Courthouse records are under-utilized but rich in data

In her article, "Meet Me At the Courthouse," Melissa Slate offers some insight on the wealth of information to be found in courthouse records, "a very under-utilized resource." The distinction between Civil and Criminal records is explained, along with the types of documents that might be found.

Researching the Kansas State Census

Not all states conducted what are referred to as "state" censuses. Only a handful did, but for those who have ancestors in a state with a state census, it can provide a goldmine of information. In her article, "The Kansas State Census," Gena Philibert-Ortega provides insights for using state census records, which may sometimes be more informative than their federal counterpart. The approach for searching the Kansas state census can certainly be applied to researching other states, as well.

Court records in Kentucky donated to genealogy library

A recent donation from City Hall to the Glenn E. Martin Genealogy Library in Princeton, Kentucky offers the public a glimpse at a rich, if less-than-noble, facet of the community’s history. City officials, in the process of moving records from the old City Hall on North Jefferson Street to the new building on East Market Street, removed seven crates full of bound volumes of police court dockets, judgments, bail bond issues, warrants and other documents. The documents date from as far back as January 1912 and end in 1977. “There’s a lot of rich history in there,” said City Clerk Julie Key. To preserve the records, Key suggested and the City approved donating them to the Library, where they will now be on permanent display and accessible to researchers. The transfer of records was announced in a Princeton Times Leader, "Genealogy library receive court records."