April 17, 2026
Genealogy research is easier than it used to be. Nowadays, it’s often possible to find published sources and even copies of original records online. I suspect that many new genealogists assume that everything they need to complete a genealogy project can be found online.
While it’s true that there are amazing amounts of information available online, genealogists should remember that there is even more information in other, offline repositories. These sources can include museums, libraries and archives, but my favorite is the county courthouse.
In the United States, many of the records that genealogists rely on are kept at the county level. These records can include all sorts of public records such as birth/death certificates, marriage licenses, property deeds, tax records, probate records and court records.
In some places older records may have been transferred to the state archives. Some of the older records may also have been microfilmed or digitized. Family Search has digitized many courthouse records in the United States. Their goal was to preserve them and make them easily accessible for genealogical purposes. It’s always worthwhile to check websites such as Family Search and Ancestry to see what records are available.
However, not all courthouse records have been microfilmed or digitized. Some are still available only in their original paper format. At some point, a trip to a county courthouse will be necessary. I have found most courthouses welcoming, but I suggest checking whether in-person research is allowed before your visit. Some courthouses will not allow direct access to their records.
County courthouses are one of my favorite research venues. Seeing the records in their original repository can be meaningful. Many of the courthouses may even be the original buildings that our ancestors visited when they needed to file deeds or other records.
Years ago, my husband and I visited a courthouse in a small county seat on the eastern plains of Colorado. We were looking for property records for a great grand uncle. In those days, I hadn’t learned to check in advance, so we were surprised to find the courthouse mostly deserted at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Many of the offices seemed closed.
Luckily, the county recorder’s office was open. I asked the clerk about the deed books I needed. She responded that she was the only person in the office because the county fair began the next day. Everyone else was at the fairgrounds setting up for the fair.
She was happy for us to look at the books, but they were in a large walk-in safe in the courthouse basement. She opened the safe but explained she couldn’t stay since someone needed to be in the recorder’s office.
It was a little gloomy and chilly in that giant safe, but the grantee and grantor books were easy to figure out, so I got to work. I did ask my husband to stay outside the safe and make sure no one accidentally locked me inside. Spending a long weekend in that safe didn’t sound like fun.
I located the deeds I needed as quickly as I could and made copies. When we returned upstairs to tell the clerk we were finished, she invited us to the fairgrounds that evening to ride on the county’s prized antique carousel. She even presented us with free tickets.
Since we were staying in town overnight, we went. Everyone was very welcoming. The owner of the local title company invited us to his office the next day so we could use his maps to locate my ancestor’s land. Thanks to his help, we visited the property where my ancestor lived.
That courthouse visit is still one of my best genealogy memories. I found my ancestor’s records and rode a carousel. Nothing on the internet could have equaled that.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society