[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by clf1977

I would love to do that. However, currently I live in Norfolk, Virginia. My parents and siblings still live in Ohio though. I've been searching online for land and birth records, but it seems Allen County, the county Lima is in, is behind almost every other county in getting all their various records in searchable databases. You can search birth record from the 1800s all the way up to 1960, then nothing until 1990. Very frustrating. I figure if I could just do a first name search in the birth records from 1975-1977, find any possibilities and cross reference the birth mother. As in find a mother between 1975 and 1977 who gave birth to a Rebecca (Becky), and also gave birth to a Jacob a few years later. My dad suggested phone books at the library, but like I said, I'm 600 miles away, and my parents don't have time to do that. It may have to wait until I get up there for a visit.

Distance isn't necessarily an obstacle. Here are a few things you could try right from your house in Virginia:

1. Call the Allen County Historical Society and ask if they have phone books from the dates you need. If so, ask if they have researchers on staff who can look up what you need (you may have to pay a small fee for this) Failing that, perhaps your parents or a sibling could swing by their research library for you. ALLEN COUNTY MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY There is also an Allen County genealogy association that you could try contacting. Allen Co Oh Genealogy Society

2. Call the research desk of the main library in Lima. Sometimes research librarians will be able to look things like this up if they have access to the old phone directories. If they won't look it up, but indicate they have the phone books available, you could ask a family member to go over and look, or do it the next time you're in town.

3. Ancestry.com has many city directories/phone books available online. You can sign up for a free trial and see if they have what you need. Your local library may also have free access to Ancestry.com so talk to them.

Once you access Ancestry.com, there is a community forum there specifically for Allen County that it might be worth posting your question too. I've had great luck with meeting strangers there who are willing to spin over to the local library to look something up for me.

4. Search Facebook to see if there is a group for people who live in Lima Ohio, or for the high school your friends probably attended in Lima, and post your question there. We have another thread going where a person was able to find long lost cousins this way.

I'm sure you'll think of other ways to get the information you're searching for, but hope these give you a starting point!

[howard555]

Originally Posted by Eldemila

Do you have access to telephone books from that era, possibly at the local library if you are still in that area???/ You could look it up and see their last name cross referenced with the address, then look up the name and see if you could find them on Eureka.

Our phone books (and likely theirs) only list names in alphabetical order for the whole city.

Originally Posted by clf1977

I figure if I could just do a first name search in the birth records from 1975-1977, find any possibilities and cross reference the birth mother. As in find a mother between 1975 and 1977 who gave birth to a Rebecca (Becky), and also gave birth to a Jacob a few years later. My dad suggested phone books at the library.

First name and birth searches would be difficult.

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Distance isn't necessarily an obstacle. Here are a few things you could try right from your house in Virginia:

1. Call the Allen County Historical Society and ask if they have phone books from the dates you need. If so, ask if they have researchers on staff who can look up what you need (you may have to pay a small fee for this).

2. Call the research desk of the main library in Lima. Sometimes research librarians will be able to look things like this up if they have access to the old phone directories.

3. Ancestry.com has many city directories/phone books available online. You can sign up for a free trial and see if they have what you need. Your local library may also have free access to Ancestry.com so talk to them.

It sounds like the Op and her relatives do not recall the last name for looking in a phone book. City Directory is another type of book and I have acquired copies. If you look on the map Nye St. is about 4 blocks and crosses W. Eureka. W. Eureka is 5 blocks before it ends at the Ottawa River and continues for another couple blocks before it becomes E. Eureka.

Get your parents and grandparents to think carefully and maybe one name rings a bell.

West Eureka 1985 (last names and house numbers)
Businesses and vacant left off unless their last name was vacant )

Main Street - Beginning of West Eureka.
125 Radar, 125 1/2 Stokes, 129 Wilson, 133 Sifrit

Intersection with South Elizabeth
209 Crowe, 211 Lewis

South West and North Shore
510 Bly, 511 Edwards, 519 Inskeep, 520 Norton, 524 Campbell, 527 Preble

Intersection with Elmwood
616 Rettig, 617 Dunlap, 618 McClure, 621 Hempker

Intersection with South Metcalf
709 Godsey, 716 Goins, 717 Wood, 718 Fowler, 720 Cowan, 724 Griffin

Intersection with Nye Street
815 Hail, 816 Seals, 824 Cloud, 831 Luster

Intersection with South Baxter
914 McDonald, 916 Smith, 918 Hancock, 920 Williams, 922 Taylor, 924 Jackson, 948 Archer, 952 Turmen, 993 Fitzgerald, 995 Birdsong
South Collett - end of West Eureka.

One of the first names is Rebecca on the east side of the river. On the west side is a Steven. You stated that the couple weren't married so whose name would be listed?

I think I have them with no typos, so look the list over and post the one that might be it and let me check again to make sure no typo error.

With a last name the search is on.