- tled in Canterbury, just south of his townsman, Abraham Parker. His first house was built just north of William H. Fuller's, for the sake of protection as isolated houses were lia- ble to attacks by strolling parties of Indians. Later he built farther south, where the house of Rodolphus Sanderson was burned a few years ago (1885). After his death, in 1772, he Was succeeded by his son, Dea. Thomas, and he by his son, Maj. Thomas, and he by his sons, John C. and Rodolphus Sanderson, and John C. by his son, Edward C. Then by Mrs. Jenny Sanderson, widow of Edward A. Scott and her son, and Rodolphus was succeeded by Thomas Sanderson. The old farm is now held by Mrs. Scott and son, Herbert B.
SANDERSON, DEA. THOMAS, owned a great amount of real estate, more than any other man in Whately. He bought the Taylor property on Indian Hill, then in Deerfield, annexed to Whately in 1810. This he left to his sons, Silas and Eli, while Maj. Thomas remained on the Canterbury estate. His son, Elijah, built in Canterbury, and Asa, Alvin and Chester re- moved to Ashfield. All of them were prominent men. Alvin died unmarried, was a clergyman, and founder of Sanderson academy at Ashfield.
SANDERSON, ELIJAH, son of Dea. Thomas, built in 1805 or '06, the house since occupied by his son, Elijah Dwight Sander- son, and now owned by Walter W. Sanderson. He was a pro- gressive and thrifty farmer.
109
SANDERSON, ISAAC, son of Joseph, built a house in West Whately, west of the northwest schoolhouse. He was a cooper by trade, and built in 1782 or '83, and the old house has been torn down. His sons, Allen and Horace, lived with him. Allen removed to Ohio and Horace died in 1852, and the land, part of lots 37, 38 and 39, was added to the farm of Mr. Harvey. So another farm was wiped out.
SANDERSON, ASA, (a seventh son) widely known as "Doc- tor Asa," was a tanner and shoemaker. He bought the farm of Noah Field, 17 Feb., 1780, which was parts of lots 37, 38 and 39, lying on the west side of Poplar Hill road. The house was built by Noah Field in 1773. A front house was built by Dr. Sanderson about the time of Asa, Jr.'s, marriage in 1819. Now owned by his grandson, Asa T. Sanderson.
SANDERSON, RUFUS, bought the farm where Peter Train settled and built the present house in 1761. After Peter died, his son, Oliver Train, lived there until Rufus bought it and it is now owned by Rufus D. Sanderson of Springfield.
SANDERSON, MOSES M., bought a portion of the farm of his father, Rufus, and built on the east side of Poplar Hill road opposite of his father's, in 1852, where he has since lived. His brother, Charles S., took a portion of the old farm and built a house just south of his father's, about 1860, on the west side of the road.
SANDERSON, SAMUEL, lived on the road leading to Grass Hill, where Moses Hill built, about 1810. His son, Edward E., built a new house on the new road to Williamsburg, about 1865, and tore down the old house.
SANDERSON, JOHN CHAPMAN, built the house just north of his great-grandfather, Joseph's, house, but on part of the farm. The date is unknown to me. His daughter, Mrs. E. A. Scott, and her son, Herbert, now live on the place.
SANDERSON, LYMAN M., son of Moses M., bought the house and land where Ralph Warner built, just north of the Elder Goodnough place, on the west side of Poplar Hill road, just above the Baptist meeting-house, probably on lot 41, fourth division of Commons.
SANDERSON, THOMAS, was a son of John C. After the house burned on the site of Joseph Sanderson's house, he sold the farm and purchased the Leonard Loomis property on Chest- nut Plain street. It has been owned since 1896 by Hon. T. P. Brown of Toledo, O., and is nicely arranged for a summer residence.
--- -- ---
IIO
SANDERSON, ELI, built a house on Indian Hill west of his father's, about 1816, since owned by his sons, Asahel and Eli Wilson Sanderson, Eleazer Judd and Charles A. Sanderson. It was burned about 1885.
SANDERSON, SILAS, lived with his father and succeeded him on the homestead, after dividing with his brother, Eli. The place was next owned by his son, Elon C., and now by his son, George E., who has recently remodeled the large house, making it a splendid residence. .
SARTWELL, NATHANIEL, from Charlestown, N. H., built or owned a house in Canterbury, in 1758, probably near the houses of Joseph Sanderson and Philip Smith, as the three peti- tioned the General Court that they might be released from pay- ing a minister and school taxes in Hatfield, as they were living within a mile of Sunderland where they attended church and their children went to school. As the distance was fully five miles to Hatfield, this was granted, but he removed later.
SCOTT, JOSIAH SR., was born in Hatfield in 1671, and probably settled on the Bradstreet farm as early as 1730, or earlier, as at that time he had the road that was voted to be laid 16 May, 1718, from the upper end of the lower mile, three rods wide, to Deerfield road. He afterwards had it changed to run further south, and he was to keep a good gate at the west end. So, from all the evidence, I think that he lived where now is the house of Charles F. Pease. When he was an old man he lived on the north plain yet on the Bradstreet farm. He deeded the northernmost lot in Bradstreet's to his son, Josiah Scott, Jr., "With all of the buildings where I now live," in 1745.
SCOTT, BENJAMIN, son of Josiah, Sr., born 1708, lived in Whately and died there I Aug., 1782, at 74 years of age. He doubtless lived where now is the Quinn house which was built as early as 1740 to '45. In the time of the Revolutionary war he was often called on by the town for loans of silver money to keep up the quota of men in the army. He lived in a house that Benjamin Cooley tore down when he built the present structure.
SCOTT, BENJAMIN, JR., lived where is now the house of Dennis Hayes. He was an ardent patriot, and he and his father loaned silver money to the town to procure substitutes for the army in the Revolutionary war. His land was in the Bradstreet grant. Seth Belden lived on the place awhile, also several others. Perhaps Mr. Scott built the original house. Benjamin
III
Cooley was brought up by Mr. Scott, and doubtless the latter gave or sold the farm of twenty acres to him about 1798.
SCOTT, JOSEPH, (3) Joseph, (2) William, (I) born at Hatfield in 1722, was a brother of Master David Scott. He set- tled first on the Deerfield road on a lot that is now the northern lot in Hatfield, some twenty-five rods south of where the "Mother George" road unites with the Deerfield road. He lived there until about 1758 or '60, then removed to the Straits, a mile and one-half north on the same road, and built a house on the farm now owned by Fred A. Hawley. The old house was replaced by the present structure, erected by Mr. Jabez Pease in 1842. The place where Mr. Scott first settled is known as the Elijah Belden place, on the west side of Deerfield road, directly east of the R. M. Swift farm, whose land abuts. The old house was pulled down about 1830 and Belden built in Hopewell. Joseph, 3d, was followed by his son, Joseph, 4th, and by his grandsons, Consider, Larned and Andrew, the tinners, who sold to Jabez Pease. The tin shop has been gone many years. They manufactured the ware and then, with two-horse teams, transported it to Maryland and Virginia. Consider died in Virginia, when on one of his trips, in 1815.
SCOTT, JOSEPH, JR., lived in the house on the farm where F. A. Hawley now lives, before 1785. He and his sons carried on the tinning business at that place a number of years.
SCOTT, DAVID, or as usually called, "Master" Scott, was a carpenter, born in Hatfield in 1777. He settled early-about 1750 to '51-on the North Plain. He bought the house of Lieut. Ebenezer Bardwell. Mr. Bardwell then built another house on Chestnut Plain street, or where it ran to avoid the wet, mucky land from Benoni Crafts' house to where Noah Wells lived, near Randall Graves' place. This house "Master" Scott also bought, after Bardwell's death, 7 April, 1812, and then subsequently built on his lot, No. 68, second division of Commons, on the east side of Chestnut Plain street. He was a great hunter. He was succeeded by his son, Lieut. Abel, then his son, Abel, then his son, Ambrose, and now his sons, Frank O. and Lewis, live on the old farm.
SCOTT, SELAH, built a house on the north part of his father's farm about 1783. He died in 1826 and his son, Hor- ace, and his son, Luther G., followed, and now Lewis A. Scott lives there.
SCOTT, ABRAHAM, lived on the place where Jacob Mosher
II2
lived. He moved the house that he bought on Great Plain, built by Jonathan Edson. It was moved on shoes, by strings of oxen, three and one-half miles, when the snow was just right. The house was quite long, but only one story and he cut it in halves to move. This was pulled down when the present cot- tage was built, in 1845, in Bradstreet's grant, on the east side of the road.
SCOTT, ISRAEL, a blacksmith, lived in the Straits, on the Captain William Fay place. The bulk of this was in the Brad- street grant.
SHATTUCK, CAPTAIN OLIVER, a Revolutionary officer, owned the Ebenezer Barnard place in 1774. He sold to Bar- nard in 1787 and removed to Hawley. I do not know who built the house, but hardly think it was Capt. Shattuck. He died 27 Aug., 1797.
SEYMOUR, REV. CHARLES N., came from Hartford, Conn., and settled over the Congregational church in Whately. He was installed 9 March, 1853, dismissed 27 April, 1859. During his stay in town he made many friends among people of liberal thought, but rather antagonized the over-zealous.
SEYMOUR, DR. JAMES DWIGHT, came to Whately in 1878 and resided first in the Ferguson house, but has since bought the house built by John Lyman Morton in 1842, on the west side of Chestnut Plain street., He has a beautiful cottage house.
SMITH, ELISHA, was one of the original settlers in the Straits, and was uniformly called "Goodman Smith." He came in 1732, perhaps earlier. He built near where his de- scendant, Israel S. Smith, now lives. It was in the Bradstreet grant, on the west side of the Straits. After him his son, Gad Smith, not only run the farm, but kept a hotel and store, and slaughtered beef which he sent to the West Indies. In his old age he sold out to David Stockbridge, and Chester Stock- bridge lived there many years. The house, or a portion of it, was sold to E. H. Woods and constitutes a good share of the Woods house, near the railroad station.
SMITH, PHILIP, son of Elisha, built the old house where William Cutler Smith now lives. He was succeeded by Beza- liel and then his son, Osee, and then William Cutler Smith, who built the present house about 1867.
SMITH, PAUL, son of Elisha, built the house on Grass Hill about 1760. The house and farm was afterwards occupied by his son. Capt. Rufus Smith. After that the house was removed
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.