Land of the Free

You’re online, hoping to get lucky and find information on your Civil War-era Arizona ancestor, but all you get is a bunch of pop-up ads. Your search for Illinois pioneer progenitors produces only a vast frontier of worthless hits. Sound familiar? Don’t give up just yet: Our alphabetical state-by-state links list is full of America’s best lesser-known genealogical gold mines — 222 altogether, and all free.

To compile this compendium, we scoured the Web for state-specific sites where you can find actual ancestral data. We gave a nod to sites featuring indexes, record transcriptions and state-specific how-to tips over links-laden destinations and state pages that are part of national or regional “umbrella” sites. You’ll find handpicked research resources for every US state from Alabama to Wyoming. So stop wasting time sorting the cream of the crop from the worst of the Web — just log on and start digging.

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama Civil War Roots

<www.rootsweb.com/~alcwroot>

Alabama Department of Archives & History: Genealogists and Historians

<www.archives.state.al.us/ge.html>

Alabama GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~algenweb>

Birmingham Public Library

<www.bham.lib.al.us>

Mobile Genealogical Society

<www.mobileroots.com>

Tracking Your Alabama Roots

<www.trackingyourroots.com>

ALASKA

? Alaska GenWeb Project

<www.akgenweb.org>

? Alaska Historical Collections

<www.library.state.ak.us/hist/hist.html>

? Yukon and Alaska Genealogy Centre

<yukonalaska.com/pathfinder/gen>

ARIZONA

? 1883 Pensioners on the Roll

<homepages.rootsweb.com/~godwin/reference/arizona1883.html>

? Arizona Genealogy Birth and Death Certificates

<genealogy.az.gov>

? Arizona GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~azgenweb>

? Arizona State Genealogical Society

<www.rootsweb.com/~asgs>

ARKANSAS

? Arkansas Civil War Information

<www.rootsweb.com/~arcivwar>

? Arkansas GenWeb Project

<www.argenweb.net>

? Arkansas History Commission Selected Materials

<www.ark-ives.com/selected_ materials>

? Ouiser’s Arkansas History Web Page

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ouisersplace>

CALIFORNIA

? California County History

<csac.counties.org/counties_close_up/county_history>

? California Death Records

<vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi>

? California GenWeb Project

<www.cagenweb.com>

? Foreign-Born Voters of California, 1872

<feefhs.org/fbvca/fbvcagri.html>

? San Francisco CallDatabase 1869-1895

<feefhs.org/fdb2/sfcalli.html>

? San Francisco Genealogy

<www.sfgenealogy.com>

? Who Perished: A List of Persons Who Died as a Result of the Great Earthquake of 1906

<www.sfmuseum.org/perished>

COLORADO

? Colorado Clues

<www.coloradoclues.com>

? Colorado GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~cogenweb>

? Colorado State Archives

<www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives>

? Denver Public Library Genealogy and Obituaries

<www.denverlibrary.org/research/genealogy>

? Ghostseekers

<www.ghostseekers.com>

CONNECTICUT

? Colonial Connecticut Records, 1636-1776

<www.colonialct.uconn.edu>

? Connecticut GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~ctgenweb>

? French-Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut Resources

<www.fcgsc.org/resources.htm>

DELAWARE

? Delaware Families Project

<delgensoc.org/delfam.html>

? Delaware GenWeb Project

<www.degenweb.org>

? State of Delaware Public Archives

<www.state.de.us/sos/dpa>

FLORIDA

? Civil War Military Units in Florida

<www.psy.fsu.edu /~thompson/cw/units.html>

? Florida GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~flgenweb>

? Florida State Archives

<dlis.dos.state.fl.us/barm/fsa.html>

GEORGIA

? Georgia Civil War Pension Records

<docuweb.gsu.edu/civilwar.htm>

? Georgia Department of Archives and History

<www.georgiaarchives.org>

? Georgia GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~gagenweb>

? Georgia Roots Gateway

<www.geocities.com/heartland/plains/3956>

? Muster Rolls CSA Units

<home.earthlink.net/~bwjohnson/csa/csa_list.htm>

? Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society

<www.swggs.org>

HAWAII

? Hawaii GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~higenweb>

? Hawaiian Historical Society

<www.hawaiianhistory.org>

? Hawaiian Roots

<www.hawaiian-roots.com>

? IslandRoutes

<www.islandroutes.com>

? Mamiya Medical Heritage Center: Doctors of Hawaii

<hml.org/mmhc/mdindex/mdindex.html>

IDAHO

? Brigham Young University-Idaho Family History Center Resources

<abish.byui.edu/specialcollections/fhc/familyhistory.htm>

? Idaho GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~idgenweb>

? Mining Life in Idaho

<www.usroots.com/~idmining>

? Nez Perce Genealogy Page

<home.pacbell.net/rgadley/nez_perce.html>

ILLINOIS

? Genealogy and Family History Research in Illinois

<outfitters.com/illinois/history/family>

? Illinois Emancipation and Servitude Records

<www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/servant.html>

? Illinois GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~ilgenweb>

? Illinois State Archives Databases

<www.library.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/databases.html>

? Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

<www.library.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/marriage.html>

? Illinois Trails

<www.iltrails.org>

INDIANA

? Allen County Public Library Historical Genealogy Department

<www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy>

? Indiana Genealogy

<www.ipfw.edu/ipfwhist/indiana/genealog.htm>

? Indiana GenWeb Project

<www.ingenweb.org>

? Indiana State Library Genealogy Division

<www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/isl/whoweare/genealogy.html>

IOWA

? Iowa Documents

<www.kinyon.com/iowa>

? Iowa Genealogical Society

<www.iowagenealogy.org>

? Iowa GenWeb Project

<www.iagenweb.org>

KANSAS

? Kansas Family History

<www.ukans.edu/heritage/families/families_main.html >

? Kansas Genealogy and History Sites

<members.aol.com/rprost/kansas.html>

? Kansas GenWeb Project

<skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb>

? Kansas Heritage Group

<www.ku.edu/heritage>

? Kansas State Historical Society

<www.kshs.org/genealogists>

KENTUCKY

? Eastern Kentucky Genealogy and History Connections

<www.bright.net/~kat>

? Kentuckiana Genealogy

<www.kentuckianagenealogy.org>

? Kentucky Cemetery Records Database

<catalog.kyhistory.org/help/cem_database_intro.htm>

? Kentucky GenWeb Project

<www.kygenweb.net>

? Kentucky Vital Records Index

<ukcc.uky.edu/~vitalrec >

? KySeeker

<www.kyseeker.com>

? Revolutionary War Warrants

<www.sos.state.ky.us/intranet/revwscr.asp>

? Southeastern Kentucky Roots

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sekr>

? Surnames of Kentucky

<www.skyn.net/ky>

LOUISIANA

? Acadian-Cajun Genealogy & History

<www.acadian-cajun.com>

? Confederate Pension Applications Index Database

<sec.state.la.us/archives/gen/cpa-index.htm>

? New Orleans Public Library: City Archives & Special Collections

<www.nutrias.org/~nopl/spec/speclist.htm>

MAINE

? Jean’s Maine Genealogy Page

<www.mnopltd.com/jean>

? Maine GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~megenweb>

? Maine Memory Network

<www.mainememory.net>

? Maine.gov Genealogy Resources

<www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/genealogy.html>

? Research at the Maine State Archives

<www.state.me.us/sos/arc/research/homepage.htm>

MARYLAND

? Handley’s Eastern Shore Maryland Genealogy Project

<www.tyaskin.com/handley>

? Immigrant Communities in Maryland

<www.dove.umd.edu/~mddlmddl/791/communities/html>

? Maryland Genealogy Resources

<www.marylandgenealogy.com>

? Maryland GenWeb Project

<www.mdgenweb.org>

? Maryland State Archives

<www.mdarchives.state.md.us>

MASSACHUSETTS

? Colonial Massachusetts and Maine Genealogies

<home.earthlink.net/~anderson207>

? Massachusetts Cemetery Directory

<mass-doc.com/mass_cemetery_ guide.htm>

? Massachusetts Civil War Research Center

<www.fitzware.com>

? Massachusetts Genealogy: Marriages 1841-1850

<www.angelfire.com/ma2/massmarriages>

? Massachusetts GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~magenweb>

? Mayflower History.com

<www.mayflowerhistory.com>

MICHIGAN

? Genealogical Death Indexing System

<www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/gendisx>

? Library of Michigan 1870 Census Index

<envoy.libofmich.lib.mi.us/1870_census>

? Michigan Cemetery Sources

<michigancemeteries.libraryofmichigan.org>

? Michigan Family History Network

<www.mifamilyhistory.org>

? Michigan GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~migenweb>

MINNESOTA

? 1849 Minnesota Territorial Census

<www.parkbooks.com/Html/res_18~1.html>

? First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment

<www1.minn.net/~cbarden/firstmn.html>

? Minnesota GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~mngenweb>

? Minnesota Historical Society Death Certificate Index

<people.mnhs.org/dci>

MISSISSIPPI

? 1895 US Atlas — Mississippi

<www.livgenmi.com/1895/MS>

? Mississippi Connections

<www.mississippiconnections.nisa.com>

? Mississippi Department of Archives and History

<www.mdah.state.ms.us>

? Mississippi GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~msgenweb>

MISSOURI

? Missouri Death Index

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nettimae/modeaths>

? Missouri GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~mogenweb/mo.htm>

? Missouri Pioneers

<www.rootsweb.com/~mopionee>

? Missouri State Archives

<www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/resources.asp>

MONTANA

? Cheyenne Ancestors

<www.cheyenneancestors.com>

? Montana GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~mtgenweb>

? Montana Historical Society

<his.state.mt.us>

? Montana State Genealogical Society

<www.rootsweb.com/~mtmsgs>

? Mountain Men and the Fur Trade

<xmission.com/~drudy/amm.html>

? Yellowstone Genealogy Forum

<www.rootsweb.com/~mtygf>

NEBRASKA

? Nebraska GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~negenweb>

? Nebraska State Historical Society

<www.nebraskahistory.org>

NEVADA

? Nevada GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~nvgenweb>

? Nevada Online Census Database

<dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/shpo/nvcensus>

? Western States Marriage Record Index

<abish.byui.edu/specialcollections/fhc/gbsearch.htm>

NEW HAMPSHIRE

? The New Hampshire Civil War History and Genealogy Project

<www.usgennet.org/usa/nh/topic/civilwar>

? New Hampshire GenWeb Project

<www.usroots.com/~usgwnhus>

? New Hampshire Society of Genealogists

<nhsog.org>

NEW JERSEY

? New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management

<www.njarchives.org>

? New Jersey GenWeb Project

<www.njgenweb.org>

? New Jersey Local Name Search

<www.state.nj.us/infobank/locality.htm>

? Official Register of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War

<bergen.njstatelib.org/plweb/dbnjdefin.html#register>

NEW MEXICO

? Beyond Origins of New Mexico Families

<pages.prodigy.net/bluemountain1/beyondorigins.htm>

? Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico

<www.hgrc-nm.org>

? New Mexico Census Records

<www.newmexicogenealogy.com/census.htm>

? New Mexico Genealogical Society

<www.nmgs.org>

? New Mexico GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~nmgenweb>

NEW YORK

? The Irish in 19th-Century New York City and Beyond

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nyirish/research.html>

? Long Island Genealogy

<longislandgenealogy.com>

? New York GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb>

? New York State Archives

<www.archives.nysed.gov>

? New York Times Death Notices Index

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nytdn>

NORTH CAROLINA

? North Carolina GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~ncgenweb>

? North Carolina State Archives

<www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/arch>

? Western NC Genealogy Resource Center

<www.goldenbranches.com/nc-state>

NORTH DAKOTA

? North Dakota GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~ndgenweb>

? North Dakota State University Institute for Regional Studies

<www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/bio&genealogy>

OHIO

? Miami Valley Genealogical Index

<www.pcdl.lib.oh.us/miami>

? Ohio Genealogical Society

<www.ogs.org>

? Ohio GenWeb Project

<www.scioto.org/OHGenWeb>

? Ohio Historical Society Research Tools

<www.ohiohistory.org/ar_tools.html>

? Pioneer Migration Routes Through Ohio

<homepages.rootsweb.com/~maggieoh/pioneer.html>

OKLAHOMA

? African-Native American History and Genealogy Home Page

<www.african-nativeamerican.com>

? OKBits

<www.rootsweb.com/~okbits>

? Oklahoma GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb>

? Southwest Oklahoma Family History

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~swokla>

OREGON

? Heritage Trail Press: Oregon Death Index

<www.heritagetrailpress.com/death_index>

? Oregon GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~orgenweb>

? Oregon Historical Records Index

<genealogy.state.or.us>

? Oregon State Archives Genealogy Records

<arcweb.sos.state.or.us/banners/genealogy.htm>

PENNSYLVANIA

? Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

<www.libertynet.org/gspa>

? Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

<www.pghhistory.org/landa>

? Palatine German Immigrant Ships to Philadelphia 1727-1808

<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~pagermanpioneers>

? Pennsylvania GenWeb Project

<www.pagenweb.org>

? Pennsylvania State Archives

<www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us>

? Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War

<www.pacivilwar.com>

? Soldiers of the Great War: Pennsylvania

<www.clpgh.org/locations/pennsylvania/genealogy/wwi.html>

RHODE ISLAND

? Rhode Island Cemeteries Database

<www.members.tripod.com/~debyns/cemetery.html>

? Rhode Island USGenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb>

SOUTH CAROLINA

? Early South Carolina Newspaper Database

<www.escndatabase.com>

? Index of Probate Records in the Union County Courthouse, 1782-1865

<members.aol.com/unionscgen/probindx/unscprob.htm>

? South Carolina Death Indexes 1915-1953

<www.scdhec.net/vr/di/default.htm>

? South Carolina Department of Archives and History

<www.state.sc.us/scdah>

? South Carolina GenWeb Project

<geocities.com/heartland/hills/3837>

? South Carolina Historical Society

<www.schistory.org>

? South Carolina Marriage Records

<www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sc/sca_marr.html>

? Union Civil War Prisoners of War Originally Buried at the Charleston Race Course

<home.att.net/~edboots/charlestondead.htm>

SOUTH DAKOTA

? Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years

<www.state.sd.us/applications/ph14over100birthrec>

? South Dakota Bureau of Land Management Land Database

<www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sd/land/sdland.htm>

? South Dakota GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~sdgenweb>

TENNESSEE

? Abstracts From Tennessee Newspapers

<www.rootsweb.com/~tnnews>

? East Tennessee Historical Society

<www.east-tennessee-history.org>

? Index to Obituaries in Chattanooga Newspapers 1897-Present

<www.lib.chattanooga.gov/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?4318+getdatabase+1>

? Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War

<www.tngennet.org/revwar>

? Tennessee GenWeb Project

<www.tngenweb.org>

? Tennessee State Library and Archives

<state.tn.us/sos/statelib/pubsvs/intro.htm>

TEXAS

? Galveston Immigration Database

<www.tsm-elissa.org/immigration-main.htm>

? Handbook of Texas Online

<www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online>

? Lone Star Junction

<lsjunction.com>

? LoneStar Genealogy

<www.lonestargenealogy.com>

? Texas GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~txgenweb>

? Texas State Library and Archives Commission Genealogy

<www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/genfirst.html>

UTAH

? Utah Census Search

<www.xmission.com/~nelsonb/census_search.htm>

? Utah Digital Newspapers

<www.lib.utah.edu/digital/unews>

? Utah GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~utgenweb>

? Utah State History

<history.utah.gov>

? Utah State History Burials Database

<webapps.dced.state.ut.us/burials/execute/searchburials>

? Western States Marriage Record Index

<abish.byui.edu/specialcollections/fhc/gbsearch.htm>

VERMONT

? Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society

<www.vt-fcgs.org>

? Vermont GenWeb Project

<home.att.net/~local_history/VT_History.htm>

? Vermont in the Civil War

<vermontcivilwar.org>

VIRGINIA

? 1835 Federal Pension List for Virginia

<www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/va/vapensio.htm>

? Library of Virginia

<www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave>

? Virginia GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~vagenweb>

? Virtual Jamestown

<www.virtualjamestown.org>

WASHINGTON

? Vancouver Barracks Cemetery Index

<www.geocities.com/eureka/4458/vanbar.html>

? Washington GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~wagenweb>

? Washington Place Names

<search.tpl.lib.wa.us/wanames>

? Washington State Archives Historical Records Search

<www.secstate.wa.gov/history/search.aspx>

? Washington State Genealogical Society

<www.rootsweb.com/~wasgs>

WEST VIRGINIA

? Allegheny Regional Family History Society

<www.swcp.com/~dhickman>

? Early Virginia/WVA Genealogy

<www.sonic.net/~melvaw>

? West Virginia GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~wvgenweb>

? West Virginia State Archives

<www.wvculture.org/history/wvsamenu.html>

WISCONSIN

? Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Genealogy

<www.2manitowoc.com>

? Wisconsin GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~wigenweb>

? Wisconsin Historical Society

<www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives>

WYOMING

? Western States Marriage Record Index

<abish.byui.edu/specialcollections/fhc/gbsearch.htm>

? Wyoming GenWeb Project

<www.rootsweb.com/~wygenweb>

? Wyoming State Archives and Historical Research

<wyoarchives.state.wy.us/research.htm>