RHEA-L Archives

From:
Subject: [RHEA] If you can't find your records at the county courthouse, then look here
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002 16:38:24 EST

I found this in a Everton Article, and thought it sure might help some of
you, even gave me a few ideas.
Even though I have been at genealogical research since 1976, I never scoff at
new places to look.

In many U.S. counties, more than one courthouse exists. For example, St.
Louis County in Minnesota has two courthouses while Berkshire County in
Massachusetts has three courthouses. Be sure to search all the courthouses in
a given county.Seasoned researchers have learned that ancestors often created
records in neighboring counties. It was often much easier to go down river 30
miles to another county seat than to go ten miles over a mountain or through
a dense forest to the local county seat. Plus, many ancestors owned land in
counties other than their county of residence. Be aware of these economic,
social, and geographical situations.Make sure that you are researching the
right county at the right time. In other words, if your ancestral county
courthouse has burned down, search the parent county courthouse from which
that county was created. This may mean that you have to search several
counties even though your particular ancestor lived on the same farm during
this time period.If the records you need are not found in the county
courthouse, for whatever reason, then search the records for all the other
jurisdictions. The average ancestor may be found in about twenty-five
different jurisdictions or records-creating agencies. If he was a Southern
Baptist, you probably want to search the Baptist Historical Society in
Nashville, Tennessee. If he was a Mason in Ohio, then you probably want to
search the Masonic Grand Lodge in Worthington, Ohio. If he was German, then
you probably need to search the records of the American Turner in Louisville,
Kentucky. If he was Scotch-Irish, you will want to consult the Scottish
Collection at Guelph, Ontario, Canada. If he was Acadian, you will surely
need the Acadian Museum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. If he was a
Loyalist, his records are probably at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.In
previous articles on this subject, the "standard" sources were given. In this
article, many "little-known" sources are listed for your information. Here
then, is this listing of unusual or little-known record sources [Editors
note: there are far too many examples to include images of them all,
therefore, we will list a sampling of some unusual record sources to be found
at the county level]:
Abstract of Licenses Granted to Trade with Indians West of the Mississippi
River

Army Navy Journal

Auto License Directories

Bankruptcy records

Burial-Removal-Transit Permits (required by the Department of Health when
moving a deceased person)

Canadian Emigrant Farmer Questionnaires

Cherokee Land Allotment Certificates (some full-blood Indians did not want to
participate in the enrollment and allotment process, but the Dawes Commission
allotted them land despite their objections

Civilian Conservation Corps (tour of duty completion) Certificates

Club Membership Records (i.e. "Can't-Get-Away Club," "Oklahoma Half-Century
Club")

County Immigration Offices

Deposition of Resident Alien

Donkey Licenses (i.e. Sumner Co., Tennessee Jack License)

Employment application (i.e. Anaconda Copper Mining Co., Montana)

Express Account Books

False Teeth Guarantees

Fire Insurance Map Index

Fox Bounties

French Exiles in Rhode Island

G.A.R. Records

German Beneficial Union Receipts

Insurance policy application

Invalid Pensioners payment records

Knights of Pythias membership applications

Life Insurance Membership Certificates

Manumission certificates

Methodist Church Immortality Trials

Military Service Certificates

Military Survey Numerical Index

Mining Claims

National Masonic Home for Consumptives records

Naturalization Certificate Stubs

New England Naturalization Index

Newspaper or magazine subscriptions

Old Age Assistance Tax payments

Personal War Sketches (i.e. Grand Army of the Republic)

Pioneers' Association membership applications

Police Lodgers List (if you needed a place to stay and couldn't afford one,
you could stay in a jail cell)

Portage Books

Powers of Attorney for War of 1812 Veterans

Presidential Civil War Pardons

Religious association memberships (i.e. Young Men's Christian Association)

Steamboat Passenger List

United Ancient Order of Druids Certificates

United Confederate Veterans Roster

United Spanish War Veterans records

U.S. Civil Service Commission applications

U.S. Civil War Amnesty Oaths

U.S. Civil War Substitute Recruit Certificates

Woman's Committee Council application

Woman's Relief Corps records

WWI American Legion records

WWI Draft Board lists

WWI Family History records

WWI records


Proud to be an American!!!!!
Pat Hall

This and That Pat's Gifts

This thread:

• [RHEA] If you can't find your records at the county courthouse, then look here by