The Genealogical Road Trip Continues: State and National Government Archives
by Brenna Corbit, Technical Services Librarian
I promised last time to write about government archives, but I had misgivings since I have little experience researching in these places—three times, in fact; once in a state archive in Harrisburg researching orphanage records on my great grandmother’s adoption (I came back emptyhanded %$#@) ; and twice at the National Archives in Philadelphia researching information on my Corbit line, and Russian Consular records concerning my great grandfather’s birth certificate request from Russian-occupied Poland in the early 1900’s (zilched again on both counts).
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One of many endless shelves of archived
records. Photo-www.archives.gov
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I was a lot less experienced in those early days as a family historian. Yet, even a seasoned genealogist sometimes has to keep baiting the line to get a bite. I just happen to know many more secret fishing holes than I used to. And one thing I do know about government archives is that their holdings make online collections like Ancestry similar to a corner library located in East Jabip operating on a tight budget.
State and national archives are similar to courthouses, historical and genealogical societies, but the latter are more concerned with a particular county’s holdings. Archives can be quite huge in comparison with zillions of civil records, such as births, marriages, deaths, military records (registrations, enlistments, and pensions), censuses, federal court records, immigration, naturalizations and alien registrations.
Like I said, the genealogy giants like Ancestry are still lacking many of these records, especially in terms of digital images. Many online sources are mere indexes for where to find the information which requires online form queries with large fees attached (it cost me $100 for both my Polish great grandparents’ alien registrations). Therefore, a road-trip is not only more enjoyable, but it is usually cheaper to do your own research at these institutions.
The depth and breadth of these places can be quite daunting, but a well-planned trip will be a rewarding one. Before you travel to an archive, always do your research to see what records they have, which will be a valuable time-saver when you are there. In some cases the records you are seeking will be available online, which will prevent an unnecessary road-trip. But that defeats the gist of this article.
The depth and breadth of these places can be quite daunting, but a well-planned trip will be a rewarding one. Before you travel to an archive, always do your research to see what records they have, which will be a valuable time-saver when you are there. In some cases the records you are seeking will be available online, which will prevent an unnecessary road-trip. But that defeats the gist of this article.
Also look on archive websites to check the hours, fees, appointments, parking, and rules. Many archives have librarians and volunteers eager to assist you. It is also a good idea to check out the local restaurants. Research works up an appetite. Enjoy your trip to the fullest, I say.
I have listed two directories for state and national archives:
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