First, it's unlikely that all the records were destroyed in a courthouse fire. It's difficult to destroy large ledgers of court records, deeds, wills, card indexes in file drawers, atlases, and so forth. In addition, the records in the public library, local historical society, or local churches probably haven't been destroyed. In some cases, the lost records may have been reconstituted (this is especially true for land and probate records). If there was a fire or flood in the courthouse, it's also possible that some of the old records might have been in the county clerk's home or in the home of another local official at the time. Perhaps the records were transcribed or abstracted.

Whatever the circumstance, it's unlikely that all the records were lost. But there are still other sources you could use to further your research. Following are a few ideas.

Begin your research with family and home sources. Check family Bibles, photographs, compiled genealogies, diaries and journals, correspondence, scrapbooks, baby books, copies of vital records, military discharge papers, family group records, computer databases, and so forth. This is the first step in any genealogical research, and it often yields the best clues.

The Internet is another good place to search for local records. The USGenWeb page for your county of interest probably contains county and local records (most do). Local records for some areas are also being indexed or digitized and placed on the Internet. Check genealogy search sites like Ancestry.com for these.

Records in local public libraries will likely include the following: compiled genealogies, local histories, atlases, typescript copies of vital and other local records, biographical works with sketches of early pioneers, city directories, gravestone inscriptions, newspapers and obituary files, tax lists, funeral home records, census population schedules, agricultural census schedules, church records, school records, and periodicals. All of these can be excellent alternative sources for local research.

In addition, college and university libraries in the area will have manuscript collections, newspapers, local histories, biographies, periodicals, census records, city directories, maps and atlases, college and alumni records, and much more. Some libraries also have compiled genealogies, cemetery records, and other genealogical records in a variety of formats, including microfilm, microfiche, and compact disc.

Church records may also be available. Check county and local histories to determine what churches were in the county at the time when your ancestors lived there. Church records begin early and may include baptisms, marriages, burials, lists of members, and minutes of meetings. Many churches even have histories with detailed sketches of early settlers.

Your county of interest probably has a county historical or genealogical society. Most of these societies have a library with printed and manuscript local histories, biographies, Bible records, cemetery records, newspapers, compiled genealogies, and more. Most societies also publish a newsletter or a quarterly journal that contains genealogies, biographies, queries, and local history.

The local sexton should maintain cemetery and burial records that show the person's name, date of death, age, next of kin, and other details, so checking the sexton’s records can be helpful. Also, gravestones may have been copied by members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, local genealogical society members, or by other organizations. Look for these gravestone transcriptions at society headquarters and even online.

The state historical society, state archives, state library, and state vital records office—all located in the state capital—are further good resources. These repositories house a wide range of local records in varying formats (microfilm copies of records, printed sources, compact discs, manuscripts, etc.). These offices may have state and federal census schedules, vital records, military service records, soldiers' homes records, court and legislative records, appeals court records, land grants, newspapers, local histories, genealogies, biographical sources, atlases, city directories, tax records or tax duplicates, Bible records, church and cemetery records, mortality schedules (1850-80), divorce records, prison records, fraternal records, lineage society applications, business and employment records, American State Papers, Territorial Papers of the United States, and much more.

The National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC has federal census schedules (1790-1920), passenger and immigration records, passport applications, military service and pension files, federal land records (such as homesteads and bounty land records), naturalization records, federal court records, soldiers' homes records, and other federal records. See NARA’s published work, Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, for more on specific collections and record types.

Many of the microfilmed National Archives records are available at NARA’s regional branches, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and other large libraries. Make use of the regional archive near your residence as well as the archive near your ancestors’ former residence. You should also use the large collection of records at the Library of Congress and Daughters of the American Revolution Library, both in Washington, DC.

Finally, countless county and local records are available on microfilm at the Family History Library. See the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC) for call numbers. Be sure to check neighboring counties, where you may find church, land, probate, tax, and other records.

For Further Reference
Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. County Courthouse Book. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998.

Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. The Genealogist's Address Book. 4th ed. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998.

Eichholz, Alice. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, & Town Sources. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1992.

The Handy Book for Genealogists. 9th ed. Logan, UT: Everton Publishers, 1999.

Sankey, Michael L. and Carl R. Ernst, eds. Find Public Records Fast: The Complete State, County, and Courthouse Locator. 3rd ed. Tempe, AZ: Facts on Demand Press, 2000.

Sankey, Michael L., et al., eds. Public Records Online. 3rd ed. Tempe, AZ: Facts on Demand Press, 2000.

Sankey, Michael L., et al., eds. The Sourcebook to Public Record Information. 2nd ed. Tempe, AZ: BRB Publications, 2000.

Smith, Juliana Szucs. The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1997.

Sperry, Kip. "Planning for a Successful Genealogy Research Trip."
Kip's Tips, 6 February 2001.

Kip Sperry is an associate professor of family history at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.