Alabama Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

Most archives and libraries collect records about local residents (biographies, family histories, and local histories) and about nearby places (maps, gazetteers, and place-finding aids). They often compile reference helps and special indexes to important local sources. In many communities they serve as a meeting place for local historical and genealogical societies, and may be able to provide referrals to people who are willing to look up information in local records. Before you visit an archive or a library, contact them and ask for information on their collection, hours, services, and fees.  

When one of these institutions is referred to elsewhere in this outline, return to this section for the address.  

The Family History Library has copies of many of the records found in archives and libraries, but most repositories will have additional sources.  

Many archives and libraries have helpful sources for locating information about Alabama, such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids. They frequently have collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies. Many have record-finding aids, such as guides to their own collections or inventories of records housed elsewhere in the state. Archives and libraries near state boundaries usually collect records relating to the adjacent states.  

The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers:  

''Alabama Department of Archives and History'''<br>624 Washington Avenue<br>Montgomery, AL 36130-0100 <br>Telephone: 334-242-4435 <br>Fax: 334-240-3433 <br>'''''E-mail: '''[mailto:n.dupree@archives.alabama.gov n.dupree@archives.alabama.gov]''''''<br>'''Internet address: '''[http://www.archives.state.al.us/ www.archives.alabama.gov]<br>'''

The mailing address is:<br>P.O. Box 300100 <br>Montgomery, AL 36130-0100  

The Department of Archives and History (closed Mondays) has the following records: federal and state censuses; vital records (birth, death, marriage, and divorce); county records (deeds, wills, and other probate records); land, military, and military discharge records (DD214s); surname files; city directories; African-American records (Reconstruction to the present); American Indian records; and immigration and naturalization records.  

'''National Archives'''—Southeast Region (Atlanta)<br>5780 Jonesboro Road<br>Morrow, Georgia 30260<br>Phone: 770-968-2100<br>E-mail: '''[mailto://atlanta.archives@nara.gov/ atlanta.archives@nara.gov]'''<br>Internet address: '''http://www.archives.gov/southeast/'''  

'''Birmingham Public Library'''<br>2100 Park Place<br>Birmingham, AL 35203 <br>Telephone: 205-226-3665 <br>''''''E-mail: '''[mailto:jpate@bham.lib.al.us jpate@bham.lib.al.us] <br>'''Internet address: '''[http://www.bham.lib.al.us/ www.bham.lib.al.us/]'''  

'''Samford University Library'''<br>Special Collection Department<br>800 Lakeshore Drive<br>Birmingham, AL 35229 <br>Telephone: 205-726-2749 <br>Fax: 205-726-2642 <br>Internet address: '''http://library.samford.edu/about/special.html'''  

'''Mobile Public Library'''<br>Local History Dept. <br>704 Government Street<br>Mobile, AL 36602-1499 <br>Telephone: 334-208-7093 <br>Fax: 334-208-5866 <br>E-mail: '''[mailto:mpllhg@acan.net mpllhg@acan.net]'''<br>Internet address: '''[http://www.mplonline.org/ www.mplonline.org]'''  

'''William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library'''<br>University of Alabama <br>Second Floor<br>Mary Harmon Bryant Hall<br>500 Hackberry Lane<br>Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0266 <br>Telephone: 205-348-0500 <br>Fax: 205-348-1699 <br>E-mail: '''[mailto:archives@bama.ua.edu archives@bama.ua.edu]'''<br>Internet address: '''[http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole/ www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole/]'''  

The mailing address is:<br>P.O. Box 870266 <br>Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0266  

'''Auburn University'''<br>Special Collections Department<br>Auburn University Libraries<br>231 Mell Street<br>Auburn University, AL 36849<br>Phone: 334-844-4500 or 800-446-0387<br>Internet: '''http://www.lib.auburn.edu/special/'''  

''''''<br>The library has a large genealogical collection and a helpful worldwide web site.'''''

To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Alabama counties, use the 14 inventories of county archives, published by the Historical Records Survey from 1938 to 1942. These were published for: Clay, Colbert, Conecuh, Cullman, Greene, Hale, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Madison, Marengo, Sumter, Talladega, Wilcox, and Winston counties. The Family History Library has the inventories for Colbert, Conecuh, Cullman, Hale, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Marengo, and Talladega counties. To find these in the Family History Library Catalog see:  

ALABAMA, [COUNTY]- ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES  

=== [[Burned Counties Research|Courthouse Fires]] ===

Fires occurred in many county courthouses. If records are missing , you can often find cemetery records, censuses, church records, newspapers, Bible records, military service and pension records, delayed birth certificates, or records in neighboring counties that have similar information. Sometimes landowners registered their deeds after a courthouse fire. The following list shows when courthouses were damaged by fire:  

**Baker 1870  

**Butler 1853  

**Calhoun 1861, 1865  

**Cherokee 1882  

**Chilton 1870  

**Choctaw 1871  

**Clay 1875  

**Coffee 1877  

**Conecuh 1868, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1900  

**Coosa 1900  

**Covington 1839, 1847, 1878, 1895  

**Crenshaw 1898  

**Dale 1869, 1885  

**Fayette 1866, 1916  

**Franklin 1890

**Geneva 1898  

**Greene 1868  

**Jackson 1864, 1920  

**Jefferson 1870  

**Lawrence 1859  

**Limestone 1862  

**Marengo 1848, 1965  

**Marion 1866, 1883  

**Mobile 1823, 1840, 1872  

**Monroe 1832  

**Morgan 1926, 1938  

**Pickens 1864, 1876  

**Pike 1828

**Randolph 1897  

**Sumter 1901  

**Walker 1865, 1877, 1886, 1932  

**Winston 1891

The above list was compiled from ''Research in Alabama'' by Wendy L. Elliott and ''Researching in Alabama: A Genealogical Guide'' by Marilyn Davis Barefield.