Welcome to the Research Room — your starting point for exploring the many databases and resources available on the Parke Society website. Here, you’ll find tools and guides designed to help you use our collections alongside major genealogical websites and archives to advance your Park/e/s family research.

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Our goal is simple: to help you make real progress in your Park/e/s research and to make your Parke Society membership even more valuable. And remember—when you uncover new details about your Park/e/s ancestors, please share your discoveries with us! Every contribution adds to the shared knowledge that has made the Parke Society’s records such a rich resource for over sixty years.

 

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a Parke Society member. That means you’ve submitted your direct Park/e/s lineage to us—everything you’ve been able to document so far. That information is now part of our database, and in many cases, we’ve been able to add more details about your early Park/e/s ancestors.

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But if your “brick wall” ancestor remains elusive, don’t worry. The Society’s resources can help you—and help us—push those family lines even further back.

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FIRST STEPS

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Lineage Key Catalog

 

When you joined, our Historian reviewed your lineage to see whether it connected with one of our known Park/e/s family lines, called Lineage Keys (LKs).

• If your line matched an existing LK, you’ll find it listed in our Lineage Key Catalog, along with information about the earliest known ancestor for that branch. The catalog also explains how our Lineage Key system works.

• If no match was found, we created a new LK for your family—what we call a Fragment Line or Fragment LK—so that your research can continue to grow as new information is discovered.

 

 

 

Each Park/e/s family member in your branch has a unique Family Group Sheet (FGS) number within the LK.

 

Here’s what an FGS looks like:

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GIVEN NAME INDEX (GNI) & INTERNATIONAL GIVEN NAME INDEX (IGNI)

 

Once you know your LK, you can explore even further using the Given Name Index (GNI) and International Given Name Index (IGNI).

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These databases let you look up individuals by first name within your LK—an invaluable way to spot connections, variations, and new clues. If your Park/e/s ancestors lived outside the U.S. or Canada, start with the IGNI.

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Need help? Watch our short video tutorial on how to navigate and search the indexes.

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DNA RESEARCH

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No modern family history project is complete without DNA testing. The Parke Society works closely with the Park/e/s Surname Project at FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA), founded in 2003. While the two organizations are independent, the Society maintains a DNA Research page showing the direct Park/e/s lineages of Y-DNA participants—that is, males tracing their Park/e/s line through the paternal line.

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When possible, we connect these DNA results to the appropriate Lineage Keys.

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The Society supports the DNA Project through:

• Research grants that help fund DNA testing

• Volunteer Group Leaders/Lineage Leaders who coordinate research and assist members within their genetic DNA group

 

To see whether your Lineage Key is represented in the DNA Project, check the list on the DNA Research page.

 

 

 

Interested in testing or learning more? Contact the DNA Administrators at dnaadmin@parke.org.

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MISSING LINKS

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For years, Jean Churchill (PS#934, now retired) contributed extensively to Park/e/s research through a series of articles published in our newsletter. These studies—covering many Lineage Keys and unresolved family puzzles—are available on the Missing Links page.

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They’re a goldmine of clues for anyone exploring possible family connections!

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THE DANA PARKS JR. MEMORIAL LENDING LIBRARY

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Over the decades, the Society has built a remarkable collection of books directly or indirectly related to Park/e/s families. Members can borrow these volumes—many of which are rare or out of print—for a small fee.

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The Library page lists books by category, often organized by Lineage Key or geographic area.

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We’re also working toward creating a virtual E-Library, linking to freely available copies on Google Books, FamilySearch, and other digital archives.

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FILE SHARE

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Our File Share page currently includes a downloadable PDF of Revolutionary War Pension File abstracts, annotated with Lineage Key and Family Group Sheet details where available.

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As new resources are created, they’ll be added here.

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MEMBERS’ PERSONAL GENEALOGICAL WEBSITES

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Some members maintain their own Park/e/s family websites and have graciously shared links to them on our Members’ Websites page.

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​If you’d like your site included, just email the Webmaster at webmaster@parke.org.

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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

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Since its founding, the Parke Society has published a newsletter three times a year—now entering its 62nd year! Every issue is available here in PDF form for online viewing or download.

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Older issues (Volumes 1–37) were printed and indexed by name, topic, and location. The Society is working to make these indexes available online as well.

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Explore the Newsletter Archive to uncover articles, research updates, and historical notes that may illuminate your own Park/e/s line.

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(Please note that early research may have been revised by later findings or DNA evidence, so always double-check with current data.)

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​The Newsletter Archive is only available to Parke Society Members, but the link below will take you to a public page with examples of six past issues to give you an idea of the type of content to be found in the newsletters.

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