This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/BGB.2ACI/385 Message Board Post: If I drive up to the Jackson County Courthouse to find birth, death and marriage records for my ancestors, can someone tell me if they allow patrons to go through the books, etc. to find what they need? Do they have index files? Or, do we have to put in requests for certain people and dates and wait while they get the big books off the shelf and look for it themselves? I've been to several county courthouses and they all do it differently. I hate to drive all the way up there (I live in Ohio) and not be able to get what I want/need. At the moment, I only have a birth date for one ancestor but if I could go through their records, I'm guessing I'd find other people who are related and if that's the case, it would be well worth my time to drive up. Thanks for any advice.