Then What? Part Nine Heritage Quest - Margaret McCullough petitions Congress

 Here is Utah everyone can access Heritage Quest Online through their local library. This is a large and helpful collection.

1) Census images can be found in the census search. There is a different index and type of search here than those used at Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.com. If you haven't found your ancestor on the other census records try searching here.

2) Over 28,000 family and local histories listed. This is a great place to start to find what has already been done by others. What is available for Utah?

3) PERSI Archive. Incredible is the word to describe it. Find articles in periodicals, in fact, over 2.3 million articles. This is an index. Once a desired article is found search the periodical lists at a local university or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to get a copy. If not available, information is listed to contact Allen County Public Library who will copy the article for a small fee.

4) Revolutionary War records. At the side of the search field there is a button for learn more. A very lengthy description of what this database is and has is listed. Worth checking.

5) Freedman's Bank records.These are invaluable for finding information regarding an African-American Ancestor.

6) U.S. Serial Set. Did your ancestor petition congress for relief? This was a common thing. One can search by place, name, or keywords. The case study shows further information.

 Case Study for Heritage Quest Online

In the Place field "Alpine, Utah" is typed in.

 One result is found for Margaret McCullough.

 By clicking on her name the following field shows up:

By clicking on the Section 1 option above the original report is shown. The example is below:

 

This document has rich information in just a few paragraphs. Thomas J. McCullough served in the Mexican War from October 23, 1847 to July 31, 1848, his wife has a pension, his military rank and regiments are listed, as well as his marriage date.

When ordering the pension file from National Archives be sure to also obtain Thomas J. McCullough's service record, see if he was awarded bounty land, and most especially the final payment voucher. One can order using forms on the National Archives site. Perhaps a quicker and less costly way would be to hire a researcher in the D.C. area who is familiar with the records to obtain the files. I recommend two professional genealogy sites: Certified Genealogists or Association of Professional Genealogists.