======================================================= "STATE ARCHIVES," by Michael John Neill <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>> ======================================================= Genealogists frequently focus on local records at the county or the city level. There are times when such an approach is warranted. However, there may be state-level agencies that contain records useful to a search. One state agency that may have such records is the state archives. Not all archives are the same, especially in terms of the records collection and research policies and procedures. Some state archives will perform limited searches of material in their collection at a nominal fee. Some do not. Some states have an exhaustive collection of records. Some do not. The only way to find out is to learn more about the facility. One excellent way to do that is through the state archive's web page. Other states have materials on microfilm that may be obtained through interlibrary loan or purchase. Some states even have an inventory of their holdings online or posted guides to researching in that state or facility. Such guides can facilitate on-site research or research by mail. Links to various state archives (or the body that functions as the state archive) follow this article. Services and collections vary widely. What follows are some samples which are not included with the intent of being representative. Remember that a small web page for an archive does not mean the facility has no records. It simply means they have a small web page! Periodically visit the state archive pages for those states where your ancestors were from. Things change. Do not let a bad experience in one state archives cause you to overlook similar facilities in another state. Remember to read the pages carefully; policies and procedures may be outlined (and ignoring them may waste time and money). Catalogs and inventories may not be complete or may only summarize information. Avoid just "pointing and clicking." It can be easy to overlook key information (such as access restrictions, facility hours, etc.) when our only focus is on locating an inventory or a catalog. Some states have a regional archives system that maintains records in addition to those at the state office. These regional archives frequently contain county records in original or microfilm format. SOME HIGHPOINTS ~ The Kansas site contains a "Guide to Local Government Records" listing records that may be contained at the county level. It also explains the function of each county office. http://www.kshs.org/archives/county.htm ~ The South Carolina site contains a wonderful checklist of published materials, indexes, and guides for research in this state. http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/genealre.htm ~ The Pennsylvania site contains an inventory of many of their records, including the Pennsylvania State Police. http://www.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Historical_Museum/DAM/rg/rg30.htm ~ The Ohio site has an online catalog as well as a page that lists what is (and what is not) in the online catalog. http://www.ohiohistory.org/occ/help/whatin.html ~ The New Hampshire site contains a "Guide to the New Hampshire State Archives." This inventory includes topics and geographic locations and includes a variety of material, including information on Civil War veterans and enlistments. http://www.state.nh.us/state/guidemnu.htm ~ The Colorado site contains a listing of available Colorado School Census Records, some of which start as early as the 1870s. http://www.archives.state.co.us/schools/1schooldisthp.htm ~ The Texas site has a page of circulating microfilm, which indicates microfilm that can be loaned to libraries for patron viewing. This includes newspapers, county tax rolls, and county records. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/lobby/mf/index.html ~ The Indiana site, in an attempt to prevent confusion, has a page of what is NOT at their archives. Fortunately it provides ideas of where to look. http://www.state.in.us/icpr/webfile/family/whatsnot.html Hopefully this has whetted your appetite to look at the state archives page in those areas where your family lived. Not all states offer the same services. And many states have wonderful research aides and finding materials that are not available online. There are many wonderful sites not mentioned above. All fifty states have links below. When creating the examples, I avoided states where I have ancestors. The sites for these states are not bad. I just don't want to get sidetracked while working under a deadline! Good Luck. LINKS TO STATE ARCHIVES ALABAMA http://www.archives.state.al.us/ ALASKA http://www.educ.state.ak.us/lam/archives/home.html ARIZONA http://www.dlapr.lib.az.us/archives/ ARKANSAS http://www.state.ar.us/ahc/ahc.html CALIFORNIA http://www.ss.ca.gov/archives/archives.htm COLORADO http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/gss/archives/ CONNECTICUT http://www.cslnet.ctstateu.edu/archives.htm DELAWARE http://www.lib.de.us/archives/ FLORIDA http://www.dos.state.fl.us/dlis/barm/fsa.html GEORGIA http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/ HAWAII http://www.hawaii.gov/dags/archives/ IDAHO http://www.state.id.us/ishs/index.html ILLINOIS http://www.sos.state.il.us/depts/archives/arc_home.html INDIANA http://www.state.in.us/icpr/webfile/archives/homepage.html IOWA http://www.state.ia.us/government/dca/shsi/library/library.htm KANSAS http://www.kshs.org/archives/archives.htm KENTUCKY http://www.kdla.state.ky.us/ LOUISIANA http://www.sec.state.la.us/arch-1.htm MAINE http://www.state.me.us/sos/arc/general/admin/mawww001.htm MARYLAND http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/ MASSACHUSETTS http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/sec/arc/arcidx.htm MICHIGAN http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/archive/archive.html MINNESOTA http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/index.html MISSISSIPPI http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/ MISSOURI http://mosl.sos.state.mo.us/rec-man/arch.html MONTANA http://www.his.mt.gov/html/archive.html NEBRASKA http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/index.htm NEW HAMPSHIRE http://www.state.nh.us/state/archives.htm NEW JERSEY http://www.state.nj.us/state/darm/archives.html NEW MEXICO http://www.state.nm.us/cpr/ NEW YORK http://www.sara.nysed.gov/ NEVADA http://www.clan.lib.nv.us/ NORTH CAROLINA http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/home/default.htm NORTH DAKOTA http://www.state.nd.us/hist/sal.htm OHIO http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/statearc/ OKLAHOMA http://www.odl.state.ok.us/oar/ OREGON http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/ PENNSLYVANIA http://www.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Historical_Museum/DAM/psa.htm RHODE ISLAND--under construction-gopher access http://archives.state.ri.us/ SOUTH DAKOTA http://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/deca/cultural/archives.htm SOUTH CAROLINA http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/homepage.htm TENNESSEE http://www.state.tn.us/sos/statelib/tslahome.htm TEXAS http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/lobby/arcfirst.htm UTAH http://www.archives.state.ut.us/ VERMONT http://vermont-archives.org/ VIRGINIA http://www.lva.lib.va.us/collect/archman/index.htm WASHINGTON http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/default.htm WEST VIRGINIA http://www.wvlc.wvnet.edu/history/wvsamenu.html WISCONSIN http://www.shsw.wisc.edu/archives/index.html WYOMING http://commerce.state.wy.us/cr/archives/ ************************************************************ Copyright 1999, Michael John Neill. Michael John Neill, is the Course I Coordinator at the Genealogical Institute of Mid America (GIMA) held annually in Springfield, Illinois, and is also on the faculty of Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois. Michael is the Web columnist for the FGS FORUM and is on the editorial board of the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly. He conducts seminars and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry and Genealogical Computing. You can e-mail him at: mailto:mneill@asc.csc.cc.il.us or visit his website at: http://www.rootdig.com/ This information courtesy of Ancestry Daily News.