E.G. Fisher Public Library currently has over 1,000 books for the local history researcher, including county histories, transcribed county records, family histories, military histories, and church records. McMinn County, in particular, is the focus of the collection; however, the collection includes material on other East Tennessee counties, general Tennessee history, and genealogical material of other southern states, particularly Virginia and North Carolina.
Vital Records
County Information
Census Records
Family Histories/Family Files
Newspapers
Bible Records
Military Records
Athens Browning Circle Records
Online Resources
Heritage Quest Online is available from home and in the library through the Tennessee Electronic Library
Genealogy Resources
The majority of the resources listed are free to the public.
Compiled Family Data
Historical Records
Census Records
Libraries and Archives
Tennessee History and Genealogy
Societies
Learning About Genealogy
- Ancestors
http://byubroadcasting.org/ancestors/
Under Helpful Resources, click “5-step process.”
Useful on-line tutorial with built-in tests and answer keys. Free pedigree charts and group sheets.
To print, locate “Online Tools” and click “Free Charts.”
A link to Adobe Acrobat Reader is provided if needed. - Family Tree Maker Online
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com
Commercial site from front-running genealogy software maker.
Offers 1900 census with every-name index.
Use the link, “Helpful Web Sites” to find How-To articles.
Use the “Site Features” link to find Classes.
Compiled Family Data
- Family Search
http://www.familysearch.org/
Search the databases of the LDS church – free of charge.
Use “Search for Ancestors” to search four different data sources: Ancestral File – compiled genealogical data from contributors.
IGI – individual bits of data (birth, marriage, death) from many sources.
Pedigree File – similar to ancestral file; only the index is on the web.
Web sites – searches sites selected by LDS, very limited.
Some entries allow user to contact original contributor.
Use the “Share Information” option to upload your data. - Ancestry Public Member Trees
http://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1030/
Part of Ancestry’s commercial site, but this database is free.
Family data contributed by subscribers and users.
Note various options of ways to view data: register style is most readable.
Mailing Lists & Bulletin Boards
- Genforum Message Boards
http://genforum.genealogy.com
Accumulated messages and responses by surname, locale or subject.
Able to show an outline of all the “threads” of responses to a single message, and to trace up and down through them.
Check total number of postings to determine popularity of list.
Use “Forum Finder” to search for surname lists, lists by location or subject.
Historical Records
- U.S. GenWeb
https://www.usgenweb.org/
Nationwide volunteer project, with a web site for every county in the US (there is also a world-wide site).
County pages vary in usefulness, many contain some local record abstracts.
Pages usually also contain references to local libraries and historical/genealogical societies.
Each page also includes query service – links to post queries or view archived queries. - Ancestry’s Free Databases
http://www.ancestry.com/
Commercial site with free access to selected databases.
Select “List all Databases” to see what is available; most will be inaccessible without subscription.
Caution: database titles often promise more than they deliver. - Freedmen’s Bureau
http://freedmensbureau.com
Full text of many records, including marriages of former slaves.
Reports of Klan activities and other harassment of freedmen.
Labor contracts negotiated between former slaves and landowners. - Federal Land
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/
Search purchasers of Federal Lands beginning in 1820.
Most lands in Alabama, Mississippi and the upper Midwest.
View and print original land patent at no cost. - Social Security Death Index
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1202535
Records for deceased members of the SS system from about 1962.
Useful for identifying strayed family members, finding death dates. - Vital Records
http://www.vitalrec.com/
Information for obtaining births, records, marriages in each state.
Describes which records are available by year, where to request.
Some states allow downloading of forms and online index searches. - Making of America
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moagrp/
Making of America is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum to reconstruction including the civil war correspondences found in War of the Rebellion Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Census Records
- Heritage Quest
https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/HQA
Use “Census Research Headquarters” to find reel numbers for census by year and county.
Membership is free, cost is $3.25/reel. - Census Forms
http://www.genealogy.com/00000061.html
Forms for all census years, show all columns
Very helpful when transcribing data – and free! - Census Online
http://www.census-online.com
Follow “Links to Online Data” and search by state/county.
Very few full transcriptions are on the web; many partials or special census records. - Clues in Census Records
https://www.archives.gov/research/census/1850-1940
Quick reminder page for important changes in data collected by each census.
Useful link to NARA’s naturalization page.
Libraries & Archives
- LDS Library
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/mobile-applications/gospel-library?lang=eng
From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in Salt Lake.
Under Family History Library, link to extensive catalog of books and microfilm.
Note that these records include both original documents(microfilmed county records, for example) and published works.
Microfilm (but not print materials) may be borrowed through their Family History Library System. Addresses and hours provided. - Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/
- The massive catalog can be searched online, beginning at their genealogy page.
Limitation: a large database, so a high number of irrelevant hits is common.
- The massive catalog can be searched online, beginning at their genealogy page.
Tennessee History & Genealogy
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/
Click on History & Genealogy.
This site won an award for it’s content. Search vital records, Tennessee newspapers, county or census records. Special features include searchable military records, a manuscript guide, TN place names and maps, historical photos and images, and many services are available through the mail. - McMinn County Historical Society and Archives
https://www.mcminntnhistorical.org/
Major content includes Publications for Sale, Family Files, and Research Books.
Additional links are provided. - National Archives
http://www.nara.gov
Go to The Research Room, then History and Genealogy for great overviews and research tips on a variety of subjects.
In the Research Room follow link to search the ARC catalog. ARC can be searched for surnames, but main use is for subjects.
When searching ARC, always view the Series record for details.
People Searching & Maps
- Switchboard
http://www.switchboard.com
Search for individuals, or to find everyone of a surname in a place.
Must know the state, or search each one individually.
Sites are very similar but different data is retrieved from each. - MapQuest
http://www.mapquest.com
Both sites will provide maps of cities, streets, addresses.
Use with old city directories to identify ancestor’s home or business location.
Zoom in-and-out feature can be difficult to get used to.
Can provide driving directions, but remember it is a computer and has never actually driven anywhere! - United States Geological Survey – Geographic Names Information System
http://geonames.usgs.gov/gnishome.html
Detailed maps of the entire United States.
Includes geographical features such as creeks, mountains, etc.
Includes all incorporated and unincorporated towns.
Includes many named man-made features such as schools, cemeteries.
Powerful search engine can search by all of these features; links to map.
The resources listed above were reviewed and selected by Chuck Sherrill, Director of Brentwood Library, Brentwood, Tenn., for his workshop entitled, “Genealogy for 2003 and Beyond: A Solinet Workshop”.
Societies
- McMinn County Historical Society https://www.facebook.com/McMinn-County-Historical-Society-385446454864729/
- Tennessee Genealogical Society https://tngs.org/
- East Tennessee Genealogical Society https://www.easttnhistory.org/
- Jamestowne Society
http://www.jamestowne.org - National Genealogical Society
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org - National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Home Page
http://www.dar.org - National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
http://www.sar.org/ - New England Historic Genealogical Society – American Ancestors
http://www.americanancestors.org/ - Sons of Confederate Veterans
http://www.scv.org - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
http://suvcw.org - United Daughters of the Confederacy
http://www.hqudc.org
Miscellaneous Sources
- Documenting the American South
http://docsouth.unc.edu/