July 19, 2024
Like most genealogists, I spend much of my research time in front of a computer. With so many records available at the click of a button, it’s easy to forget that not everything can be accessed from your own desk.
For example, local courthouses hold all sorts of important records that have not and may not ever be digitized. A wealth of information can be found in courthouses since they are the repository for local land records, probate records, and vital records such as marriage licenses and certificates. Various court records including both civil and criminal cases, naturalization records, adoption records and more are also found at courthouses.
A few years ago, my sister and I visited the county courthouse in Meeker County, Minnesota. Our paternal grandfather and his extended family lived there for a few years after his parents immigrated from Sweden. During their time in Meeker County, these relatives bought land in the area. Various family members married and started families. Some members of the family died, as well. Few of these records were digitized at that time (they still aren’t).
My sister and I spent an entire day in the courthouse. We spent most of our time combing through large vital records books that listed marriages, births and death. These books predated the advent of state birth and death certificates which began in 1900 and 1908, respectively. Most of our family was in Meeker County before 1900 so these were the only vital records for them.
Most courthouses contain the same types of records, but how the public can access them varies. I’ve been to courthouses where in-person research wasn’t allowed. They required written or emailed research requests. Others have specific rules about how copies can be made. Some allow laptops; some don’t.
Meeker County was one of the more restrictive courthouses. They would not allow patrons to make any sort of copy of their books. Cameras, cell phones, and all other types of copy technology were prohibited. They would, however, copy ledger pages on a per line basis. Since we had many marriage, birth and death records to copy, we estimated that it would cost over $600 for the copies we needed. It would also be done as time allowed, so the courthouse staff suggested that we would need to return in several days to pick up any copies we’d ordered.
The courthouse did allow us to use paper and pencils to make written transcripts of the ledgers. Since our time in Minnesota was limited, that was what we did. My sister and I spent the day in a corner of the courthouse transcribing dozens of records. One of us found and read out the various records. The other used a pencil and pad to write them down. When we’d finished with the books, we switched places and went through the books again to ensure that we hadn’t missed anything and had written down everything as correctly as possible.
When we were finished, we had learned a lot about our Fernelius Family’s time in Minnesota. I still wish we could have copied entire pages of the ledgers, but our approach meant we have records detailing over twenty years of vital statistics for one branch of our family. For some of them these are the only records of their lives that exist.
Courthouses can be a treasure trove of information, but they usually require an in-person visit. I’ll never forget the day I spent in the Meeker County Courthouse. Seeing and recording the actual records was worth the hassle. If you get the opportunity, visit a courthouse.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society