An Open-source Place-finder for Genealogy presented by Dallan Quass and Ryan Knight at RootsTech 2012 Translate place texts to fully-qualified standardized place names, including historical.

1. An Open-source Place-finder for Genealogy Dallan Quass [email_address] Ryan Knight [email_address]

2. What's the problem?

3. Philadelphia PA After leaving Marion he moved to Cambridge, MA. Church Row Goudhurst Kent Los Angles, California Kanesville, (Council Bluffs), Pottawattamie, IA Not stated, Ohio, Kentucky Lathom, Yorkshire, England Tranbylier, Bskrd. Norway La Junta, CO Of Cranbury, Middlesex, NJ, Germany Greatford (near Marton), NZ Kingston Surrey Prestingol, St Agnes, Cornwall, England Deirdorf, Rhineland, Prss, (Germany) Farmer. & Butcher. Labourer Returned to Boston Mass. with parents after a visit to Nova Scotia. Genealogists write places in many different ways

4. Some are misspelled Los angles, California

5. Others are abbreviated Tranbylier, Bskrd. Norway Deirdorf, Rhineland, Prss, (Germany)

6. Some leave out commas Philadelphia PA Tranbylier, Bskrd. Norway Church Row Goudhurst Kent Kingston Surrey

7. Others have extra words Not stated, Ohio, Kentucky Of Cranbury, Middlesex, NJ, Germany After leaving Marion he moved to Cambridge, MA. Returned to Boston Mass. with parents after a visit to Nova Scotia.

8. Some no longer exist or exist under different names or jurisdictions Kanesville, (Council Bluffs), Pottawattamie, IA Deirdorf, Rhineland, Prss, (Germany)

9. Others have an incorrect intermediate level Lathom, Yorkshire, England

10. Some can't be found anywhere Prestingol, St Agnes, Cornwall, England

11. Others can be found in multiple places La Junta, CO Philadelphia PA Kingston Surrey

12. And finally, some aren't places at all Farmer. & Butcher. Labourer

13. Why does it matter?

14. Search

15. Match

16. Maps

17. How does it work?

18. Steps 1. Work right-to-left, finding matching places - split on commas - back off if no matches Ramsey, Hennepin, MN United States

19. Steps 1. Work right-to-left, finding matching places - split on commas - back off if no matches 2. Keep only subordinate jurisdictions - if none are subordinate, try skipping a level - if still no matches, ignore this level Ramsey, Hennepin, MN United States

20. Steps Ramsey, Hennepin, MN United States 1. Work right-to-left, finding matching places - split on commas - back off if no matches 2. Keep only subordinate jurisdictions - if none are subordinate, try skipping a level - if still no matches, ignore this level 3. If there are multiple matches (ambiguous) - filter on type - filter out subordinate places - rank remaining matches Ramsey, Minnesota, United States Ramsey, Anoka, Minnesota, United States Ramsey, Mower, Minnesota, United States

22. Wiki as a Database

23. Wiki as a Database

24. How it began Wikipedia Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Family History Catalog

25. All of us are smarter than any of us

26. Community input

27. Community oversight

28. Community oversight

29. Result Proof is in the pudding

31. Let's look at the K's GEDCOM place text This project Family Search Best guess kaiapoi, nz Kaiapoi, Canterbury, New Zealand Kaiapoi, Canterbury, Canterbury, New Zealand Kaiapoi, Waimakariri (district), Canterbury (region), New Zealand kanesville, (council bluffs), pottawattamie, ia Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Kanesville, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Council Bluffs (formerly Kanesville), Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States kansas city, missouri Kansas City, Cass, Missouri, United States Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, United States located in Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties kelvin grove cemetary, palmerston north, (section s block 3 plot 38) Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand Kelvin Grove, Barkly East, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa Kelvin Grove Cemetery, Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui (region), New Zealand

32. Let's look at the K's GEDCOM place text This project Family Search Best guess kenny ?? cots altandhu lochbroom Lochbroom, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland Loch Broom, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada Altandhu, Lochbroom, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland kincardine ross & cromarty Cromarty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland Ross and Cromarty, Scotland Kincardine, Ross and Cromarty (county), Scotland , king queen, virginia, usa King, Wetzel, West Virginia, United States ,King, Clay, Virginia, United States King and Queen (county), Virginia, United States kingston surrey Kingston, Surrey, Jamaica Kingston, Surrey, England both places exist, but England is more likely

37. Demonstration of Places Server

38. Demonstration of Places Server

39. Demonstration of Places Server

41. Demonstration of Labeler