JCKL Library Blog

HeritageQuest

Are you interested in exploring your family history, but don’t want to spend money on a monthly subscription to Ancestry.com? The JCK Library has you covered with free access to HeritageQuest Online. HeritageQuest gives you access to some of the tools in Ancestry.com, especially the searchable U.S. Census. Search the decennial Census records from 1790 through 1950 (although only fragments remain of the 1890 census, most of which was lost in a fire). Searching can typically be done with names and locations, although some census records can be searched by birthdate, birth location, marriage year, or occupations, to name a few options.

HeritageQuest can also help you learn about the lives of historical figures. With a little detective work, you can find out more about the family and neighborhood of famous people. For instance, here is part of the entry for the Clemens family from the 1850 census.

HeritageQuest also allows you to search some unique sources of data. The Census Slave Schedule from 1850 and 1860 will search the U.S. Census count of the slave population. While names are often not recorded, slave owners are noted, and the age and gender of the enslaved persons listed. The Indian Census Rolls contain census data taken from reservations between the years 1885-1940. Mortality Schedules from 1850-1855 can provide some insight into medical history.

Want to get started on filling out that family tree? Download family chart from the Midwest Genealogy Center.

Click to access HeritageQuest or go to the A-Z database list. For assistance with HeritageQuest, contact Anthony Kaiser at akaiser@ucmo.edu.