For starters, the archives, located in the state capitol at Harrisburg are fairly easy to access. They have hours listed on the website, and if you choose to visit, there are friendly people there to help you locate whatever it may be that you are looking for. As it turns out, I went there on a whim one day and entered completely unprepared but left with a treasure trove of resource tools and information on a particularly difficult (non) ancestor.
If you plan on visiting I have a few suggestions for you:
- Parking is on street or in a garage. The meters are paid for by credit or debit card and you should know your license plate number when going to use them. The meter sends your cell phone an alert 15 minutes before you need to renew. You can renew from your cell phone. Check out ParkHarrisburg for more information.
- Know what you are looking for as far into it as you can go. For example, if you are looking for the land deeds of a certain person, bring all the information you have. The archivists are great at reading old handwriting and can tell you right where to go if you have something with dates, locations, and names. A wonderful feature of the PA State Archives is that many volunteers have worked on the deeds and land records and have indexed names and mapped out the actual coordinates of the properties. You can purchase these maps of locations and landholders.
- Bring some cash, You can purchase copies of nearly anything.
- When you enter the building you will be asked to put your coat and other belongings in the holding areas. There is a place to hang your things, or you can rent a locker. They do allow you to bring your notebooks and phone.
- Try not to get distracted with extra information you might be able to find. I didn't have a plan when I started, so it wasn't a big deal for me, but if you are on the hunt for particulars, don't wander off from the McGearys when you find a section with the McNeals. Time flies.
Also, the Archives has put a TON of information online. Not only is it online, but it comes with directions. All you have to do is go to: http://www.phmc.pa.gov/archives Once you are in there, you can go to to the section titled Research Guides and they have well written instructions for how to do specific things. They include information about the process of purchasing land, how epidemics affected the state, and how to use military records. The archivists are also available by phone to help if needed.
My next article may be on the process of looking up land records in Pennsylvania. I've become pretty familiar with it since one of the archivists introduced me to the online research room.
~Genealogy - Living Life in the Past Lane~
