In response to Paul....and anyone else who might be interested The main branch public library in Charlotte has a large genealogy research room on the third floor - the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room. The holdings of the library research room are large enough so that you can do a lot of research on Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, as well as counties from which and to which Mecklenburg residents came and went. There are also family files which contain newspaper clippings on local families as well as research that has been contributed by genealogists. You must ask a research assistant to help you to locate any files on your family, so if you don't know of the existence of the files beforehand, you might miss them. A word to help make the best use of your time - the research assistants are very knowledgeable of the local families, townships, churches, historical events, etc., so if your time is limited, stop by the front desk of the research room first to get some assistance in planning your strategy. There is a website for the research room: http://www.plcmc.lib.nc.us/branch/main/ncr/carolina.htm At the library, be sure to: Look to see if your ancestor was a member of a church that has a published history Check for your ancestors in the WPA cemetery survey cards (microfilm) and the public cemetery microfilms (Elmwood, Oaklawn, etc.) Check microfilmed copies of the local newspapers and abstracts of the oldest newspapers for obits and marriages Policies vary by state - in North Carolina, you can browse records at the County Courthouse. Most of these documents have been microfilmed, but it is far better to view the indexes and recorded documents. But be advised, I was at the Mecklenburg County courthouse last week, and the table that had been provided for viewing the heavy books is gone. Not a very genealogy-friendly environment. You can also view birth and death certificates at the county Health Department, as long as the room isn't too crowded and busy...but if there are other researchers there, you have to wait your turn, and your time is usually limited to a couple of hours when busy. The records go back to about 1905-1910. Before that, there were no birth or death certificates in North Carolina. The website of the Olde Meckenburg Genealogical Society includes additional information for researching Mecklenburg Co. families. The URL for the Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society is: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncomgs/ To help you plan your visit, the North Carolina Archives in Raleigh has a website at: http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/default.htm Donna J. Johnson Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., North Carolina, USA my url: <http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/1174>