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How the Local Courthouse Can Be a Wealth of Information |
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Written by Chad Cook
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Thursday, 10 August 2006 |
As a genealogist you may of heard that a trip to any courthouse ought to be a last resort. This advice is passed along as a result of a bad experience or multiple bad experiences in visiting the courthouse. Regardless, this is not true; a trip to the local courthouse can result in a great deal of info that may be beneficial to your genealogical searches. The idea here is to understand what you are getting into when doing your genealogy search and what you should do when you get to the courthouse. Once you have this all set up, you will see that a trip to the courthouse really can be a valuable and beneficial trip. All it takes is some preparing and discipline to make it worth your time.
First of all, a courthouse can be a wealth of genealogical information. It is home to records going back as far as the courthouse itself in many instances including property records, wills, birth certificates, death certificates and many other records. Regardless, you must know what you are doing when you go into the courthouse, in order to make your trip productive. Here are a couple of tips.
First of all, consider this: you will likely be going into the record books at the court house. They are really big and heavy most of the time, weighing as much as 20 pounds each. If you are going to make copies, the pages will generally cover the entire glass top of the copy machine. Also, you will find them in racks that are metal and contain pockets sized to hold each large record book. Each of these pockets is generally equipped by rollers that allow you to slide them in and out. They can also be located as high as 6 feet up and as low as the floor. In other words, advance with caution if you may have trouble with your back or knees. Another thing to think about is that many home and real estate closings happen at the end of the month. During which time, the records room will be filled with lawyers and their clerks. Consider making your trip to the courthouse during the middle two weeks of the month if you decide to look at the records.
In order to refrain from wasting your time, when you first show up at the courthouse you ought to ask if the records you are seeking are still there. The reason this is important is that many courthouses have moved many of their older records to the state archives. There is a small chance you will be told that records aren't there simply because not every courthouse clerk is receptive to genealogists. They figure if they tell you the records aren't there that you will go away. Feel free to do a quick inspection anyway. If you are told they are at the state archives, you will want to make a follow up phone call just to be sure.
In order to make your trip to the courthouse as beneficial as possible, you must make sure that you are organized going into the visit. You should prioritize what you want to find on your trip. You may feel that it is hard to prioritize, but perhaps use the method of putting items you have been looking for, for the longest, at the top of your priority list. In order to keep yourself focused once you are in the room, write out a list and take it with you. Index cards, a written note, or a typed page will all work just fine. Just be sure that you keep yourself focused so you get as much done as feasible in the time you are there. Remember, productivity is the key to this trip.
Genealogy can be a fantastically exciting hobby, but there is so much you want to find out that you find yourself stuck. Many times experts will tell you to avoid that trip to the courthouse.You may be told that you are not welcomed there, as the trip will be unproductive, and that you will deal with rude attorneys all day. That all may be right, but there is a way to make sure your trip is as beneficial as possible. Make sure that you are aware of the procedures and 'tricks' used to avoid being unwelcome. In addition, be sure you have a plan going in. Your time can be limited so you need to be focused and on task during the time you are there. Follow these simple tips and no matter what the experts say, your trip to the courthouse can be productive and exciting. |