ALABAMA
Alabama Department of Archives & History – scroll on the left side to Other Sources and then Historical and Genealogical Societies for a PDF file of many local and county genealogical and historical societies, complete with contact info.
Alabama Department of Archives & History Digital Collections – This is a huge, varied collection. Be sure to check it out carefully!
Alabama Genealogical Society – some public links, but others require a membership
ALGenWeb – hosted by county volunteers, so some sites are chock full of records, while others are sparse.
Alabama Genealogical and Historical Societies
FamilySearch Online Genealogy Records for Alabama
Freedmen’s Bureau Field Office Records 1865-1872
Huntsville-Madison County Public Library
ALASKA
First, there is a book that should be on every Alaskan genealogist’s wish list – Alaska Resources: A Guide to Historical Records and Information Resources by Connie Bradbury and David Albert Hales, published by Heritage Quest in 2001. It is currently out of print, but WorldCat shows it is in a number of U.S. libraries. Check Amazon to find one available to purchase.
Websites:
FamilySearch Alaska Wiki – Links to Alaska records and historical information
FamilySearch – Online Alaska Genealogy Records – This is likely the most comprehensive source of links.
Alaska State Library Resources
Anchorage Genealogical Society
Bureau of Land Management – Alaska
Chronicling America – long list of Alaskan newspapers
Fairbanks Genealogical Society
Library of Congress – Alaskan resources
University of Alaska- digital collections
Sitka National Historical Park
The Sled Dog Relay That Inspired the Iditarod
Valdez Museum Historical Archive – Gold Rush Database
ARIZONA
In the early 1800s, Arizona and New Mexico were part of the vast New Mexico Territory. New Mexico Territory appears in the 1850 U.S. census. Arizona doesn’t make its first appearance until 1860, when it is listed as a COUNTY in New Mexico Territory!
Arizona Genealogical and Historical Societies
Arizona Historical Society – Library and Archives Tucson – online genealogy resources
Arizona Historical Society Digital Collections
Arizona Memory Project – online historical digital newspapers
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records
Arizona State University Archives and Special Collections
Chronicling America – Arizona
Linkpendium – Arizona
Online Arizona Death Records & Indexes
University of Arizona – Digital Collections
For earlier lines which might be found in New Mexico before there was an Arizona, here are some resources:
Albuquerque & Bernalillo County Public Library – genealogy resources AND local history collections
Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections
Chronicling America – New Mexico Newspapers
FamilySearch Wiki – New Mexico
Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico
Historical Society of New Mexico
Linkpendium – New Mexico
New Mexico Genealogical Society – Click on E-Research for links to
ARKANSAS
Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society (Arkansas Chapter)- The resources link has a very long list of organizations and websites , including many geared to African-American research and/or local Arkansas research.
ARGenWeb – part of USGenWeb; free site updated by volunteers. It is organized at the county level. Some counties are full of great information, while others are hit and miss.
Arkansas Genealogical Society – The Arkansas Family Historian magazine is digitized and online covering 1962-2009.
Arkansas Historical Association – Many links to online materials and other organizations.
Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
Butler Center for Arkansas Studies – This center is part of the Central Arkansas Library System. It has a digital collection of mostly historical topics online.
FamilySearch Wiki – As usual, the FamilySearch wiki has probably the most comprehensive list of websites with Arkansas records online, both paid and free sites. FamilySearch should be your first stop for vital records and probate, as both collections are available. Probate records aren’t indexed, but are browsable and organized by county.
University of Arkansas Libraries Digital Collections
CALIFORNIA
California Genealogical Society and Library– pre-1905 San Francisco death records index online
CAGenWeb Project – Volunteer website with lots of uncommon treasures, organized by county
The California Digital Newspaper Collection from UC-Riverside. Issues available span the time period from 1846-2012.
California State Archives – Spanish and Mexican land grant records
California State Library Genealogy Hub
Calisphere – hosted by the University of California, this site has over 1,000,000 images, documents and recordings related to California history.
Huntington Library Early California Population Project – Find early baptisms, marriages and burials at California missions
Los Angeles Public Library – LAPL has an online digital collection, which includes varied categories such as California Index, City and Street Directories, Fruit Crate Labels (a big industry in early Southern California), Movie Posters, Photo Collection and El Pueblo Photo Archive, among others.
Online Archive of California – Don’t be misled by the very limiting looking six little eyes denoting online collections. The Guide to the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Digital Collection alone currently has 8,920 images in it. If your family was in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake, this collection is a gold mine for you.
CSU – Northridge Oviatt Library Digital Collections
San Jose State University King Library Digital Collections
COLORADO
FamilySearch Research Wiki for Colorado – The wiki has links to all of Colorado’s counties as well as for information on obtaining vital records. There are also links to info about migration routes through Colorado and to other resources.
COGenWeb – GenWeb is manned and supported by volunteers who contribute genealogical information. Sometimes the info is quite unique. Some counties are well represented with lots of contributed material, while others are sparse. It’s definitely worth a visit and it’s free.
Denver Public Library– Photos, which can be browsed and some apparently can be purchased for use
Denver Public Library – Genealogy links and other website resources
Pikes Peak Library District – links to regional history and genealogy
Colorado State Archives – genealogy holdings and links
History Colorado Online Collection
Colorado Historic Cemetery Association
Colorado State Archives and Libraries
University of Colorado – Digital Library
Colorado State University – Digital Collections
Chronicling America – includes Colorado historical newspapers
University of Northern Colorado – Digital Archives
Also, the National Archives has a facility in Denver.
CONNECTICUT
Barbour Collection – Vital record index & abstract [Log into your FamilySearch account.]
FamilySearch Wiki – Connecticut
Connecticut State Library – Newspapers – This collection is mainly microfilm, but there is a lot of information about its holdings.
CTGenWeb – Volunteer site that groups Connecticut information by county. Free and some great finds have been made here.
Online Connecticut Death Indexes & Records
Connecticut Genealogy Records Online – New Horizons Genealogy
Chronicling America – digitized Connecticut historical newspapers, free at Library of Congress
UConn Library – Connecticut Digital Archive
University of Connecticut Archives & Special Collections
Connecticut Historical Society
Connecticut Society of Genealogists
Godfrey Memorial Library – Ed Laput Cemetery Collection
French-Canadian Genealogical Society of CT
Reclaim the Records – most comprehensive index of vital records from 1898
Yale University Library Digital Collections
Counties & Towns
Be sure to check CTGenWeb for county links, too.
Fairfield – Fairfield Museum & History Center, Linkpendium,
Hartford – Linkpendium
Litchfield – Linkpendium
Middlesex County Historical Society
New Haven – Linkpendium
New London County Historical Society
Tolland – Linkpendium
Windham – Linkpendium
DELAWARE
A Calendar of Delaware Wills, New Castle County, 1682-1800
Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974- FamilySearch database
Delaware Vital Records, c1680-c1934 – Index cards of marriages, baptisms, births and death on FamilySearch
Downstate Delaware Genealogical Society
Delaware – FamilySearch Research Wiki
Online Delaware Death Records & Indexes
Sussex County Genealogical Society
Sussex County Public Libraries
University of Delaware Digital Collections
FLORIDA
FamilySearch Wiki – Florida
Chronicling America – Florida digitized historical newspapers
La Florida – The Interactive Digital Archive of the Americas
Florida Genealogy Records Online – New Horizons Genealogy
Online Florida Death Records, Indexes & Obituaries
Ancestor Hunt – Newspaper Links
Florida Newspapers Online – FL Department of State
State Archives and Library of Florida – Florida Memory
Florida Digital Newspaper Library
University of Florida Digital Collections
Florida Gulf Coast University – Archives, Special Collections & Digital Initiatives
Historical Societies
Historical Society of Central Florida
Miami-Dade County Historical Society
Southwest Florida Historical Society
Genealogical Societies
Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society – Tampa Chapter
Central Florida Genealogical Society
Englewood Genealogical Society of Florida
Genealogical Society of Broward County
Genealogical Society of Sarasota
Indian River Genealogical Society
Lee County Genealogical Society
Pastfinders of South Lake County Genealogical Society
St. Augustine Genealogical Society
GEORGIA
FamilySearch Research Wiki – Georgia
Linkpendium – hundreds of links to every county in Georgia
African-American Resources at Georgia Archives
Georgia African-American Genealogy
Georgia Genealogy Records Online – New Horizons Genealogy
Online Georgia Death Records & Indexes
GA GenWeb– Volunteer site, free, with info grouped by counties. It’s been around since the 1990s and has some great stuff. However, amount of info depends on what has been shared and posted. Well worth a visit.
Georgia Archives – University System of Georgia
Chronicling America – Georgia historical newspapers digitized and online
Georgia State University Digital Collections
Georgia Department of Archives & History
Vanishing Georgia – Georgia Archives: Virtual Vault
Genealogy Societies
Cobb County Genealogical Society – This website has a long list of links to other genealogical & historical societies in Georgia.
Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society – Atlanta Chapter
Carroll County Genealogical Society
Genealogical Society of Henry & Clayton Counties
Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society
Historical Societies
Chattooga County Historical Society
Eatonton-Putnam County Historical Society
HAWAII
FamilySearch Wiki – Hawaii Genealogy Records
Hawaii State Archives Digital Collections
Chronicling America – access digitized Hawaii historical newspapers
Online Hawaii Death Indexes & Records
Hawaii Genealogy Records Online
Hawaii & the Pacific – record links on Linkpendium
University of Hawaii at Manoa Library – Digital Collections
Portuguese Hawaiian Genealogy, History and Heritage
Genealogy Societies
Honolulu County Genealogical Society
Okinawan Genealogical Society of Hawaii
Historical Societies
IDAHO
FamilySearch Wiki – Idaho
Chronicling America – digitized images of Idaho historical newspapers
Cyndi’s List – Idaho
Free Idaho Genealogy Resources on The Ancestor Hunt
Boise State University – Special Collections & Archives
University of Idaho – Special Collections & Archives
Idaho State University – Digital Collections
Linkpendium – Idaho
Mountain West Digital Library
Genealogy Societies
Historical Societies
Idaho State Historical Society – Searchable indexes
Idaho Falls Historical Society – with links to several other societies
ILLINOIS
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library – 5,000 newspaper titles and an obituary index
IRAD – The university records section covers a good portion of the state. Don’t overlook the first category, as it not only includes Illinois Servitude and Emancipation Records (1722-1863), but buried there is the Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database. That is hiding a great finding tool for those ancestors who acquired land in Illinois because the BLM database link is found there.
Illinois State Archives Databases
Illinois State Genealogical Society – Although a membership society, its website does offer links to some free databases, including IL Resources, Free Databases and Surname Research.
Illinois State Historical Society
Illinois Labor History Society
Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois Newspaper Project
Northern Illinois University Digital Collections
INDIANA
Ball State University Digital Media Repository
Indiana Archives Digital Index Records
Indiana State Library
Indiana Archives and Records Administration
Indiana Digital Archives
Online Indiana Death Records and Indexes
Indiana State Library Genealogy Database: Marriages Through 1850
Sullivan County Public Library
IOWA
FamilySearch Research Wiki – Iowa
Historic Archives Digital Collections
Iowa Online Genealogy Records at FamilySearch Wiki
Davenport Public Library – Genealogy & Local History
Iowa Heritage Digital Collections
Iowa Historical Newspapers Digitized – University of Northern Iowa Collection
Iowa State University Digital Collections
Linkpendium – Iowa, with thousands of links to resources in every county
New Horizons Genealogy – Free Iowa records
Online Iowa Death Records & Indexes
State Historical Society of Iowa – Digital Collections on Flickr
University of Iowa Libraries – Special Collections
University of Northern Iowa Digital Collections
Societies
State Historical Society of Iowa
KANSAS
Kansas Online Genealogy Resources – FamilySearch wiki, which is always the best place to begin!
Kansas – The Family History Guide (FamilySearch)
Kansas Historical Society – Some vital records are online.
Online Kansas Death Records & Indexes
Kenneth Spencer Research Library, Kansas Collection
Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society
National Archives at Kansas City
Wichita State University Library
Town or County Websites:
McPherson County Archives Holdings
SCKLS Digital Library Initiative – Includes links to historical materials and currently covers Barber, Butler, Cowley, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, McPherson, Reno, Rice, Sedgwick, Stafford and Sumner Counties in south-central Kansas.
KENTUCKY
FamilySearch – Kentucky Online Genealogy Records
Cyndi’s List – Kentucky
Boone County Public Library – Local History & Genealogy
Boyd County Public Library – local and outside resource links
Clark County Public Library – Local History & Genealogy
Eastern Kentucky University – Special Collections & Archives
Faces and Places: Northern Kentucky Photographic Archives
Henderson County Public Library – Genealogy and Local History
Kenton County Public Library – Special Collections online
Kentucky Christian University – Digital Library of Appalachia
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA)
Kentucky Genealogy and History – Christian, Clay, Meade and Todd Counties right now, but growing
Lexington Public Library – Kentucky Room Digital Archives
Linkpendium – links to all Kentucky counties
Louisville Free Public Library
McCracken County Public Library
New Horizons Genealogy – Kentucky Genealogy Records Online
Online Kentucky Death Records & Indexes
University of Louisville Digital Collections
LOUISIANA
Louisiana is unique in that its regional governments above towns are parishes instead of the traditional county system found in the other 49 states. That’s not to be confused with the other common meaning of parish, e.g. a church community. Just substitute the word PARISH for COUNTY and you are good to go in Louisiana research.
FamilySearch Research Wiki – Louisiana
Online Louisiana Death Records & Indexes
Southeastern Louisiana University – Sims Library
State Library of Louisiana – Genealogy
Xavier University of Louisiana – Digital Library
The Historic New Orleans Collection
Chronicling America – digitized historical Louisiana newspapers online
Linkpendium – hundreds of links to Louisiana parishes
Societies
East Baton Rouge Parish Genealogical Society
Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Association
Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans
German – Acadian Coast Historical & Genealogical Society
Le Comite des Archives de la Louisiane
Louisiana Historical Association
MAINE
A Gazetteer of the State of Maine by George Varney, 1836-1901
Early Maine Photographs, Maine Memory Network
Online Maine Death Records and Indexes
FamilySearch Wiki – Maine – Lots of Maine links
USGenWeb – Maine GenWeb
MARYLAND
The Maryland Calendar of Wills by Jane Baldwin Cotton & Roberta Bolling Henry
Volumes 1-6 are links to HathiTrust. Volumes 7 & 8 link to FamilySearch; you might need to log into your account to view these. Volumes 9-12 were published much later and are still under copyright.
Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society – Prince George’s County
Allegany Regional Family History Society
Anne Arundel County Historical Society
Anne Arundel Genealogical Society
Calvert County Historical Society
Caroline County Historical Society
Carroll County Genealogical Society
Central Maryland AAHGS – Afro-American genealogy research group
Charles County Historical Society
Chevy Chase Historical Society
Dundalk – Patapsco Neck Historical Society & Museum
Emmitsburg Area Historical Society
Enoch Pratt Free Library – Finding digitized Maryland newspapers online
Garrett County Historical Society Museums
Heritage Frederick – Historical Society of Frederick County
Heritage Society of Essex & Middle River
Historical Society of Baltimore County
Historical Society of Carroll County
Howard County Genealogical Society
Howard County Historical Society
Jewish Genealogical Society of Maryland
Kent County Historical Society
Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council
Maryland Center for History and Culture
Maryland – FamilySearch Research Wiki
Maryland Historical Society – Digital Resources
Montgomery History Genealogy Club
Online Maryland Death Records and Indexes
Order of the First Families of Maryland
Prince George’s County Historical Society
St. Mary’s County Genealogical Society
St. Mary’s County Historical Society
Society of The Ark and The Dove
United Methodist Historical Society
of the Baltimore-Washington Conference