I received a very special book last week, one I had been awaiting for almost a year. It is The Heritage of Floyd County, Georgia — 1833-1999, published by the Floyd County Heritage Book Committee and County Heritage, Inc. Among the many books we use for our research, county heritage books are in a class unto themselves. In "Along Those Lines …" this week, I want to describe this type of book and discuss the place it can play in our research.

What Is a County Heritage Book?
Most of us have some sense of pride in the area in which we were born and raised and the social or cultural group from which we sprang. This pride of place, time and people is sometimes referred to as ethnocentrism. People's pride in their historical, geographic, ethnic and/or social origins is one of the motivating factors for genealogical research. A natural extension of this is the writing and publication of local histories, and thousands of local history books have been published over the centuries.

In the past several decades, however, starting around the time of the U.S. Bicentennial, it has become increasingly popular to produce another type of local history book—the "county heritage book." These books are a celebration of county history, places, events, and of the individuals and families who lived in the county. They are often compiled and published in conjunction with some specific milestone event, such as a centennial, sesquicentennial, or bicentennial of the county's founding. However, a county needn't have any other excuse to come together to create and compile a county heritage book other than to celebrate itself and its people.

What makes the county heritage book unique and particularly interesting is its authors. The book is usually a compilation of articles written by individuals—people who live in the county or whose ancestors were residents and participants in the historical events of the county. County historical and genealogical societies and other interested individuals work together to publicize the project and to solicit articles, photographs, and other materials from all over. Ultimately, all the materials submitted are compiled, edited for grammatical structure, organized, indexed, printed, and bound into a handsome hardcover volume. Copies are sold and become keepsakes commemorating the county's history and its people.

Using a County Heritage Book in Your Research
You must remember that contributors to the project are interested in presenting a positive image of their area and its people. As the author of articles about two of my great-grandfathers to the Floyd County book, I certainly wanted to represent my ancestors as positive contributors to the area. I am certain other contributors felt the same because, as I worked my way through the book, I found a lack of biographical information about ancestors who were horse thieves or worse. I am not saying that people were covering up for anyone. It's just that we all tend to discuss our more famous or notable ancestors, those who exerted a positive influence, and omit discussing the less-than-sparkling personalities.

Keeping this caveat in mind, and maintaining our healthy skepticism of anything that we see in print and haven't verified ourselves, a county heritage book can be a veritable gold mine of information. Historical information and photographs of places that may have been in private hands and which may never have been previously published may make their first public appearance. Stories that have probably only been passed among family members for generations often are documented and made public for the first time in these books. Suddenly there is a rich new printed tapestry available to you.

I have seen and used several county heritage books in my research. The information contained in them can point you in some new directions or fill in some gaps. Some of the details you can find in a typical county heritage books include:

• Overview of the county's origins and history
• Information about county and city governments, photographs of old and new government buildings, and information about record repositories
• Histories of specific towns and unincorporated communities, past and current, details about name changes and "lost" communities
• Photographs and stories concerning noteworthy buildings, homes, landmarks, monuments and markers
• Histories and photographs of religious institutions, including their origins, locations of buildings and cemeteries and any mergers with other congregations
• Backgrounds about educational institutions of all sorts, their origins and any religious affiliations, their previous names, and noteworthy attendees and graduates
• History of businesses in the county and communities and their influences and contributions in the area
• Individual and family historical and genealogical accounts

The historical information about places, governments, buildings, and institutions can contribute significantly to your knowledge and can point you in new research directions. Historical accounts concerning a specific church congregation, for instance, may tell you that records from one defunct church went to another church when the congregations merged.

The last category is of particular significance, however. The accounts of family information can provide a great deal of detail for you. For instance, while visiting Newberry County, SC, last August, I found their county heritage book in the home of friends with whom I was staying. In it I found an article about a man in one line I was researching. That article listed names of his first and second wife. The second wife was the widow of another of my ancestors! As I followed the thread through two articles, I found a connection to another local family and that family had contributed an article complete with ancestral information taking that line back to England. Wow!

Not only are details provided in these articles that you can research. Usually the name and address of the contributing author is provided. You may therefore be able to make contact with the author and obtain additional information.

Bringing People Together
A county heritage book should not be considered a loose collection of stories or articles. The materials certainly are obtained from individual contributors with diverse experiences and perspectives, and are compiled into a single volume. Recognizing that the articles may be tainted with family pride and a little bit of embellishment, use such a book as a secondary source and be prepared to verify every fact presented.

In the meantime, look for these county heritage books as you visit libraries and state archives, and as you read genealogical journals and newsletters. When you encounter one from a place where your ancestors lived, invest the time to read through the entire book and you will discover common experiences, multiple accounts of the same era and the same events, and a cohesive knowledge of the county itself. As you do so, you will gain a deeper understanding of your ancestors, the environment in which they lived, and the experiences unique to the county in which they spent their lives.

Happy Hunting!

George

Copyright 2000, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved. George G. Morgan is a proud member of the Council of Genealogy Columnists. He would like to hear from you at atl@ahaseminars.com but, due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual research. Visit George's Web site at http://ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. George is also the author of The Genealogy Forum on America Online, which is available in the Ancestry Online Store at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/
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