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Research object · BT-CLM-00345

When did George Smith leave Mississippi?

Documented· 1 sourceLast reviewed August 20, 2026
Research & Interpretation byAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

The Claim

George Smith moved from Mississippi to Illinois at a date that can be established from record evidence.

Public Summary

The family line begins in Copiah County, Mississippi and later appears in Illinois. The archive has not yet entered a record fixing when, or whether, George himself made that move. Any movement he made occurred within the broader period historians call the Great Migration; that context is not a statement about his motive, which no record in this archive establishes.

Evidence Reviewed

  • Partially SupportsModerate

    The death date and place - 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois - place George Smith in Illinois by 1936. The archive still has no record fixing when he left Mississippi, only that the move had happened by then.

    Event Date: 03 Mar 1936 / Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois

    Source: Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County · FamilySearch online index

    Establishes an end point for the move, not a date of departure.

The Evidence Trail

Step 1 · Claim

When did George Smith leave Mississippi?

Documented· 1 source

BT-CLM-00345

George Smith moved from Mississippi to Illinois at a date that can be established from record evidence.

Step 2 · Evidence & Source

  1. Partially Supports · Moderate weight

    The death date and place - 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois - place George Smith in Illinois by 1936. The archive still has no record fixing when he left Mississippi, only that the move had happened by then.

    “Event Date: 03 Mar 1936 / Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois”

    Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County · FamilySearch online index · Index

    BT-EVD-00531 ← BT-SRC-00524

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    Establishes an end point for the move, not a date of departure.

Step 3 · Conclusion

DocumentedVersion 2 · Current · Medium confidence

Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

George Smith had left Mississippi and was living in Chicago by 1936, when he died there. The year he left is still unestablished.

What is not known: The year of departure, the route, and who he moved with.

What could change this: Trace George in the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses to bracket the departure year.

How the Evidence Sits Together

What supports the claim

Observations that carry the claim forward.

  • The death date and place - 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois - place George Smith in Illinois by 1936. The archive still has no record fixing when he left Mississippi, only that the move had happened by then.

    Event Date: 03 Mar 1936 / Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois

    Partially Supports · Moderate weight

    Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County

    Establishes an end point for the move, not a date of departure.

What complicates or contradicts it

Kept in view rather than discarded.

  • Nothing in this column for this claim.

What only provides context

Consistent, but not identifying or probative on its own.

  • Nothing in this column for this claim.

Research Conclusion

DocumentedVersion 2 · Current

George Smith had left Mississippi and was living in Chicago by 1936, when he died there. The year he left is still unestablished.

What is known: Born in Mississippi; died a resident of Chicago in 1936, working as a janitor.

What is not known: The year of departure, the route, and who he moved with.

Future research: Trace George in the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses to bracket the departure year.

Amberly's Research Notes

No research note has been published for this claim yet.

From the research notebook ofAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

What We Still Need to Find

Which census years, city directories, draft registrations, marriage records or children's birthplaces bracket George Smith's departure from Mississippi?

Provenance, Access and Use

Source creator
Varies by record — see each source
Who made the original record.
Researcher of record
Amberly R. Carter-Mills — Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist
Located, transcribed, weighed and interpreted the evidence.
Publishing archive
BEFORE TILL: The Living Evidence Archive
Holds the object, its identifiers and its revision history.

Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County

BT-SRC-00524
Evidentiary weight 2 of 4. Derivative sourceOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA transcription, abstract or index standing in for a record BEFORE TILL has not yet examined directly.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch online index
Collection
Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947
Record form
Index
Source type
Vital Record
Accessed
Not recorded

Access and use

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