EXPLORING YOUR ROOTS
IN THE
COUNTY COURT HOUSE
PRESENTED BY
GERRY LENZEN
FOR
JEWISH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF OREGON
WEDNESDAY,
FEBRUARY 19, 2008
EXPLORING YOUR ROOTS
IN THE COUNTY COURT HOUSE
COURT RECORDS
CRIMINAL
CIVIL
PROBATE
LAND RECORDS
DEEDS
MORTGAGES
REAL PROPERTY JUDGMENTS
VITAL RECORDS
BIRTHS
MARRIAGES
DEATHS
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS
TAX ROLLS
VOTER REGISTRATIONS
NATURALIZATIONS
EXPLORING YOUR ROOTS
IN THE COUNTY COURT HOUSE
References
Andriot, Jay, comp. Township Atlas of the United States. Documents Index, Inc.: McLean, Virginia, 1991.
Bentley, Elizabeth P. County Courthouse Book. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992.
Black, Henry C. Black’s Law Dictionary. (any edition). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co., various dates.
Eichholz, Alice. ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: AmericanState, County and Town Sources. Third Edition. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Inc., 2004.
Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000.
Hone, E. Wade, with Heritage Consulting Services. Land & Property Research In The United States. Salt lake City, UT: Ancestry Inc., 1997.
Handybook for Genealogists, The;United States of America. Tenth Edition. Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002.
Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2007.
Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, ed. The Source; A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Revised Edition. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1997.
EXPLORING YOUR ROOTS
IN THE COUNTY COURT HOUSE
Websites
Arkansas Research – Desmond Walls Allen
Beginner’s Guide to Family History Research, Chapter 6, Court House Research
Cyndis List
Locate state, then county desired.
Genealogy.com
How-To Guide, Resources by County.
Heritage Quest
Genealogy 101, Step 7, Search at the State and CountyLevel.
RootsWeb
DearMyrtle’s Genealogy for Beginners, Lessons 6, 20, 32, & 33.
Guide to Tracing Family Trees, Numerical Index to Guides.
US Gen Web
State to CountyLinks.
Vital Records
Addresses for Vital Record Localities; No Land Record Links.
EXPLORING YOUR ROOTS
IN THE COUNTY COURT HOUSE
1. COURT RECORDS
A. Criminal (Custodian -- CountyClerk)
B. Civil (Custodians -- CountyClerk and Register of Probate), includes actions:
1. For possession of property, real and personal
2. For partition of property
3. To quiet title
4. For foreclosures
5. For divorces and others
C. Probate (Custodian -- Judge of Probate)
1. Wills
2. Petition for Probate of Will
3. Letters Testamentary
4. Petition for Letters Testamentary
5. Letters of Administration
6. Petition for Letters of Administration
7. Bond of Executor or Administrator
8. Inventory and Appraisement
9. Notice to Creditors
10. Miscellaneous Affidavits
11. Petitions to Determine Heirship
12. Decree of Distribution
13. Release Signed by Heirs
14. Guardianship Papers (Minors and Incompetents)
15. Adoption Proceedings
16. Sale of Real Estate of Intestates
17. Antenuptial Agreements
18. Delayed Birth Certificates
19. Marriage Waivers
20. Change of Names
21. Secret Marriages
22. Escheat Proceedings
EXPLORING YOUR ROOTS
IN THE COUNTY COURT HOUSE
2. Land Records (Custodian -- Register of Deeds)
A. Deeds
B. Mortgages
C. Leases
D. Recorded Wills
E. Contracts Pertaining to Real Property
F. Powers of Attorney
G. Miscellaneous Affidavits
H. Judgments and Decrees Affecting Real Property
I. Maps and Plats
3. Vital Records (Custodian -- CountyClerk)
A. Birth Certificates
B. Marriage License and Intentions to Marry
C. Marriage License Returns
D. Marriage Records
E. Death Certificates
4. Miscellaneous Records
A. Assessment and Tax Rolls
B. Register of Voters
C. Miscellaneous Records Pertaining to Land
D. Coroner's Files
E. Minutes of Board of Supervisor's Meetings
F. Naturalization Records
Source: Williams, Ethel W.; Know Your Ancestors; pages 51-52; Rutland, Vermont, 1972.
© Gerald S. Lenzen 10411 SW 41st Ave. Portland, OR97219-6984
Phone: 503-244-4357 Cell: 971- 227-0087 E-mail: