Carol Darrow
Carol Darrow
When I first got started in genealogy, I was told that county histories were not to be trusted. They were described as “brag books,” used to describe leading citizens in the county at the time the publication was printed. County histories flourished between the centennial year of 1876 and 1890 and are often four or five inches thick with no index. “Don’t bother with them,” I was told.
But since I find my own way, I have learned that county histories can be one of the best sources for history and family, written or reported by family members who personally knew as many as three generations of the family and who lived in the county they were describing.
There are drawbacks to county histories. They contain stories of people who currently (in 1876- 1890) lived in the county. They may report who their parents were and their grandparents and where they came from. But if you go back to that place where they came from, you may find no information about those people at all. That’s because the family has moved to the new county and there is no one left in the earlier county to report on the family.
Also the four-to-five inch books are difficult to search without an index. Computers now come into play since many county histories are now available online. Just open the book and hit CONTROL+ F and insert a search term in the search box. The pages you need will appear.
The rewards are great. I have learned when the county was settled; who the first settlers were; where they came from; what were the first churches established; and who the first governing officials were. Then there are the wonderful articles about the people, their parents and grandparents.
~ Carol Cooke Darrow, CG, volunteers at the downtown Denver Public Library on Tuesdays and at the National Archives in Broomfield on Thursdays.