State Archive Directory, Alabama—Montana

Of course, the best way to support state libraries is to use them. To help you track which ones have resources relevant to your research, we’ve compiled this guide to statewide repositories and their treasures. Our list covers state archives, libraries and historical societies that have important genealogical holdings — 86 in all, arranged from Alabama to Wyoming. Each listing highlights that repository’s key resources for long-distance research, including interlibrary loan programs, online databases and reference services. Be sure to visit the Web sites for more details.

Alabama Department of Archives and History

624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130, (334)242-4435 <www.archives.state.al.us>

• Interlibrary loan: See the list of newspapers available for loan at <www.archives.state.al.us/newsp/newsp.html>.
• Reference services: The fee of $5 for residents and $20 for nonresidents includes up to 20 pages of photocopies.

Alaska State Library

333 Willoughby Ave., Floor 8, Juneau, AK 99811, (907) 465-2920 <www.library.state.ak.us>

• Interlibrary loan: The library loans newspapers; see the list at <www.library.state.ak.us/hist/newspaper/news.html>.

Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records

1700 W. Washington, State Capitol Room 300, Phoenix, AZ 85007, (602) 542-3942 <www.dlapr.lib.az.us/is/genealogy>

• Interlibrary loan: You can borrow up to four rolls of microfilmed newspaper per request. See <www.dlapr.lib.az.us/anp/titles.htm> for the list of newspapers.
• Reference services: Residents are allowed one and a half hours of free research twice every four months. Nonresidents are allowed one and a half hours of free research once every four months. All additional requests for research are $15.

Arkansas History Commission

1 Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501)682-6900 <www.ark-ives.com>

• Online databases: Search for residents of the Arkansas Confederate Home for indigent Confederate soldiers and their widows.
• Reference services: Click on Selected Materials for forms to request military service records or Confederate pensions ($15). Photocopies of newspaper articles cost 50 cents per page, with a $5 minimum charge for residents and a $10 minimum charge for nonresidents.

California State Library — Sacramento

900 North St., Room 200, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916)654-0176 <www.library.ca.gov/html/genealogy.cfm>

• Interlibrary loan:The library’s Sacramento location lends newspapers, county histories, the 1852 state census of California, the 1890 Great Register of Voters Index and many other items.
• Reference services: The library accepts brief reference questions by mail, phone, fax or e-mail. This branch has sources for research focusing on California history.

California State Library — Sutro

480 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132, (415) 731-4477 <www.library.ca.gov/about/sutro_main.html>

• Interlibrary loan: Materials may be lent to libraries in California (except rare items).
• Reference services: Sutro also accepts brief reference questions by mail, phone, fax or e-mail. Its large genealogical collection — the biggest west of Salt Lake City — covers areas beyond California.

Colorado Historical Society

1300 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, (303) 866-3682 <www.coloradohistory.org>

• Interlibrary loan: The collection doesn’t circulate, but you can purchase microfilmed newspapers.
• Reference services: Requests to photocopy specific pages from the historical society’s books and magazines cost $15 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. The fee includes the search, five pages of photocopies and postage. Additional photocopies cost 25 cents per page.

Colorado State Archives

1313 Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203, (303) 866-2358 or (303) 866-2390 <www.archives.state.co.us>

• Online databases: Dozens of Internet indexes cover birth, marriage, death, probate and other records. See the index to the 1870 Colorado census at <www.archives.state.co.us/1870/index.htm>.

Connecticut Historical Society

1 Elizabeth St., Hartford, CT 06105, (860)236-5621 <www.chs.org>

• Interlibrary loan: Members of the historical society may borrow up to three books per month. Postage and handling cost $5 per volume.

Connecticut State Library

231 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106, (860)757-6500 <www.cslib.org>

• Interlibrary loan: Newspapers on microfilm and extra copies of genealogies and local histories circulate. See <www.cslib.org/coll ill.htm> for a catalog of materials.
• Reference services:The library will search seven statewide indexes for one name in response to written requests only. The fee is $5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents.

Delaware Public Archives

121 Duke of York St., Dover, DE 19901, (302) 744-5000 <www.archives.state.de.us>

• Online databases: Check the Web site for indexes to Delaware probate records from 1680 to 1925 and naturalization papers. Digital images of Civil War records, naturalization papers and slavery papers are also indexed online.

Historical Society of Delaware

505 Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801, (302) 655-7161 <www.hsd.org>

• Reference services: Fees for nonmembers are $30 per hour of research or $5 minimum per name for an index check. Photocopies cost 25 cents per page.

Florida State Archives

500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, (850) 245-6700 <dlis.dos.state.fl.us/barm/fsa.html>

• Online databases: Images of 14,000 Florida Confederate pension application files are available at <dlis.dos.state.fi.us/barm/pensionfiles.html>.
• Reference services: Staff will search indexed records and books for up to 30 minutes per request. Photocopies cost 25 cents. You also can get a Confederate pension file for $7.50 plus $2 for mailing.

State Library of Florida

500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, (850) 245-6600 <dlis.dos.state.fl.us/stlib>

• Online databases: Click on Reference Services, and then on Genealogy Resources to search cemetery records. The library’s site also hosts a Florida biography index.

Georgia Department of Archives and History

5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260, (678) 364-3700 <www.georgiaarchives.org>

• Online databases: Click on Index to search the Georgia Land Lottery Grants to Revolutionary Veterans, 1820 to 1832.
• Reference services: The archives accepts requests by mail. Out-of-state requests cost $30 and in-state requests cost $15.

Hawaiian Historical Society

560 Kawaiahao St., Honolulu, HI 96813,(808)537-6271 <www.hawaiianhistory.org>

• Online databases:The Historical Society doesn’t provide online indexes, but see <www.hawaiianhistory.org/geneal.html> for an overview of Hawaiian genealogical records available on site.

Idaho State Historical Society

1109 Main St., Suite 250, Boise, ID 83702,(877)653-4367 <www.idahohistory.net/research.html>

• Interlibrary loan: You can borrow county records from 1864 to 1920 and newspapers. There’s a minimum $5 shipping fee for out-of-state libraries.
• Reference services: Questions are accepted by phone, fax, mail or e-mail. You’ll be charged for time-intensive requests. Photocopies cost 50 cents per page with a minimum charge of $5.

Illinois State Archives

Margaret Cross North Building, Capitol Complex, Springfield, IL 62756, (217) 782-4682

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

• Online databases: Go to <www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/databases.html> to search indexes of Illinois marriages before 1901, deaths from 1916 to 1950, land records, emancipation records and several veterans databases.
• Reference services: You can request copies of indexed records for up to two names at a time by phone, fax, mail or e-mail.

Illinois State Historical Library

Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62701, (217)524-7216 <www.state.il.us/hpa/lib/ishlgen.htm>

• Interlibrary loan: Circulating materials include microfilmed newspapers and selected books.
• Reference services: Staff will check Illinois county histories and indexes to marriage records, census records and cemetery inscriptions. Photocopies cost 25 cents per page, and the $10 reference fee for nonresidents includes up to 10 photocopies.

Illinois State Library

300 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701, (217) 785-5600 <www.library.sos.state.il.us/library/isl/isl.html>

• Interlibrary loan:The library lends census microfilm.

Indiana State Library

140 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204, (317)232-3689 <www.statelib.lib.in.us>

• Interlibrary loan: You can borrow microfilmed newspapers from the library.
• Online databases: Searchable databases include indexes of Indiana marriages up to 1850, an Indiana biography index and a cemetery locator.
• Reference services: Library staff will check indexed sources, and photocopies cost 25 cents plus postage. See <www.statelib.Iib.in.us/www/isl/ask/askgene.html> for request guidelines.

State Historical Society of Iowa

600 E. Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319, (515) 281-5111 and 402 Iowa Ave., Iowa City, IA 52240, (319)335-3916 <www.iowahistory.org>

• Interlibrary loan: Both locations lend microfilmed newspapers; it costs $6 for up to two reels. Iowa City lends census records, including the 1856, 1885 and 1915 state censuses, for $6 per county and census year.
• Reference services: Both locations answer requests from Iowa residents only. The $10 fee includes up to 30 minutes of research, up to five photocopies and postage. Staff will make photocopies for nonresidents if an exact citation is given.

Kansas State Historical Society

6425 SW South Ave., Topeka, KS 66615, (785)272-8681 <www.kshs.org>

• Interlibrary loan: Newspapers, Kansas territorial censuses from 1855 to 1859 and the state censuses of 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 and 1925 are loaned out up to two rolls at a time.
• Online databases: Look for the 1895 state census, 19th Kansas Cavalry (Indian Campaigns, 1868 to 1869) and Topeka State Hospital Cemetery Records.
• Reference services: Staff will check indexes and search for an obituary or other newspaper items. The $15 reference fee includes up to five photocopies.

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, KY 40602, (502)564-8300 <www.kdla.state.ky.us>

• Interlibrary loan: You can’t borrow from the department directly, but the University of Kentucky’s William T. Young Library <lib.uky.edu/repro> lends microfilmed newspapers.
• Reference services: Staff will check indexed records, including birth and death records (1852 to 1862,1874 to 1879 and 1891 to 1910), Civil War service records and state pension applications of Confederate veterans or their widows. The research fee for a 30-minute search is $6 for Kentucky residents and $15 for nonresidents. Use the forms on the archives’ Web site to submit your question.

Kentucky Historical Society

100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601, (502) 564-1792 <www.kyhistory.org>

• Online databases: The Kentucky Cemetery Records Database has 179,750 grave records from 3,170 cemeteries.
• Reference services: The $5 fee for Kentucky residents and $12 fee for nonresidents includes up to five photocopies. Use the form on the Web site to submit your question.

Louisiana State Archives

3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, (225) 922-1000 <sec.state.la.us/archives/archives/archives-index.htm>

• Reference services: Staff will check Louisiana death records from 1911 to 1951 and Orleans Parish birth records from 1819 to 1901, marriage records from 1870 to 1951 and death records from 1819 to 1951. They also will check indexes to Orleans Parish births from 1790 to 1818, marriages from 1831 to 1869 and deaths from 1804 to 1818, but the archives doesn’t have the records. It charges $5 to search three years of records and provide a certified photocopy.

Maine Historical Society

489 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101, (207) 774-1822 <www.mainehistory.org>

• Reference services: Staff will check indexed genealogies, town records and directories for information about one ancestor. The $20 fee includes one hour of research time and up to TO photocopies. Submit a question by phone, mail or e-mail.

Maine State Archives

84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, (207) 287-5795 <www.state.me.us/sos/arc/research>

• Online databases: Indexes of Maine marriages from 1892 to 1966 and from 1976 to 1996 and deaths from 1960 to 1996 are on the archives’ Web site.
• Reference services: A birth, marriage or death record between 1892 and 1922 costs $6 for an uncertified copy and $10 for a certified copy. Photocopies of other archives materials cost 15 cents per page plus 85 cents postage, with a minimum charge of $3. Phone, write or e-mail the archives with requests.

Maryland Historical Society

201 W. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21201, (410)685-3750 <www.mdhs.org>

• Reference services: The basic research fee of $12 for members and $16 for nonmembers includes up to one hour of research in indexed genealogical files and books. The extended research fee of $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers covers one hour of research throughout the entire collection. Use the Research Request Form on the Web site.

Maryland State Archives

350 Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, MD 21401, (410) 260-6400 <www.mdarchives.state.md.us>

• Online databases: Click on Reference and Research, and then on Electronic Indices to search census and death records. Go to <www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/Stagser/s1500/s1527/html/ssi1527.html> to search marriages abstracted from materials at the archives. At <www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stages/s1400/s1402/html/ssi1402.html>, you’ll find the index of Maryland Church Records, Deaths and Burials from 1669 to 1967.
• Reference services: The vital records service is temporarily suspended, but the entire contents of the indexes are expected to be online this fall. Other research requests will be processed for $25 an hour. If you provide an exact citation, staff will also photocopy records for $2 per page. You may place an order for research or photocopy services via mail, e-mail or fax.

Massachusetts Archives

220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125, (617)727-2816 <www.state.ma.us/sec/arc/arcidx.htm>

• Reference services: Staff will do a brief search of vital records from 1841 to 1910, passenger lists, census schedules, military records and naturalization records in response to a question submitted by fax, mail or e-mail.

Massachusetts Historical Society

1154 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, (617)536-1608 <masshist.org>

• Interlibrary loan: You can borrow microfilmed materials, including early American newspapers and more than 100 manuscript collections.
• Reference services: Submit a reference question by e-mail from the Web site.

Library of Michigan

702 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing, MI 48909, (517)373-1364 <www.michigan.gov/hal>

• Interlibrary loan: Microfilmed newspapers may be borrowed only through Michigan libraries.
• Online databases: An index to heads of household in the 1870 census of Michigan <envoy.libraryofmichigan.org/1870_census> links to images of the census pages.

State Archives of Michigan

702 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing, MI 48909, (517)373-1408 <www.michigan.gov/hal>

• Online databases: Search indexes to naturalization records in Michigan.
• Reference services: Staff will check indexes to naturalization, vital, military or land records in response to your question submitted by mail, phone or via the Web site. Photocopies cost 20 cents from paper and 25 cents from microfilm.

Minnesota Historical Society

345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102, (651)296-6126 <www.mnhs.org/library>

• Interlibrary loan: Newspapers, naturalization records and Minnesota state censuses may be borrowed for $3 per roll plus $2.50 postage.
• Online databases: The society’s site hosts an index to Minnesota death certificates that covers 1908 to 1996.
• Reference services: Staff can search federal censuses, military records and obituaries for a fee of $12 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. Co to <www.mnhs.org/library/about/email.html> to print forms for submitting research requests.

Mississippi Department of Archives & History

100 State St., Jackson, MS 39205, (601)359-6850 <www.mdah.state.ms.us>

• Interlibrary loan: The archives has newspapers dating back to 1801, but doesn’t circulate them.
• Reference services: Staff can search county marriage records and Mississippi death records from November 1912 to 1943. One hour of research is free to Mississippi residents and costs $15 for nonresidents.

Missouri State Archives

600 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65102, (573) 751-3280 <www.sos.state.mo.us/archives>

• Online databases: The Missouri Birth & Death Records Database <www.sos.state.mo.us/archives/resources/birthdeath> has records before 1909. The World War I Military Service Cards Database <www.sos.state.mo.us/archives/ww1> has abstracts of 145,000 service cards for the US Army and Marines, as well as digitized images of 18,500 US Navy service cards.
• Reference services: You may submit questions by phone, mail or e-mail, or use the forms on the Web site.

State Historical Society of Missouri

1020 Lowry St., Columbia, MO 65201, (573) 882-7083 <www.system.missouri.edu/shs>

• Interlibrary loan: Newspapers, county history books, city and county directories, land-ownership maps and periodicals are available; see the list of newspapers at <www.system.missouri.edu/shs/newspaper.html>. You can borrow two rolls of microfilm at a time. Residents pay $6 and nonresidents pay $7.
• Reference services: Nonresidents and nonmembers are charged $15 for up to one hour of research.

Montana Historical Society

225 N. Roberts, Helena, MT 59620, (406) 444-2694 <www.his.state.mt.us>

• Interlibrary loan: The society lends microfilmed newspapers and manuscripts, as well as oral history tapes. Cost is $10 per shipment for out-of-state libraries.