Genealogy Websites
There are lots of websites that promise they will help you find all kinds of interesting data about your relatives. In practice, our members seem to find that they are primarily using three or four "genealogy" and a number of other sites that include data that is of interest to genealogists.
The following are the "big" geneealogy sites. Some require a subscription:
These are websites that may be more general but are still well worth exploring.
US Bureau of Land Management Links to lands records in each state (government land office)
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx This web site provides "access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States. We also provide image access to more than three million Federal land title records for Eastern Public Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908." The database includes land patents, surveys, and land status records.
Historical Markers Website Look for people who may have been listed at historical markers
US National Archives Free site. National archives
Castle Garden This free site offers access to an extraordinary database of information on 11 million immigrants from 1820 through 1892, the year Ellis Island opened. More than 100 million Americans can trace their ancestors to this early immigration period.
DAR Genealogical Research Site The DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) is a free resource provided by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to aid general genealogical research and to assist with the DAR membership process. The GRS is a collection of databases that provide access to the many materials amassed by the DAR since its founding in 1890.
Fold3 Subscription site associated with Ancestry.com Fold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. Perfect for genealogists, researchers, historians and more.
Patriot and Grave Index: revolutionary war graves registry and patriot index from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors index: Civil War records from the National Park Service
Preserve the pensions War of 1812 pension records access
Ellis Island Create a free account to search for family arrival records and learn more about Lady Liberty and Ellis Island.
Fulton History historical newspapers from the US and Canada
Archive Sites
Archives by State
Alabama
Alabama Department of Archives & History
624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 300100, Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: (334) 242-4435
Alaska
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 110525, 141 Willoughby Avenue, Juneau, AK 99811-0525
Phone: (907) 465-2270
Fax: (907) 465-2465
E-mail: archives@alaska.gov
Arizona
State Library, Archives and Public Records
History and Archives Division
Mailing Address: 1901 West Madison, Phoenix, AZ 85009
Phone: (602) 926-3720
Fax: (602) 256-7982
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Arkansas
Mailing Address: One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 77201
Phone: (501) 682-6900
E-mail: state.archives@arkansas.gov
California
Mailing Address: 1020 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone, Reference Desk: (916) 653-2246
Phone, General Information: (916) 653-7715
Fax: (916) 653-7363
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Colorado
Mailing Address: 1313 Sherman Street, Room 122, Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 866-2358
Toll-free, in state only: (800) 305-3442
Text: (303) 866-2229
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Connecticut
Mailing Address: Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
Phone, General Information: (860) 757-6500
Phone, History and Genealogy Unit: (860) 757-6500
Text: (860) CONNREF (860 266-6733)
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Delaware
Mailing Address: 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North, Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 744-5000
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Florida
Mailing Address: R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250
Phone: (850) 245-6700
TDD: (850) 245-6096
Reference Fax: (850) 488-4894
E-mail: info@dos.myflorida.com
Georgia
Mailing Address: 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260
Phone: (678) 364-3710
E-mail: See Ask an Archivist
Hawaii
Mailing Address: Kekauluohi Building, Iolani Palace Grounds, 364 S. King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 586-0329
Fax: (808) 586-0330
E-mail: archives@hawaii.gov
Idaho
Mailing Address: Idaho State Archives, 2205 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise, ID 83712
Phone, Archives: (208) 334-2620
Fax, Public Archives: 208-334-2626
Illinois
Mailing Address: Margaret Cross Norton Building, Capitol Complex, Springfield, IL 62756
Phone: (217) 782-4682
Fax: (217) 524-3930
E-mail: See the Reference Request Form (Illinois Residents Only)
Indiana
Mailing Address: 6440 East 30th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46219
Phone: (317) 591-5222
Fax: (317) 591-5324
E-mail: arc@icpr.in.gov or see the Contact Form
Iowa
State Historical Society of Iowa: State Archives and Records Program
Mailing Address: State of Iowa Historical Building, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319-0290
Phone: (515) 281-5111
E-mail: dm.library@iowa.gov
Kansas
Kansas Historical Society: State Archives
Mailing Address: 6425 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Phone: (785) 272-8681
Phone, State Archives Reference Desk: (785) 272-8681, ext. 117
E-mail: reference@kshs.org
Kentucky
Department for Libraries and Archives
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 537, Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: (502) 564-8300
Fax: (502) 564-5773
E-mail: kdla.archives@ky.gov or see the Records Request Forms
Louisiana
Mailing Address: Louisiana State Archives, Louisiana Secretary of State, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
Phone: (225) 922-1200
Fax: (225) 922-0433
E-mail: See the Contact Us Page
Maine
Mailing Address: 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: (207) 287-5790
Fax: (207) 287-6035
Maryland
Mailing Address: 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 260-6400
Toll free: (800) 235-4045
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Archives Division
Mailing Address: Secretary of Commonwealth, Massachusetts Archives, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125
Phone: (617) 727-2816
Fax: (617)288-8429
E-mail: archives@sec.state.ma.us
Michigan
Mailing Address: 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone: (517) 373-3559 (Select option "3" from the voice menu.)
E-mail: archives@michigan.gov
Minnesota
Mailing Address: Minnesota Historical Society, 345 Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55102-1906
Phone: (651) 259-3260
Fax: (651) 296-9961
E-mail: See the Contact Us Page
Mississippi
Mississippi Department of Archives & History
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
Phone: (601) 576-6876
Fax: (601) 576-6964
E-mail: refdesk@mdah.state.ms.us.
Missouri
Mailing Address: 600 W. Main, P.O. Box 1747, Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3280
Fax: (573) 526-7333
E-mail: archref@sos.mo.gov. Please read the guidelines before sending reference requests.
Montana
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 201201, 225 North Roberts Street, Helena, MT 59620-1201
Phone, Research Center: (406) 444-2681
E-mail: mhslibrary@mt.gov or see the Online Request Form.
Nebraska
Library/Archives Division of the Nebraska State Historical Society
Mailing Address: Library / Archives, Nebraska State Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554, 1500 "R" Street, Lincoln, NE 68501
Phone: (402) 471-4751
Fax: (402) 471-3100
E-mail: nshs.libarch@nebraska.gov
Nevada
Nevada State Library and Archives
Mailing Address: 100 North Stewart Street, Carson City, NV 89701-4285
Phone: (775) 684-3310
Toll free, in state only: (800) 922-2880
Fax: (775) 684-3311
E-mail:See the request form
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Division of Archives and Records Management
Mailing Address: 71 South Fruit Street, Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-2236
Fax: (603) 271-2272
E-mail: archives@sos.nh.gov . For birth, death, and marriage records, contact the Division of Vital Records Administration at http://www.sos.nh.gov/vitalrecords/.
New Jersey
Mailing Address, State Archives: 225 West State Street, P.O. Box 307, Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
Mailing Address, State Records Center: 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, P.O. Box 307, Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
Phone: (609) 292-6260
Fax, Reference: (609) 292-4127
E-mail, State Archives: njarchives@sos.state.nj.us
New Mexico
State Records Center and Archives
Mailing Address: 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone, Archives and Historical Services Division: (505) 476-7948
Fax, Archives and Historical Services Division: (505) 476-7909
E-mail: archives@state.nm.us
New York
Mailing Address: New York State Education Department, Cultural Education Center, 222 Madison Avenue, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230
Phone, Research Assistance: (518) 474-8955
Phone, General Information: (518) 474-6926
E-mail, Research Assistance: archref@mail.nysed.gov
North Carolina
State Archives of North Carolina
Mailing Address: 4614 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4614
Phone: (919) 807-7310
Fax: (919) 733-1354
E-mail: archives@ncdcr.gov
North Dakota
Mailing Address: 612 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58505
Phone, Reference: (701) 328-2091
E-mail: archives@nd.us
Ohio
Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library
Mailing Address: 1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211
Phone: 614-297-2510
Toll free: 800-686-6124
Fax: (614) 297-2358
E-mail: reference@ohiohistory.org or see the Reference Contact Form.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Archives and Records Management
Mailing Address: 200 NE 18th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Phone, Archives: (405) 522-3579
Phone, Records Center: (405) 524-4416
Fax, Archives: (405) 522-3583
Fax, Records Management: (405) 524-7567
Oregon
Mailing Address: 800 Summer Street NE, Salem, OR 97310
Phone: (503) 373-0701
Fax: (503) 373-0953
E-mail: reference.archives@state.or.us
Pennsylvania
Mailing Address: 350 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120.
Phone: (717) 783-3281
E-mail: ra-statearchives@state.pa.us
Rhode Island
Mailing Address: 337 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 222-2353
Fax: (401) 222-3199
E-mail: statearchives@sos.ri.gov
South Carolina
Department of Archives and History
Mailing Address: 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223
Phone, Reference Room: (803) 896-6104
Fax, Reference Room: (803) 896-6198
E-mail: See the Genealogy Request Form
South Dakota
Mailing Address: 900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3804
Fax: (605) 773-6041
E-mail: archref@state.sd.us
Tennessee
Tennessee State Library and Archives
Mailing Address: 403 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-2764
E-mail: reference.tsla@tn.gov
Texas
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711-2927
Phone: (512) 463-5455
Email, Reference: reference.desk@tsl.state.tx.us
Utah
Mailing Address, Research Center: 300 S. Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone, Research Center: (801) 533-3535
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Vermont
Vermont State Archives and Records Administration
Mailing Address: Office of the Secretary of State, 1078 Route 2, Middlesex, Montpelier, VT 05633-7701
Phone, Reference Room: (802) 828-2308
E-mail: archives@sec.state.vt.us. For vital records requests use vitals@sec.state.vt.us.
Virginia
Mailing Address: 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 692-3500
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Washington
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 40238, Olympia, WA 98504-0238
Phone: (360) 586-1492
E-mail, State Archivist: archives@sos.wa.gov
E-mail, Research Requests and Information on Public Records: research@sos.wa.gov
West Virginia
Mailing Address: Archives and History Library, The Cultural Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Phone: (304) 558-0230
The West Virginia Archives will not answer e-mail research requests. All research requests must be submitted in writing.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Historical Society Library-Archives
Mailing Address: Archives Reference, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 264-6460
Fax: (608) 264-6472
E-mail: See the Archives Reference Request Form
Wyoming
Mailing Address: Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-7826
Fax: (307) 777-7044
E-mail: See the Contact Form
Other state based resources
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Historical Society You can see information about the history of Wisconsin, Civil War information and vital records.
Wisconsin State Genealogical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society Vital Records search
And remember, the Wisconsin Historical Society has more than Wisconsin items – it is also a great resource for information from other states. Check their online catalog at:
http://search.library.wisc.edu/ Library catalog
http://arcat.library.wisc.edu/ Archives
Wisconsin Libraries
Eau Claire Public Library Use their site to explore and research Wisconsin history
LaCrosse Library Genealogy research site
Oshkosh Public Library genealogy resources
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee archives
Wisconsin Counties
Wisconsin Genealogy Website Project
Oneida County Website contains county records
Marathon County Historical Society
Milwaukee County births, deaths, weddings
Portage County Historical Society Website
UW Steven's Point - Central Wisconsin Genealogy Search
UW Steven's Point Journal search site
Search Wisconsin land records by county
Lincoln County area
North Pines Genealogy Group PO Box 132, Merrill, Wi 54452
Merrill Historical Society, 804 East 3rd St, Merrill Wi, 54452 (715-536-5652)
Lincoln County Register of Deeds, 1100 E Main St, Merrill, Wi 54452 (715-536-0318)
Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery & Mausoleum, Memorial Dr, Merrill Wi (715-536-2297)
Family Research Center, Church of Later Day Saints, 5405 Rib Mountain Dr, Wausau, Wi 54401
Area Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 900 Reserve Street, Stevens Point, Wi, 54461
Lincoln County Wisconsin Research Connects
Lincoln County Genealogical Information Website
Arizona
Arizona Birth & Death Certificate Archive Birth and death certificates for residents of Arizona are now available to the public through this site, provided the birth was more than 75 years ago, and the death more than 50 years ago.
Illinois
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System
Illinois Statewide Death Index Pre-1916 This database provides listings of death certificates filed with the Illinois Department of Public Health prior to 1916.
Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950 which is an index of of death certificates filed with the Illinois Department of Public Health between 1916 and 1950.
Michigan
Gogebic Range city directories - 1888 to 1947
Michigan Department of Community Health Death Index
Delta County Michigan Genealogical Society
Michigan County History and Atlases
Michigan Tech Historical collections (searchable)
Western Michigan Genealogical Society resources
Minnesota
Minnesota Discovery Center research site
Minnesota Official Marriage Index Requires free registration
Minnesota Historical Society (slow site)
Missouri
Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre 1910 A database which provides over 185,000 records from 87 counties. Birth records give such information as the name of child, date and place of birth, sex, and race; nationality, residence, and ages of parents, occupation and full name of father, maiden name of mother. Stillbirth records include the name of undertaker and place of burial. Death records include the name, sex, color, age, occupation, marital status, nationality, birthplace; date, place, and cause of death; date and place of burial.
New York
New York City Death Index 2,760,000 records are included in the database.
Ohio
Cleveland Public Library Necrology Site
Washington
Washington State digital archives Skagit River Journal
International
East European Family Histories Study Website
Canada
Automated Genealogy - indexes of the Canadian census
Wilno Heritage Society - Polish settlement in Canada
England/Wales United Kingdom
FreeBMD: civil registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales
Free Reg: baptism, marriage, and burial records from parish registers of the UK
FreeCen: transcribed census records from the UK
GENUKI: reference library of genealogical resources for the UK and Ireland
British Library India Office: Records on British and European people in India pre 1950
UK National Archives: official National Archives of the UK
Germany
Grit Ende - Mecklenberg in German, use translator function
German Roots Resources for German Genealogy
Germany Genealogy Server: German ancestry research (many sections in German)
Ireland
The National Archives of Ireland: official National Archives of Ireland
Irish Genealogy dedicated to helping you search for family history records. On-line sources of genealogical information e.g. the 1901 and 1911 Census returns, in addition to the Church records. Now the site also contains the Indexes to the Civil Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths.
Italy
Italian Genealogical Group: Italian American genealogy resources and databases
Lithuania
LitvakSig: Lithuanian-Jewish genealogy databases and resources
Netherlands
WieWasWie: for researching ancestors from the Netherlands (in Dutch)
Scottish Clans
Scottish Genealogy Information about clans
A list of Highland games and clan meetings worldwide by date A List of Clan meetings Worldwide
http://www.gmhg.org/ One of the, if not the, largest Highland games and clan gatherings in the USA at Grandfather Mountain. Listed under the clans and societies section will be contact information for many of the clan organizations.
Wikipedia list of clans A list of Scottish clans
Wisconsin Highland Games Wisconsin Games
Sweden
Slakdata: genealogy records for Sweden (in Swedish)
General Resources
Access Genealogy: Vast family history directories and more, good Native American resources
African Heritage Project: Records on former slaves, freed persons and their descendants
BillionGraves: headstone records
Cyndi's list A good place to start your research
Chronicling America: Giant database of archived US newspapers from the Library of Congress
Daughters of the American Revolution: military service records and more
Dead Fred: Genealogy photo archive
Family Tree Now: various genealogy records
Free Gebealogy Search Engine: search hundreds of free genealogy resources at one time on Family History Daily
GenDisasters: for researching disasters and other events your ancestors might have been involved in
Guild of One Name Studies extensive surname research site
Hispanic Genealogy: wonderful list of resources for researching Hispanic ancestry
http://stevemorse.org/ Links to how to fill out all kinds of genealogical search forms
Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection: vast number of archived US newspapers
Jewish Gen: Jewish ancestry research
US GenWeb Massive free genealogy resource directory by US state and county
Mocavo blog A Find my past website with interesting tips and guides
Native Web Genealogy: List of Native American genealogy resources and searchable databases
OpenLibrary: good place to find family history books, search for surnames or locations
Romany Genes: Romanichal ancestry research
RootsWeb: World’s largest genealogy community, huge amount of free information
Seventh Day Adventist Obituary Database: hundreds of thousands of obituary entries
World GenWeb: genealogy resources by country and region