Years ago I purchased the 1989 version of the Red Book when it first appeared. It was the definitive reference for genealogy research within the United States. It listed all major genealogical resources in each of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.
My copy of the first edition of the Red Book is dog-eared from frequent use, as is the Second Edition that I purchased shortly after its appearance in 1992. This week I obtained the newly-released Third Edition. I suspect this new book will also be well-used in my home.
Organized by state, the Red Book easily directs you to information resources in each area, including the following:
Vital Records
Census Records
Background Sources
Maps
Land Records
Probate Records
Court Records
Tax Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Military Records
Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
The information varies a bit from one state to the next, as you might expect. I often research ancestors in Maine, so I will list what I found under Maine to show a typical example of what one can expect in any section within the Red Book:
A brief history of the early settlements in the state
Vital Records: what is available and where to find them (including web sites where applicable)
Census Records
Background Sources (mostly a bibliography of the better books on Maine genealogy and history)
Maps
Land Records
Probate Records
Court Records
Tax Records
Cemetery Records (including one major web site that is still adding Maine cemetery transcriptions to its online databases)
Church Records
Military Records
Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
A list of major Archives, Libraries and Societies within the state
Special Focus CategoriesImmigration
Native American ancestry
French-Canadian ancestryCounty Resources
A listing of all counties, along with addresses of county records archives, date formed, parent county, and the dates of records available within that county's records.
A map of the state showing all towns and counties
Town resourcesA listing of all towns, along with each town clerk's address, date formed, dates of first vital records within that town, as well as the date of the first town records other than vital records.
The content of the Third Edition appears to be similar to that of the previous two editions, with the obvious changes and additions to addresses. One noticeable difference in the Third Edition is the frequent listing of online databases found on a wide variety of Web sites. Genealogy information truly is becoming available online as more and more databases of original records and transcribed records are appearing every year.
The information within the Red Book is organized by state in a manner that makes everything easy to find. The book is large (8 3/4 by 11 inches, hardbound) and heavy; about four pounds. The book uses a large font that makes it easy to read.
Looking through the Red Book, I see the names of many authors, most of them well known within the genealogy community and mentioned in this newsletter many times over the years. Alice Eichholz' name is on the cover, listed as Editor. She obviously has done a monumental job, bringing together all this high-quality information between two covers. Alice is also author or co-author of a number of other popular genealogy books, including:
- Black Genesis: A Resource Book for African-American Genealogy
- A Basic Guide to Family History and Genealogy in America
- Free Black Heads of Households in the New York State Federal Census, 1790-1830
- Discovering Your Heritage: An Introduction to Family History
- The Linville Family in America
- A Second Visit with the Linvilles
- Collecting Vermont Ancestors
The 781-page Red Book - Third Edition belongs on the shelf at every genealogy library and in the homes of many genealogists as well.
The Red Book, Third Edition has a retail price of $49.95. You should be able to order it through any book store if you specify ISBN 1-59331-166-4. It is published by Ancestry.com, and I noticed that company sells the new Red Book for $44.95, a five dollar discount, on its Web site. It also sells for a bit less on Amazon.com.
