How to recommend the naming of townships in article titles?

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How should we recommend users name townships within article titles?

Poll ended at Mon Apr 07, 2008 9:48 pm

Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey
0
No votes
Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey
2
17%
Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey
1
8%
Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey
2
17%
Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey
4
33%
Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey
3
25%
 
Total votes: 12

RitcheyMT
Member
Posts: 113
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:33 am

How to recommend the naming of townships in article titles?

#1

Post by RitcheyMT »

How should we recommend users name townships in article titles? Which form should they use?
  • Wayne, New Jersey
  • Wayne Township, New Jersey
JBParker-p40
New Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:24 am
Location: Bountiful, Utah

#2

Post by JBParker-p40 »

ritcheymt wrote:How should we recommend users name townships in article titles? Which form should they use?
  • Wayne, New Jersey
  • Wayne Township, New Jersey
I would prefer applying the full titles in the articles. Using Wayne, Passaic, New Jersey leaves it open for a question as to whether Wayne is a village or township. In some states, several counties may have townships of the same name, so it is important to add the term County to that level of locality.

The thing that makes all of this more important to genealogists is that records are kept at various levels of jurisdictions. That is different than just providing information about the location, maps, demography, history, location of businesses, etc. for a locality, as in Wikipedia. Naming the various levels of localities in a way that leaves no doubt of the jurisdiction is quite critical to researchers who want to locate records.
JamesAnderson
Senior Member
Posts: 773
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:03 pm

#3

Post by JamesAnderson »

Townships vary widely also in the governmental structure and size. In Michigan, many townships developed into larger cities with significant record collections from the township period. Other townships shared the 'Township Hall' with several others, and that was in the back of somebody's house for the whole lot. So where do we decide what to include or leave out or what localities that are townships should we get articles written for first?

In other places, the township is an intermediate coined jurisdiction between an unincorporated area and a town/city. This is the case with Millcreek Township in Utah. This is an area that alot of people here are unaware of except those that live in it. It is modern, having been formed in the late 90s or the early 2000s.

Another issue is do we abbreviate the term township as 'Twp'? Or do we spell it out?
jbh001
Senior Member
Posts: 856
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:17 pm
Location: Las Vegas, NV

#4

Post by jbh001 »

JamesAnderson wrote:Another issue is do we abbreviate the term township as 'Twp'? Or do we spell it out?
Don't abbrv. or someone might accuse you of being twp.
The_Earl
Member
Posts: 278
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:12 am

#5

Post by The_Earl »

JBParker wrote:I would prefer applying the full titles in the articles. Using Wayne, Passaic, New Jersey leaves it open for a question as to whether Wayne is a village or township. In some states, several counties may have townships of the same name, so it is important to add the term County to that level of locality.

The thing that makes all of this more important to genealogists is that records are kept at various levels of jurisdictions. That is different than just providing information about the location, maps, demography, history, location of businesses, etc. for a locality, as in Wikipedia. Naming the various levels of localities in a way that leaves no doubt of the jurisdiction is quite critical to researchers who want to locate records.
Agree.

The full name should include the county and state.
Wayne, Wayne County, New York.
Including the county makes it unnecessary to include the 'township' label abbreviated or not.

Do you know of any examples of townships crossing county lines?
How many TWP articles do you anticipate?
Do you anticipate more TWP records in other countries (England)?
Thomas_Lerman
Member
Posts: 172
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:54 am

#6

Post by Thomas_Lerman »

RicheyMT, is this poll asking about townships, counties, or both? Another poll covers the counties. The poll answers seem like they would get dilluted.

Consistency between products and setting the example. Why have a different standard than new FamilySearch? If it is different, people may have to think which product they are using to enter in the standard for that product. I am for less thinking. :rolleyes:
dsammy-p40
New Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:18 pm

#7

Post by dsammy-p40 »

ritcheymt wrote:How should we recommend users name townships in article titles? Which form should they use?
  • Wayne, New Jersey
  • Wayne Township, New Jersey
:rolleyes: The problem? There are functioning Townships still in existence. Like Egg Harbor Twp in New Jersey and it is still used for postal address designation, too.

This requires some research to determine which are functioning townships and which are not (majority aren't except for census designation.)
dsammy-p40
New Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:18 pm

#8

Post by dsammy-p40 »

JamesAnderson wrote:Townships vary widely also in the governmental structure and size. In Michigan, many townships developed into larger cities with significant record collections from the township period. Other townships shared the 'Township Hall' with several others, and that was in the back of somebody's house for the whole lot. So where do we decide what to include or leave out or what localities that are townships should we get articles written for first?

In other places, the township is an intermediate coined jurisdiction between an unincorporated area and a town/city. This is the case with Millcreek Township in Utah. This is an area that alot of people here are unaware of except those that live in it. It is modern, having been formed in the late 90s or the early 2000s.

Another issue is do we abbreviate the term township as 'Twp'? Or do we spell it out?
Township can not be used in New York state. It is simply "Town of .... " I think it is same for Connecticut.:D
JamesAnderson
Senior Member
Posts: 773
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:03 pm

#9

Post by JamesAnderson »

In some localities, 'townships' are anything not incorporated into a village, town, or city. Michigan also has an intermediate between a township and a town or city called a 'charter(ed) township'. That variety has a charter much like a city charter, although some of the governmental functions may be different.

That appears to be modern though. Historically, it's the town or township and you can't have both. If a town is formed within the township, the township relinquishes governmental rights and the town covers things in the area that lies within its limits. There are other informal localities at times, but I usually don't see both a town name and a township name in genealogical recording of the names.
The_Earl
Member
Posts: 278
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:12 am

#10

Post by The_Earl »

JamesAnderson wrote:In some localities, 'townships' are anything not incorporated into a village, town, or city. Michigan also has an intermediate between a township and a town or city called a 'charter(ed) township'. That variety has a charter much like a city charter, although some of the governmental functions may be different.

That appears to be modern though. Historically, it's the town or township and you can't have both. If a town is formed within the township, the township relinquishes governmental rights and the town covers things in the area that lies within its limits. There are other informal localities at times, but I usually don't see both a town name and a township name in genealogical recording of the names.
New York divides counties into towns. Incorporated cities in these townships can be all or part of the town. Where I grew up, there was a city and a township with the same name. The township was the part of the township not incorporated into the city. Thus you had the City of Binghamton, and the Town of Binghamton. The City of Binghamton is part of the Town of Binghamton.

The City of Binghamton also has 'wards', which are unincorporated. More specific location information may include 'First Ward, Binghamton, etc....

I grew up in a 'hamlet', an unincorporated part of a larger town. (Endwell, Town of Union, Broome County). IE, towns may not contain any incorporated cities / villages in them as well.

As far as I know, records are kept at the town level, but records may be kept in incorporated cities, so your land records would be in Binghamton City, and birth records in the Town of Binghamton.

The Earl
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