How do I use a FamilySearch ID?
First, you must create a free account. FamilySearch.org hosts free genealogical research archives and family tree building around a shared, crowd-sourced pedigree. Throughout the coure of this research, a diligent effort was made to link each of the early Wilmington residents to their place in the family tree at the annotated FamilySearch ID (e.g. Asa Goodell Sheldon (9NN5-JFY)). To view that person’s pedigree,
Create or Log In to your free FamilySearch.org account
Click “Family Tree” on the toolbar, then “Find”, then “Find by ID”
Copy the Ancestor ID into the field, then click “Find”
Click on the name to see an overview, and choose among the options to view your own relationship to the individual (if you have created your own pedigree to your deceased ancestors), view their tree, or view details and historical documents about that person’s family.
Who should I contact if I know of a pertinent resource that should be added to this index?
Contact jjackson@wilmingtonma.gov, or another member of the Historical Commission.
Why is this index limited to focus on pre-1900 people and events?
At the turn of the 20th century, Wilmington began growing at a vigorous pace due to advances in industry, transportation, and immigration. Much of its farmland was slowly converted to residential neighborhoods. With the burgeoning manufacturing industry and building of the interstate, Wilmington lost its rural stability and expanded into a Boston suburb. Setting a boundary around 1900 also roughly coincides with the publication of the "Kelley Book", which published vital statistics of the town through 1898.
How can I get involved in preservation of Wilmington history?
There are a multitude of projects that could be done if they were not so limited by manpower.
Contact the Curator at the Town Museum, or the Chair of the Historical Commission to express your interest in helping on general projects.
On a more organic level, reach out to the elders in your life (neighbors, parents, grandparents) and ask them a few questions about what life was like for them. Take down notes or use an audio recorder. Ask to see their old family pictures, and ask who the people are. These stories, memories, and scanned photos can be uploaded to FamilySearch.org and linked to the deceased persons that they are about. This helps makes thoughts and experiences more permanent and accessible to future generations.
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