Local History & Genealogical Resources
General Information
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
Birth and death records were not kept officially by the State of Tennessee until 1914. Our holdings include the microfilm death records for McMinn County from 1914 to 1925; the index to the death records for TN covers 1914 to 1942. Early death records are also on microfilm from 1908-1912. Transcribed death certificate records of McMinn County from 1914-1945 are also available. (publications of McMinn County Historical Society)
County Information
Material on individual counties in Tennessee is arranged alphabetically in the collection under the call # HIST 976.82 (name of county), i.e. HIST 976.82 MCMINN. Included in each county’s section are transcribed county records, city directories, cemetery records, county histories, and funeral home records. County records can include marriage, court, will and estate, and deed records.
The microfilm holdings for McMinn County include extensive county records dating back to the formation of the county in 1819 up into the present time.
Census Records
Federal Census records taken every 10 years exist for McMinn County from 1830 to1930; there is no 1890 census record. The original census record can be examined on microfilm and/or on Heritage Quest and Ancestry databases. There are also indices to the census records for Tennessee counties from 1830 – 1870; we also have census records on microfilm for many contiguous counties to McMinn County. Census records help establish many clues to an ancestor’s life – an age, the county of residence, how they made a living, who else lived in the household in the particular census year.
Family Histories/Family Files
The library houses much information on families in published works on particular families and in family files. Look for collective family histories under call #
HIST 929.3 and for individual family histories under call # HIST 929.33, alphabetical by surname. The family file contains folders of information on particular surnames. This is housed at the Circulation desk with a surname index. These files often contain letters written to the courthouse or to the library requesting information, unpublished family histories, newspaper clippings, and sometimes photographs.
Newspapers
The library has newspapers of McMinn County on microfilm, some dating back into the 1800s; we maintain a continuous run of the Daily Post Athenian from its beginning in 1929 to the present. To find death notices in the DPA, we maintain an Obituary Index to the Daily Post Athenian. At present, it spans the years1963 to 2004.
Bible Records
The library has 3 unpublished volumes of compiled Bible records of families from McMinn County. Housed in HIST 976.82 MCMINN.
Military Records
Military records can primarily be found in published books in the Historical Collection. Valuable research resources include but are not limited to:
HIST 973.7 War of the Rebellion –Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
The Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionnaires.
Tennesseans in the Civil War.
HIST 973.3 Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution.
HIST 976.89 MCMINN World War Veterans and Ex-Service Men of McMinn County, TN
Athens Browning Circle Records
The Athens Browning Circle, a women’s federated club, existed in Athens from 1891-1994. E.G. Fisher Public Library came into being in large part because of the efforts of the Athens Browning Circle. The library was housed in their clubhouse from mid 1940s to 1969. When the Browning Circle ceased operation in 1994, the library became the recipient of their assets, including their yearly minute books and journals which recorded memberships and programs for each year. As part of the Historical Collection, the library maintains a permanent exhibit honoring the Athens Browning Circle.
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 below are free to the public.
Learning About Genealogy
Genealogy Links and General Search Engines
Metasearch Engines
Compiled Family Data
Mailing Lists and Bulletin Boards
Historical Records
Census Records
Libraries and Archives
Tennessee History and Genealogy
People Searching and Maps
Societies
Miscellaneous Sources
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 Search
http://www.familysearch.com
Site of the LDS (Mormon) church. Use “How Do I Begin” for their 5-step process for beginning genealogy. Use “Search for Ancestors: Step-by-step Research Guidance” as a tutorial for using the LDS records on the web.
- 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.
Genealogy Links and General Search Engines
- Cyndi’s List (Links)
http://www.cyndislist.com/
Links to more than 100,000 genealogy-related sites.
Use “Search It!” to search the text of the links and descriptions.
- Hotbot (Search Engine)
http://www.hotbot.com/
Good general search engine. Option to search exact phrase or individual word search.
Note advanced search options: forced inclusion/exclusion, truncation, etc.
- Google (Search Engine)
http://www.google.com/
Good general search engine; claims to be the world’s most powerful.
Offers forced exclusion and phrase searching.
Metasearch Engines
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 World Tree
http://www.ancestry.com/share/awt/main.htm
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.
- Rootsweb World Connect
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com
Free database using family information contributed by thousands of genealogists.
Appears to be less comprehensive than Family Search or Ancestry World Tree, but can be used as an alternative search site.
Some lineages appear on several sites; in other cases there will be discrepancies between sites, even about the same individual.
Mailing Lists and Bulletin Boards
- Rootsweb Mailing Lists
http://lists.rootsweb.com/
Accessible to anyone with e-mail address. Receive messages posted by everyone on the list.
Lists are not moderated, but generally subscribers follow etiquette rules.
Use “Browse Archives” to check number of subscribers; determine popularity of lists.
- 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.
- Rootsweb Message Boards
http://boards.rootsweb.com
Similar to Genforum with slightly different format.
Check both Genforum and Rootsweb, different genealogists posts to each one.
One surname may be more active on one or the other of them.
Historical Records
- U.S. GenWeb
http://www.usgenweb.org/statelinks.html
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
http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/
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
http://www.heritagequest.com
Use “Census Research Headquarters” to find reel numbers for census by year and county.
Membership is free, cost is $3.25/reel.
- Census Microfilm Rental Program
http://www.archives.gov/publications/microfilm_catalogs/how_to_rent_microfilm.html
Your local library can borrow census microfilm through this service for patron use, or patrons can join as individuals.
Fee is $7.50 per roll for first roll, with discounts on additional rolls.
- Census Forms
http://www.genealogy.com/00000061.html
Forms for all census years, show all columns
Very helpful when transcribing data – and free!
- Soundex Converter
http://resources.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter
Rootsweb site for determining Soundex code.
Use in conjunction with Heritage Quests reel listings for Soundex.
- 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.
- Statistical Census Data
http://icg.fas.harvard.edu/~census
Powerful search engine for census data including population, religion, manufacturing and agriculture, slavery, ethnic groups.
Not for individual name searching; but to learn about ancestors’ locale.
Search by census year for state summaries, then break down by counties.
Match two or more variables for comparisons; use graphing function.
- Clues in Census Records
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/cenclues.html
Quick reminder page for important changes in data collected by each census.
Useful link to NARA’s naturalization page.
Libraries and Archives
- LDS Library
http://www.familysearch.org
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
http://www.lcweb.loc.gov/rr/genealogy
Massive catalog can be searched on line, beginning at their genealogy page.
Limitation: a large database, so a high number of irrelevant hits is common.
- LSG: Genealogy Libraries on the Web
http://www.genealogy.org/~holdiman/LSG/libraries.html
Not a comprehensive list, but a good way to find a genealogy library in a place you are not familiar with.
Tennessee History and 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
http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnmchsa/index.htm
Major content includes Publications for Sale, Family Files, and Research Books.
Additional links are provided.
- Osiyo : McMinn County Tennessee Links
http://www.geocities.com/mcminncountytennessee/links.html
Many local information sites.
- Other State Libraries Links to all State Library web sites
http://www.loc.gov/global/library/statelib.html
Many state libraries have large genealogical collections.
Virtually all have on-line catalogs at these web sites. Some will have other genealogical aids.
- Other State Archives Links to all State Archives web sites
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/rs/sarl.htm
Many of these sites contain indexes to state records, information about how to request copies of records, and other genealogical aids.
- 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.
- My Tennessee Genealogy New!
http://www.mytennesseegenealogy.com/index.htm
Search via county for many resources.
People Searching and Maps
- AnyWho
http://www.anywho.com
- 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.
- Yahoo Maps
http://maps.yahoo.com
- 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
Brentwood Library,
Brentwood, TN,
for his workshop entitled, "Genealogy for 2003 and Beyond: A Solinet Workshop".
Societies
Miscellaneous Sources
E.G. Fisher Public Library
1289 Ingleside Avenue
Athens, TN 37303
Voice: 423-745-7782 / FAX: 423-745-1763
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