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From: "Austin W. Spencer" <>
Subject: Re: Non county areas
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2006 12:25:16 -0700 (PDT)
References: <eaof19$sl0$1@askin-17.linkpendium.com>


> I have a couple in my family tree that married in Tazewell,
> Illinois, USA in 1824. In 1823 this would have been Sangamon
> County, in 1824 it became a non county area and in 1827 it became
> Tazewell County. What is the proper way to indicate a non county
> area? I'd like to be able to save other researchers the extra work
> if possible.
>
> Skippy <>


My recommendation is: "Tazewell (now in Tazewell County), Illinois,
USA." If you really want to cut down the workload for other
researchers, however, you will also include a complete source
citation.

There are few missteps more common nor, to me, more depressing than
using a detailed locality description in place of a complete source
citation. Many a writer realizes that putting locations in the
modern-day political geography will make the place easier to find on
current maps, and will argue from their that it makes the location
easier to find in past records as well. That is not always so. The
original poster's example above clearly shows how county boundaries
can change while people are living and forming families in the
region.

At the other extreme, some writers embrace the usage of historically
accurate locations but presume that the location of the *record*
logically and unfailingly follows the location of the *event*.
Again, that is not always so. I have several individuals in my
database who took out marriage licenses in one county and got
married in another. All the dates and places will be recorded in
the first county. Should I record all the places as being in the
same county? Not if I'm committed to historical accuracy.

It is hardly helpful to readers for an author to put to much faith
in the continuity or all-inclusiveness of any series of governmental
records or political jurisdictions. Complete source citations
relieve us of that burden.

Austin W. Spencer

"Austin W. Spencer" <>

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