When was the last time you rechecked these resources? I am guessing that there may have been some catalog, digitization, index, or finding aid changes since that last check. I just checked some of these for my own U.S. ancestral locations and found some wonderful things I want to check. Most of the records are not available online so I will be planning some research trip time over the next couple of years to investigate the records.
State level resources
- Ancestral state archives website and online catalogs and finding aids to see what records exist to help in your family history search? Check the Tennessee State Library and Archives website. You might want to plan a trip there before or after the FGS Genealogy Conference in Knoxville next August.
- Ancestral state historical society and/or state library website and online catalogs and finding aids to help in your family history search? The Indiana Historical Society is a great place for onsite research. I have been there a couple of times.
County level resources
- Ancestral county historical society website and online catalogs and finding aids to help in your family history search? Check out the website of the Chester County Historical Society in Pennsylvania.
- Ancestral county courthouse websites for newly digitized records or other helpful items. Visit the DeKalb County, Illinois government website and click on Joiner History Room to learn about a wealth of county records, including an online index to coroner’s records. I noted a lot of changes since I last visited the website and since I last visited more than ten years ago.
City level resources
My ancestors didn’t live in cities that have a great website or city archives for research, but don’t let that stop you from checking the cities of your ancestors. The Seattle Municipal Archives is such an example. It even published the Seattle Municipal Archives Gazette.
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