In a word, no. Salt Lake City’s Family History Library (http://www.familysearch.org) is a wonderful library in which to research. Their collection of genealogy materials is the largest in the world. But remember that they do not have everything. For many Illinois counties, the Family History Library does not have personal property tax records from the mid-nineteenth century and later. While most genealogical problems do not require the use of these records, there are times when these records are helpful in placing a specific person in a specific location at a specific point in time. There are other counties where court case packets have not been filmed and where tract indexes to land records are still accessible only at the courthouse. The Family History Library is an excellent place […]
A few things worth remembering: Indexes to courthouse records are not always strictly alphabetical. Sometimes they are indexed only the first letter of the last name. Some indexes are partially by last name and then by first name. The Mc and Mac names can be at the front or the end of the “M” section. Not every party in a lawsuit appears in the defendant or plaintiff index. Indexes can be incorrect or missing. Courthouses may have indexes to records that were not filmed by the Family History Library. A good idea is to ask a local person from the area who is familiar with the records. These people can be an excellent resource. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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