MAJOR RECORDS SOURCES
The sources shown below are by no means the only sources available to the researcher; they are but some possible sources.These sources fall into the categories shown below:
1. HOME: Family records, old letters, family bibles, journals, scrapbooks, diaries, biographies, photographs, birth/marriage/death records, newspaper clippings, school records.
2. RELATIVES: Interviews and correspondence (relative to the above), newspaper obituaries and other clippings, military records, announcements, family histories, diplomas, certificates.
3. LOCAL DEPOSITORIES:
Public Libraries: Family histories, biographies, town histories, and County histories. [Also expanded access through the Interlibrary Loan Program.]
School or University Libraries.
Historical Societies: all types of records.
Schools: Records of admission, attendance, etc.
Churches: Birth, marriage, confirmation and death records; admissions, dismissals, memberships.
4. TOWN RECORDS:
Town Clerk: Vital statistics, tax lists, meeting minutes, land records (possibly), court records.
Cemeteries.
Sextons.
Morticians.
Hospitals.
Newspapers.
5. COUNTY RECORDS:
County Clerk: Land records, wills, birth/marriage/death records, tax lists.
County Court: Probates, divorces, naturalizations, guardianships.
6. STATE RECORDS:
Department of Health: Vital statistics.
Libraries and Archives: Military, land, state census, etc.
State Land Office: Deeds, Grants.
7. FEDERAL RECORDS:
National Archives: Military records (Service & Pension).
Census Records: 1790 - 1880 and from 1900 up to and including the 1920 Census.
Land Records
Ship & Passenger Lists.
Naturalization Records.
8. COMPUTERIZED "BULLETIN BOARDS" & "ON-LINE" SERVICES:
NOTE:Most recent U.S. Census available for data abstraction by you is:
1920 Census.
[1930 Census was released 1 April 2002; available on Microfilm at FHC Juneau ± 2003?]
To get yourself and your ancestors back to the time where Census Records, Church Parish Records, etc. will become available to assist you, you must do your own tracking. This means that any tracking of ancestors who came into existence after about 1900 (and forward to present date) will require you to: (at least)
1)Contact relatives, friends, etc. to search out information; and
2) WRITE FOR copies of : Birth/Marriage/Death Certificates, etc.
NOTE: If the "Event" occurred prior to 1916, you will most likely have to go to the County of the State in which the "Event" took place to get a copy of the Document you are seeking. When writing for Documents, be sure to identify your relationship to the person whose record you are seeking; and state that you need the Document for Family Records purposes. Be sure to send sufficient money to cover the costs of what you are requesting.
(Rev. 24 Dec. 2002 ork)