on Gail Dever http://genealogyalacarte.ca/?p=9787 -----Original Message----- Subject: [New post] FamilySearch’s new Vermont-Canadian border crossings collection contains more than misleading title suggests New post on Genealogy à la carte FamilySearch’s new Vermont-Canadian border crossings collection contains more than misleading title suggests by Gail Dever Earlier this week, FamilySearch added a new record collection, Vermont, St. Albans Canadian Border Crossings, 1895-1924, and what a resource. And what a misleading title. There are 6,696,703 records -- and the collection contains much more than its title suggests. Even the record description does not indicate all this collection holds. The collection is from the National Archives in Washington, and it has been available on Ancestry for more than a year. The difference is the FamilySearch access is free. Frankly, because of the title, I had expected to find only Canadians (and some Americans) crossing the Canada-US border into Vermont between the years 1895 and 1924. First, the collection contains four record sets that you can browse, microfilm image by microfilm image, or you can search the entire collection by an ancestor's name. Note the collection spans 1895 to... 1954, not just to 1924. (Ancestry's collection says it spans 1895 to 1956, but I could not find any records beyond 1954.) Soundex Index to Canadian Border Entries through the St. Albans, Vermont, District, 1895-1924 Soundex Index to Entries into the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1924-1952 Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, VT, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954 Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific Ports, 1929-1949 ⟨I did not find anything beyond 1940 in this record set.⟩ Second, if your ancestor lived in the US, but was born in another country, I would check this database. If there is a slight chance your ancestor set foot on American soil sometime between 1895 and 1954, I would check. Do not be mislead by the word Canadian in the title. Yes, you will find Canadians, but you will also find even more people from around the world. For example, on an 1895 manifest, I found people whose last residence was Poland, England, Russia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They had all sailed from Liverpool, England and landed at the Port of Halifax. In many cases, the travellers were headed to Chicago where they planned to permanently reside. On a 1929 manifest, I found people born in Peru, England, New Zealand, and Australia, who had sailed from Hong Kong to Vancouver, British Columbia. During WWII, a number of British subjects left Hong Kong, China, and Japan and landed at the Port of Vancouver. In many cases, the records contain a lot of good information about each traveller. So, ignore the title and just start searching for any of your ancestors who may have touched down in Canada or the US. You can start your search here. Gail Dever | June 19, 2015 at 3:09 am | T