The Handy Book (as it is commonly known) is a classic because the information on each page is brief, easy to locate, and so helpful. A sample line from one of the Ohio County Data areas of the Handy Book for Genealogists, Ninth Edition, is shown below. A newer, Tenth Edition, is now on the market, but many libraries are still using the Ninth, or earlier, editions.

On our example below, there is a key to an outlined map for each state so this guide shows you where to find the county on the map using the grid B2. The year the county of Ashtabula was created is given as 1808. If the ancestor was born prior to 1808, but living in the same place as he was in after 1808, then he would be from one of the two parent counties from which Ashtabula was formed: Trumbull and Geauga. Below that the mailing address and phone number is provided for the county offices. Can you figure out what is below the address? Once you think you have it figured out, go to the next page and see how correct you were.