Genealogy Center

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Fort Wayne, IN
Genealogy Center

We have been serving the genealogy community since 1961.
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06/29/2026

A blast from the past! St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN, Grade 2, date unknown.

View this image and more in our Community Album: http://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/

06/28/2026

⚠️ Heads up, everyone! All ACPL locations will be closed on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

The Main Library reopens on Sunday, July 5.

All branches reopen on Monday, July 6.

📚 Don't forget to stock up on books, movies, games, and more before the holiday weekend. Our digital library is always open 24/7!

06/26/2026

Kids would come running when they saw Ralph E. Beard's Eskay Dairy truck as he would pass out ice chips to them on hot summer days in Fort Wayne! ☀

This picture from 1956 is courtesy of the Harter collection in our Community Album. Check it out here: http://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/digital/

06/24/2026

Passenger manifests were typically created before immigrants boarded the ship, often at the port of departure. When immigrants arrived at Ellis Island, officials generally worked from those existing lists rather than creating new names on the spot.

So why do we see name changes in family histories?

Names often evolved over time as immigrants adapted to life in a new country. Some chose to simplify spellings, translate names into English, adopt nicknames, or use different versions of their names in records. Clerks, census takers, teachers, and employers could also record names differently.

If you've hit a brick wall because your ancestor's surname seems to change, don't assume Ellis Island is the reason. Explore alternate spellings, pronunciations, and versions of the name across different records.

Have you discovered multiple spellings of the same family surname in your research?

06/17/2026

Family trees on genealogy websites can be wonderful research tools, but they're only as accurate as the information entered by other researchers. Mistakes can spread quickly when trees are copied without verification.

Before adding someone to your own tree, look for records that support the connection. Census records, vital records, land deeds, probate files, church records, and other original sources can help confirm whether the information is correct.

The best family trees aren't the ones with the most names—they're the ones backed by evidence.

Have you ever discovered an error that had been copied through multiple online trees?

06/15/2026

Join us in-person OR virtually! June 19 at 12 pm
Register here: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/16587082

The Friends of the Lincoln Collection and the Black Chamber Fort Wayne present the 2026 Rolland Lecture: Douglass Sizes Up Lincoln: From Fierce Critic to Great Admirer.

Drawing on speeches and letters by Frederick Douglass, some to British abolitionists that have not been seen since they were first written, the lecture presents an account of how the great abolitionist came to appreciate Lincoln’s anti-slavery statesmanship over the course of the Civil War. The lecture derives from a recently published book, Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln, co-edited by the lecturer, Lucas Morel, and Jonathan White.

Lucas Morel is the John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics and Head of the Politics Department at Washington and Lee University. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Claremont Graduate University. He is the co-editor of Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln and author of Lincoln and the American Founding and Lincoln’s Sacred Effort: Defining Religion’s Role in American Self-Government, and editor of Lincoln and Liberty: Wisdom for the Ages.

Dr. Morel conducts high school teacher workshops for the Jack Miller Center, Hillel-Civic Spirit, Gilder-Lehrman Institute, Ashbrook Center, Bill of Rights Institute, and Liberty Fund. He is a former president of the Abraham Lincoln Institute; a founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance; a consultant for the Library of Congress and National Archives; and currently serves on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which will plan activities to commemorate the founding of the United States of America.

Virtual attendees: Please register using the registration link.
In-person attendees: No registration required.

06/12/2026

How far back can you really trace your family?

A family tree isn't just a list of names...it's a chain of evidence. Each generation should be supported by records such as birth, marriage, death, land, probate, tax, church, or court records.

Many online trees jump from a documented ancestor in the 1700s to a noble family in the 1200s without evidence linking the generations in between.

The key question isn't how far back your tree goes. It's how far back you can prove it goes.

06/10/2026

Tracing land? Here are some common terms you might find in deeds 📝

https://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy

06/08/2026

Did you know we add an average of 500-1000 items to our collection per month?! 🤯Here's a sneak preview of what's coming...

06/05/2026

Join us for a FREE IN-PERSON workshop on June 11 at 2:00 p.m. ET!
Learn more here: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/16453212

Have a box of old family photos but aren’t sure when they were taken—or who’s in them? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to identify common 19th and early 20th century photograph types, from daguerreotypes to cabinet cards, and resources to help you along the way. We’ll also explore practical strategies for identifying the people in your images, using details like clothing, studio imprints, and family context. Bring your own photographs and leave with tools and techniques you can apply right away to your own collection. Please limit the number of photographs to 5. Presented by Christina Clary.

Address

Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, IN
46802

Telephone

+12604211225

Website

http://www.genealogycenter.org/, http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog.aspx

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