Publications

 Genealogical Data - Manatee County, FL

The Manatee Genealogical Society published two significant books in the 1980's. These publications, which are now out of print, have been prepared for electronic publication and made available on this website to researchers investigating ancestors in Manatee County, Florida. These publications are in PDF format and the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® is necessary to view these files. The Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® is free software that lets you view and print PDFs.  If you do not have the free Adobe®  Reader® software, please Click Here to download it from Adobe's website. These publications are:

•  Tombstone Inscriptions in Cemeteries of Manatee County Florida 1850 - 1980, published by the Manasota Genealogical Society Inc., 2nd Edition, copyright 1982, all rights reserved, 811 pages.   This is a large PDF file (40MB) of scanned book pages; the file is bookmarked for ease of navigation, and optimized for single page downloading for low speed internet connections. Best viewing and navigating of this large PDF file from within your browser requires the Adobe® Reader® plug-in, or one could save the file to disk and view it with the Adobe® Reader®. If using a low speed connection, it is advisable to set your Adobe® Reader® internet preference to not "allow downloading in the background" (go to Edit/Preferences, Category: Internet in your Adobe® Reader®).  Downloads and copies are for the personal use of the researcher, and no distribution is allowed without the permission of the Manatee Genealogical Society.  Click Here To View This Book.  Navigation instructions are provided on the introduction/opening page of this file.

•  Extractions from Manatee County Censuses of  1860 - 1870 - 1880 - 1885 - 1895, by Mabel Schneider (Chairman), Lucille Ford, Paul Rehnborg, Elinor Rehnborg, Helen Richeson & Peggy Wetsel - Members of the Manasota Genealogical Society, published by the Manasota Genealogical Society Inc., copyright 1985, all rights reserved, 343 pages.   Best viewing and navigating of this large PDF file from within your browser requires the Adobe® Reader® plug-in, or one could save the file to disk and view it with the Adobe® Reader®.  If using a low speed connection, it is advisable to set your Adobe® Reader® internet preference to not "allow downloading in the background" (go to Edit/Preferences, Category: Internet in your Adobe Reader). Downloads and copies are for the personal use of the researcher, and no distribution is allowed without the permission of the Manatee Genealogical Society.  Click Here To View This Book.  Navigation instructions are provided on the introduction/opening page of this file.

 Cracker Crumbs

The Manatee Genealogical Society (MGS) publishes a newsletter  (Cracker Crumbs) for members. The newsletter contains information on upcoming events, meetings, helpful hints for genealogical research, general interest articles and information on special interest groups for education and research, to name a few focus areas.  We encourage MGS Members to contribute pertinent news and genealogical interest information for newsletter publication.  Your personal involvement adds to our MGS experience.   Jim McHugh is our acting Newsletter Editor, and  welcomes your support.  Guidelines for submission of articles can be obtained by clicking here.  Cracker Crumbs is distributed to MGS Members via e-mail to their address of record, and posted to this website at a later date.

The current newsletters available for download and viewing as PDF files are:

•  Spring - March 2013  CRACKER CRUMBS  (To be posted at a later date - 0.31 MB)

•  Winter -  Dec 2012  CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.28 MB)

•  Fall - Fall 2012  CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.36 MB)

•  Spring - May 2012 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.39 MB)

•  Winter - Winter 2011/12 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.32 MB)

•  Fall - Fall 2011 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.42 MB)

•  Summer - June 2011 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0..31 MB)

•  Spring - March 2011 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.40 MB)

•  Fall - November 2010 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.33 MB)

•  Spring - June 2010 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.42 MB)

•  Winter 2010 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.73 MB)

•  Fall 2009 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.65 MB)

•  July 2009 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.77 MB)

•  March 2009 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.77 MB)

•  December 2008 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.55 MB)

•  October 2008 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.40 MB)

•  May 2008 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.46 MB)

•  March 2008 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.26 MB)

•  December 2007 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.42 MB)

•  September 2007 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.38 MB)

•  May 2007 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.38 MB)
•  March 2007 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.85 MB)
•  December 2006 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.5 MB)
•  October 2006 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.4 MB)
•  June 2006 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 3.04 MB)
•  March-May 2006 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 0.3 MB)
•  November-December 2005 CRACKER CRUMBS (size 4.9 MB)
•  September-October 2005 CRACKER CRUMBS  (size 3.3 MB)

 MGS By-Laws

The  By-Laws (revised May 7, 2013) of the Manatee Genealogical Society (also known by Corporate name of Manasota Genealogical Society) are available for viewing and downloading as a PDF file:

•  MGS By-Laws (size 164 KB)

 Member & Speaker Articles

The Manatee Genealogical Society will Web Publish Articles submitted by MGS Members. Here is your chance to get PUBLISHED! Our newsletter in the past has included Member Spotlight Articles where a member presents the results of his/her research and includes some interesting information related to the member/researcher.  Also, members have assembled much information pertaining to their ancestors that would be of considerable interest to their "unknown" shared relatives.  Separating this type of material from the newsletter keeps the newsletter manageable in size and focused on news.  Web Publishing can get that treasured information to the masses.  Consider contributing a short article to share with your fellow MGS members and the genealogical community! Guidelines for submission of Articles can be obtained by clicking here.

Current Articles/Publications/Research Guides available for download and viewing as PDF files are:

•  Useful Material for Using Our Library Genealogy Section. The Library PDF document describes the indexing and the Dewey Decimal layout of the genealogy section of our Library. This brief guide will lead you to material of most interest to you. For example, State Histories, State Genealogical Material, Family Histories, General "how-to" References, Vital Records, Immigration and Passenger Lists etc. Print this for your next trip to the Library.

•  Jim McHugh describes his research and findings pertaining to his patriot ancestor Solomon Ingalls, born 1750 in Andover, MA & died Jefferson, County, NY in 1840, and an interesting coincidence.  This work resulted in Jim's Article "A Coincidence at Saratoga"  (size 186 KB).

• Anne Young described her experiences researching Swedish ancestors and the enlightening experiences in Salt Lake City with the SwedGen Tour at the 2005 FGS Conference. See Anne's "The SwedGen Tour Comes to Salt Lake City" (size 708 KB).

• Bryan Mulcahy, (the Reference Librarian for the Fort Myers-Lee  County Library) discussed a variety of topics associated with immigration and genealogical research at a MGS 2009 Meeting. Bryan has prepared study guides covering a variety of genealogy research topics; his presentation was centered on a number of these guides. Attendees found these study guides to be very useful, and they are available here on this website, Mulcahy Study Guides  (a PDF file). This compilation of Study Guides contains the following topics

1) Immigration History: Settlements, Immigration, and Naturalization to North America
        Chronology of Major Events: 1562-1960
2) Immigrant Ports of Entry and Exit: United States, British Isles, and Europe
3) Immigration & Naturalization Records
4) Immigration to America - Colonial Period Through 1820
5) Genealogical Research in the New England States - Colonial Era Through 1820
6) Research in England
7) Research in Ireland
8) Research in Canada

        Go to Mulcahy Study Guides  (a PDF file) for the above topics.

• Bryan Mulcahy (at a number of recent MGS Meetings) discussed a variety of topics associated with military records, the WPA records survey, and genealogical  research in general. Bryan has compiled reference guides covering a variety of  these  records and research topics. MGS thanks Bryan for allowing us to post these guides on our website.  The following are a number of Bryan's guides in PDF format:
          Begin Research - Start with Home Resources.
          Military Conflicts - Wars and Genealogical Research.
          Military Conflicts - Post Civil War Era (with Wikipedia links).
          United States Military History Institute - A Guide to the US Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, PA.
          Military Records - Colonial Era through World War II; the most useful records and databases for research.
          Military Records - Ancestry's Military Records Collection.
          National Archives - Compiled Military Service Records and Indexes.
          National Archives - The NARA Website for Genealogy Research, FAQs.
          Civil War - Confederate Military Records.
          Civil War - Prisoners of War.
          Military Posts in Northern Plains States.
          Apprenticeship and Indentured Servitude Agreements.
          World War I - Draft Registrations.

                WPA (Works Progress Administration)

                The WPA Historical Records Survey Project & Its Impact on Genealogical Research (Presentation Outline

                        for MGS 4/5/2011).

                WPA Era & Its Impact on Genealogical Research (History).

                WPA Historical Records Survey (Supporting Information, Data & Sources).

Land Records & Tax Records

Presentation Outline  (for the MGS 3/5/2013 Meeting)

Land Records

Tax Records

Probate Records

• Rev. Herbert D. Loomis, presented "The Genealogy of Santa Claus Post Cards" at out December 7th, 2010 meeting. A summary of this presentation can be found in a publication by Rev. Loomis titled "Merry Christmas.....Yesteryear" .  If you click on the link, a PDF version of the publication is provided.