Genealogy Databases and Journals

Ancestry

Ancestry Library Edition (Note: This service is only available from Irving Public Library computers. Please ask a staff member for assistance.)

Access to more than 7,000 databases, including U.S. Federal Census schedules 1790 to 1940, immigration ships passenger lists, vital records, and U.S. military records.

New databases are constantly added and updated.


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African American Heritage powered by ProQuest offers resources and records specifically geared to the African American experience and genealogy research. In addition to birth, marriage and death records this database includes access to Records of the Freedman's Bank, military records, and Slaves and Free(d) Persons of Color registers from Louisisana, Ohio and Pennsylvannia. It also makes available a special online edition of the book Black Genesis: A Resource Book for African American Genealogy. 

Fold3-logo-300x175 Opens in new windowFold3 provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos and personal documents of the men and women who served.

 Fold3 aims to provide resources and records for those wishing to explore military history, genealogy of those who may have served and provide access to stories and memorials. 

It is named after a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans who served and sacrificed for their country. 

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HeritageQuest Online® resources is a comprehensive treasure —rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.

Discover a person's amazing history with HeritageQuest Online. With more than 4.4 billion records, it delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s—that can help people find their ancestors and discover a place’s past.

Powered by Ancestry®, this amazing collection consists of the following core data sets:

  • Census collection contains over 700 million records from the U.S. Federal Census 1790-1940, and national censuses including Argentina, Netherlands, Czech Republic and several other countries.
  • Books collection contains over 22,000 family and local histories, compiled genealogies, documentary collections, church records, military records, vital records, city and county histories, and more.
  • City Directories with over 1.5 million records from various US city and county directories during 1821-1989.
  • Military Records containing over 2 million records from selected state and country military records including the US Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files 1800-1900, US Records of Confederate Prisoners of War 1861-1865, and US Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications 1887-1942.
  • Wills and Probate Records has more than 170 million pages from the largest collection of wills and probate records in the United States, with searchable records included from all 50 states spread over 337 years (1668-2005).
  • Freedman’s Bank contains an index and original images of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company's registers of Signatures of Depositors 1865-1871.
  • US Serial Set (subset) contains more than 140,000 private relief actions, memorials, and petitions drawn from the records published "serial" fashion from the US Senate and House of Representatives 1769-1969.
  • Maps & Photos includes US Indexed County Land Ownership Maps 1860-1910, US Enumeration District Maps and Descriptions 1940, US Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats 1785-1898, and Library of Congress Photo Collection 1840-2000.