As much as I love Internet genealogy, I have fond memories of a trip to the Putnam County and Sullivan County, Missouri courthouses, looking for information on my Knox ancestors.
Call me a digital traitor (!) but nothing can compare to on-site research, particularly in old courthouses. The amount of genealogical information sitting in county courthouses is staggering. Depending on the individual county, you can find birth, marriage, death and land records, probate files (gems!) and wills. The probate files, in particular, can contain a will, an inventory of the estate, a list of beneficiaries, records of an auction, a final accounting of the estate, and bills or receipts.
If you get a chance this year to visit a courthouse, don’t hesitate. Even if it’s your first genealogy trip and you feel a little uncertain about what to do, go on in and ask a clerk for help.
To prepare:
- Probate Packets: Excellent two-part article
- Genealogy Research at the Courthouse
- Getting More From Your Genealogy Road Trip (
- National Association of Counties (addresses of courthouses, plus lots more info)
