In a message dated 08/18/2000 1:18:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time, niagara@unchi.org writes: << ... <snip> ... an 1847 state law required registration of marriages, and most jurisdictions tried to comply for a couple of years, though eventually everyone just gave up. (If anyone knows of an index to Niagara County marriages for this period, *please* share!) Ellen <niagara@unchi.org> >> Ellen and all, This is a topic I am very interested in. I've never seen or heard of any marriage index for Niagara County, although I'd love to know it actually exists! <g> A question: I've wondered aloud here on the list before about what "value" particular types of local information would be of most value to researchers. I listed several ideas... and brainstormed aloud about what folks like me (remote from NY) might do on a volunteer basis to begin to collect those things that ultimately all could search on to find their ancestors. Although Vee and I conversed privately about it via e:mail, there was no response here on the list about it. (Wasn't quite sure how to interpret that... Maybe I just have crazy ideas!) We could then either post here to the list - or better, get them posted on the county webpage for online searching. Seems to me that we are all challenged by similar needs for data in Niagara County. Access to probate is covered. I'm just getting into the Holland land records and the data exists... albeit just not in straightforward ways. Naturalizations, etc are available via FHC. Seems like there is a hole for locally held BMDs (civil) - and local church records (speaking now of those not microfilmed by FHC). (I have three examples already!!) I also know that local funeral homes have hardcopy cards or files... and an "index" created from that data could be useful. So back to the question at hand: Niagara Co Marriages. (or any of the above record types) -->> Would it be possible to work with each town to create an index of names/dates/location by "event type"? For anyone living "locally"... (me being in California!)... how receptive would any of the Niagara Co Towns be to sending xerox copies of indexes (if they exist)... if I pay for copies/mailing... then I could bit by bit create an index for a given town. (I would start in Wilson, given how much family research I have to do there!). Is this in the realm of reality? Do even paper indexes exist at the town level? (If yes, transcribe them... if no, create them) Could any/all of us chip away at this? No matter how long it takes... it would at least put a dent in everyone's ability to "search for" ancestors in Niagara County! Can you all tell I have marriage records I want to find? <vbg> On the other hand, I could just list myself as available for "lookups" in the two Wilson histories I have from the Historical Society... or... ask their permission to publish the index of names from those two publications.... (sigh... just brainstorming again...) Anyway... would be interested in your thoughts.... with the marriage note you just made, Ellen.... it got me thinking about indexing what local town halls "have".... and getting that publically available. Folks could then follow up locally to get the actual record... but would at least know what names are "there" - when - for what. debbie CAhobbies@aol.com