Quick Reference to Genealogical Records

Quick Reference to Genealogical Records
By Donna Murray

County records. State records. National archives. Where to go? Who to write? Aaaarrrgghhh! Has your quest for documents got your head spinning and your patience frayed? Maybe this little guide can help you sort it out.

The majority of records you'll need are at the courthouse in the county where the action took place. Except for adoption records, all are open to the public and you can get them in person or through the mail. If you're researching in person, you may have time to wander the courthouse halls in search of the right office. But if you're using snail-mail, you'll get better results by putting the topic of your request - say, marriage license records - on the outside of the envelop because each state has its own way of conducting business. In Pennsylvania , for example, marriage license applications are stashed in the Office of the Register of Wills.
Go figure! Expect to pay from 50 cents to a dollar a page for copies. And make your request succinct. Here's a quick overview of the most common records:

County records include marriage license applications, divorce records, wills, probate proceedings, guardianship records, birth and death records from late 1800s to about 1905, land transactions (including rights-of-way purchases for roads) voting and adoption records, tax lists, civil lawsuits, zoning matters, passport applications and some citizenship paperwork.

State records include births and deaths after about 1905, occupational and drivers' licenses. If your relative worked in an occupation requiring state licensure or certification, records should be available from the applicable office in the state capital. Some state census records exist for various years. Get birth and death records from the state's Department of Vital Statistics.

Federal Records include citizenship (naturalization) records after 1906, passport, military, land grant and census records. Most major libraries and Family History Centers (FHC) have or can get copies of censuses and various other records from the National Archives.

Military and Pension Records from before WWI are available from the National Archives in Washington , D.C. Records from after WWI are kept in St. Louis . Visit the NARA web site for the former and e-mail center@stlouis.nara.gov for the latter.

Naturalization Records before 1906 may be in any county, federal or state court records. After 1906, a copy should be filed in the county courthouse and with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS). Go to www.uscis.gov for more information.

Social Security records may be obtained from the Social Security Administration if you have all pertinent information. The quickest way to do a records check, though, is by logging onto the Social Security Death Index. The death must have been reported to the Social Security Administration. (List is incomplete.)

Retirement records may be available for former government employees and for those who worked in private industry. Check with the appropriate entity. Many people worked on the railroads. Log on to www.rrb.gov for details about those records.

Going online can drive you to distraction if you try to hit every possible site. Take it slow. Pick a few good ones and add others as you gain experience. Start with the National Archives at www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy . Then check out Rootsweb at www.rootsweb.com and Genforum at www.genforum.com . Bookmark your favorites for easy access in the future.

Sleuthing around before the mid-1800s? Keep in mind that boundary changes were common. State, county and township lines were often reconfigured. You need to determine the correct county and state before launching a major records pursuit.

For additional help, visit the Special Collections section of your local library and your local FHC.