Research in the States

Knowing Where to Look is Half the Battle
Let NGS Research in the States be Your Guide

When you are building your family tree, knowing what records exist and what repositories hold records for the geographic area you are researching is the key to locating records for your ancestors. The National Genealogical Society’s Research in the States series will quickly help guide you to the records you are searching for.

Research in the States guidebooks typically offer an overview of a state’s history and shifting demographics. They also include:

  • A description and location, phone number, and website address of major and lesser known archives, libraries, societies, and federal repositories
  • Research resources such as atlases, gazetteers, and maps; business, probate, and court records; colonial enumerations and state and federal censuses; city and county directories; and religious and military records
  • State specific records such as California’s mission system and movie industry; probate law in Texas under Spanish and Mexican governments; Missouri records created by the Spanish and French governments prior to the Louisiana Purchase; and even various states’ cattle brands
  • Ethnic resources on European immigrants as well as Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic and Asian Americans

These concise guides are invaluable resources for family historians and genealogists. All are available in print or downloadable PDF files. To purchase your copy, visit the NGS store.

The Research in the States series is edited by Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FUGA, FVGS, a former NGS president and editor of the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy.

State Titles Currently Available