What if your ancestor's location isn't on the standardized places list?
My mother was born in Massilon, Ohio - I have her birth certificate to prove it. But when I entered the correct information (Massilon, Stark, Ohio, United States) the standardization gave me nothing below the county level - even though Massilon is a city of over 32,000 people! How do I get rid of the "Missing Standardized Birthplace" error and get her accurate information into my tree?
Answers
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Massillon is spelled with TWO l's.
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As Dennis says, the standard, usually current, spelling is what is present in the standards database. Sometime it can be difficult to figure out what that is. Many place have several alternate names entered for them in the database and if so, typing in any of those variants will bring up the main name.
One way to see if the problem in entering the place is just a spelling issue is to go to the place name database here:
https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?pagenum=1&pagesize=20
Since you are looking in Stark, Ohio, enter that first. The result comes up with a blue "location" icon:
Click on that icon to get a list of places in Stark in the standards database:
These are alphabetical so you can use the page box at the bottom to jump to about the middle. Massillon is towards the bottom of Page 4:
You can click on its entry to see what other information is included.
This, however, does not answer your question with will most certainly come up again for some other place. I'll answer that next.
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In order to not have a "Missing Standardized Birthplace" error and have accurate information in your family tree for a place that is not yet in the standard's database, you standardize the place name on the next available geographical level.
You do this by typing out the full place name and clicking on the top, grey line of the drop down menu which will be identical to what you just typed. You do this to confirm for the program that that is really what you want entered:
When you click in that grey bar, what you typed will be entered in the displayed place name box and the next item on the list will be entered as the standard like this:
The vast majority of the time, that Standardized Event Place will be the correct one. If not, click in that box and from the menu that drops down, choose a better one.
This is completely correct, absolutely appropriate, and corresponds completely with the design, programming, and intent of Family Tree.
You can make use of this fabulous feature to add just as much accuracy to your tree as you want or need:
Now if you run across place that really is missing from the database which really should be in the database, you can request that it be added by going to the place name database:
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Fun fact about Massillon, Ohio. It is known as a high school football powerhouse. Since 1958 every baby boy born in the town is presented with a miniature Massillon Tigers football. Even now that the hospital has closed their childbirth unit, the tradition continues and parents can call the boosters club and receive their son's mini football. The legendary Paul Brown coached the Massillon Tigers from 1932-1940. The school is ranked 3rd in the US as the winningest high school program.
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@Gordon Collett
Thanks for the info as it will come in handy next time I run across a name that truly exists(ed) but does not appear in the standardized name list.
However, I am feeling really dumb this morning because at first I didn't recognize any such resource on FS as the "place name database". I spent the next 30 minutes of my life that I'll never get back trying all sorts of menu options but never could find it. Finally I just googled it and got to the proper location and just for giggles I typed in a fictitious location name and got to the page with the image you show. However, mine was completely missing the "+ Suggest a New Place" option. Interesting to say at the least.
It only took me a short while that I usually operate with less than maximized windows on my monitor. In this case the "research/places" page was on less than a half screen. When I maximized the window, it magically appeared.
Note to self: if at first you don't see it, maximize, maximize!
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Sorry to hear about the time you wasted. It is not an easy part of the website to find which is why I posted the link to it in my first answer on this post. Other than through the Solutions Gallery link, which X24mom posted in her answer, the only other place I have found it is in the site map which is at the bottom of each FamilySearch page:
I don't know why it is not better publicized.
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A misspelling entry, Massilon, has been added to the FS Place database.
https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?focusedId=4813891
Tim Carroll
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