Guide To The US State Archives

One of the most important resources that a family historian can access in the United States is the State Archives. Below are links to each state's archives, as well as the National Archives. The individual archives are the repositories for most, if not all of the millions of records generated by the mucicipal, county and state governments, as well as those relating to the history of the state.

Records and collections will usually include birth, marriage, death and probate records, as well as county and local histories, states census records, diaries, letters, directories, tax rolls, county deeds, maps, military records and pension files, estate papers, mortgages, assessment books, land grants, voter registration rolls, photographs and sometimes rather unusual materials. One of the most popular collections held by many local archives include newspapers (usually on microfilm), as well as indexes to births, marriages and deaths that were reported in those publications.

Alabama
Arkansas
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Many of the individual state archives are also members of the inter-library loan program, which allows certain materials such as microfilm or books to be lent out for short periods, but of course, many older original items are in such fragile condition, that they either must be consulted onsite or on microfilm. If you have the opportunity to visit your local archive in person, you should find many of the records that relate to your research if your ancestors spent time in the state.