It's already online. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pawashin/county-records/index.html -- discusses courthouse records There's a link at the bottom also that discusses records throughout the county. All tax lists on microfilm at the Law Library (Court house) and Citizens Library. Maximizing time depends on your goals, what records you want, whether you know your way around town, whether you can park & walk down and up hills, and whether what you want is actually available. As someone else said before, pick your parking wisely. Use the all-day garage and walk to the Court House, Library, uptown locations. If you can't walk, look for free lots near the buildings (free hard to find though). If I was going, I'd do Court House first because you need to request records to be brought back from storage. While "waiting", I'd head to the LeMoyne House for a "go see" (go see what they have). You'll pass the O-R on the way but ignore it-- they don't do look-ups. If near lunch, you might want to go down into the Union Grill (corner of Wheeling & Main) for a quick sandwich before crossing Wheeling to go to Maiden St / LeMoyne House. I'd plan a short visit there unless you notice some treasure you need. Next, I'd go to College St (half block away) and walk north a short distance (1&1/2 blocks) to Citizens Library. If the Court House said come back later, then I'd just do a "look around" at the Library and come back to the Lib. on Day 2. Return to the Courthouse to get your records. Day 2: I'd reverse my order. I'd go to the Library first. Reason, Court Houses can be extra busy in the AM so if I went in the morning on Day 1, I'd go in the afternoon at Day 2. In the Library, plan extra time if you want Tax Records or The Observer or The Reporter or The Observer-Reporter -- all on microfilm. By lunch, decide if you are staying put or going back to the Ct. Hse. Union Grill is 1 block from Library. Or, walk up alley to go back to the court house for the afternoon. Visit the Law Library and get copies of Plat Maps for your area. Before 4pm stop at the Tourism office if you need current road maps, etc. If you have a Day 3, use it to go to a specific township/area like to find a church or cemetery. Before your trip, google Washington Co PAGenWeb and look at the cemetery list. The database has directions for most of the cemeteries. If I didn't really know the area OR have little time, I might postpone cemeteries, churches, etc. Instead, I'd spend time looking over my documents to see what clues I want to follow. Plan for driving times, whatever you do. WashPA is getting crowded on 2-lane roads. I'd avoid the Washington Mall (Murtland Ave / Rt 19) unless you really had to go that way -- it was bad 20 yrs ago & worse now. If you have leisurely time, don't forget to check W&J Library. And just drive to your ancestor's area without expectations of looking/finding anything. This will help orient you when you look over the Deeds etc. The Planning Office (in the county office bldg) has large aerial maps -- by mail or in person for purchase. If you pinpoint where your ancestor lived, and can match the spot on a Plat Map or by current roads, this Office can copy off the larger maps. These often show how a piece of land looked; fencelines or decades of plowing show good outlines of properties. Often you can match mets & bounds from Deeds to an area on an aerial map. Other tips: Prepare a list before leaving home-- what records do you have & what do you want? Refer to that list constantly to keep on track. Include full names, birth date, death date or missing dates. Rather than "shot gun" by looking for all your families, decide on 3 to 5 names you absolutely want to concentrate on first and anything else you find is gravy. :-) Use mapquest to plan before you leave home, but also ask people on the list. MQ can make mistakes or shows the long way. Make sure you wear comfy shoes. Bring 1 or 2 blank notebooks and new pens. Bring lots of quarters for copying at Courthouse. Remember Court House security -- leave pocket knives, etc at home/motel. Remember, remember-- cite your sources fully! As soon as you copy something, turn it over and write the source info including page number(s). Courthouse needs Record Name, Vol #, page numbers. Copy the index entry too. Then staple them together. Don't forget the oils of poison ivy and oak *can* infect year-round so be careful if in cemeteries or rural locations. Use gloves if messing with plants/vines/grasses. Even if somebody doesn't like it, ASK questions. It may be the last trip you make, so ask now. Important: As you think of clues or something to check, make a written note. Don't rely on memory. Write down hunches and guesss you have as you research, so you recall them for future research. Hope something in this helps. Judy Oh and Google is supposed to scan the newspaper but no date for when. -- -- WASHINGTON COUNTY PA WEBSITES::: http://freepages.misc.rootsweb.com/~florian/ Coordinator of the Washington County PAGenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/ On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 8:28 PM, Norman Roule <[email protected]> wrote: > I was wondering if there is a step-by-step guide on where to go to find > what > geneaological resources exist at the Washington Courthouse. I think it > would be immensely valuable for visitors on a limited schedule if there > could be a worksheet showing: > 1. What may be found there. > 2. Office locations, etc... > 3. The charges. > 4. How to maximize time. > > Must say, I would be willing to pay for a detailed booklet with the above! > > Also, where could I find tax records for Marianna from the period of > 1908-latest available period. > > Finally, is there any chance that Ancestry.com will digitize the Observer > and Reporter in the near future? > > Regards, > > Norm > **** > >