by Carol Cooke Darrow
With summer almost here, your thoughts may be turning to a road trip to visit the “hometown” of some of your ancestors. If you have identified the county and even the township, post office or village that they called home, you may find a cache of old records about your ancestors that you were unaware of.
You will want to visit the cemeteries in the area, especially if you have located family graves on www.findagrave.com. Be sure to have your camera with spare batteries, good walking shoes, and perhaps a cane or stick to ensure careful walking. You’ll want some paper and a pen to take notes about the tombstones and to copy down any inscription that might not be readable in the photos. Do not scrape or rub any tombstone. You would be horrified if it toppled over at your feet.
Other places to visit include the courthouse, the local library, and the county historical society. Be sure you are in the county seat of the county where they lived at the time they lived there. Do not go looking for 1950 Broomfield records in Broomfield County. You need to look in Boulder County.
Before you leave on your trip, Google the various locations and check for days and times they are open. Libraries and historical societies may be open just a few days a week and for morning or afternoon hours. If you plan to visit over a holiday weekend, be sure to check for special schedules.
Be prepared to state your business briefly, courthouse clerks are busy people who do not have time to hear your entire family history when what you are looking for is the deed between John Johnson and William Smith dated 1805.
At libraries and historical societies, family names are important. Again be brief but explain your family’s identifiable history in the county, the land they owned, and the years they lived in the county. They are likely to have books and records that will open up a new path for your research or answer lingering questions. Happy trails!
Carol Cooke Darrow, CG, is past president of the Colorado Genealogical Society. Check on the many free classes and activities on their website at www.cogensoc.us.