For those with family roots in Pennsylvania --
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy
Newsletter and is copyright 2001 by Richard W. Eastman. It is
re-published here with the permission of the author.
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- Pennsylvania Digital State Archives
The state of Pennsylvania has announced the release of a major new
online database of interest to genealogists. ARIAS (Archives
Records Information Access System) is now online. This huge
database already contains the Revolutionary War Military Abstract
Card File, the World War I Service Medal Application Cards and the
Spanish American War Veterans' Card File of United States
Volunteers. Future additions already underway include the Civil
War Veterans' Card File and the Mexican Border Campaign Veterans'
Card File.
On July 3, the State of Pennsylvania issued the following
announcement:
On behalf of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) Executive Director
Brent D. Glass today announced Pennsylvanians now -- for the
first time -- can access historical records through the PA
PowerPort.
The Archives Records Information Access System (ARIAS) will
enable Pennsylvanians and researchers from around the world to
utilize the tremendous resources of the Pennsylvania State
Archives right from their homes or local libraries.
The records can be accessed through the PA PowerPort at
http://www.state.pa.us or directly at the Commission's site at
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us.
"With the click of a mouse, students, teachers, family
researchers and history buffs will be able to view online
historical records maintained at the State Archives in
Harrisburg," Glass said. "Our goal is to provide easy, cost-
free access to historical records that constitute our most
valuable window to the past. We think of it as the `Digital
State Archives.'"
Currently, ARIAS offers approximately 200,000 images relating
to the participation of Pennsylvanians in the Revolutionary
War, Spanish-American War and World War I.
The Revolutionary War records are arranged alphabetically by
the surname of each soldier, with information on service in
the Pennsylvania Militia, Pennsylvania Line, and the Navy; the
name and rank of soldier; active or inactive duty; county of
residence; battalion in which served; and the archival record
from which the information was extracted.
More than 300,000 Civil War and Mexican Border Campaign
service card images also are being loaded into the system.
Eventually, millions of digitized records, ranging from 19th-
century county birth, death and marriage dockets to
collections of photographs illustrating every aspect of the
Pennsylvania experience, will be added.
"Genealogists are hungry for access to records such as these,"
said James Beidler, executive director of the Genealogical
Society of Pennsylvania. "The beauty of the resources found
in ARIAS is that they will lead researchers to the original
source documents, which is what every family historian yearns
to find about his or her ancestors."
The above Web addresses will work, but I found the direct path at:
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us
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-- Karon
"A genealogy compilation without sources might as well be fiction."
-- Karon M. Bosze, 26 Jan 2000
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