Genealogy Resources

Ancestry Library Edition This database is only available in the library. Some popular resources include:

• Census Records
• Yearbooks
• Ship Passenger Lists
• WWI Draft Registration Cards
• NC Death Certificates

Interested in taking a beginner's class using Ancestry? Registration opens once the class is advertised in our Beyond Books. Call 704-283-8184 ext 224 for more information. Click here for details.

 

Heritage Quest This database is from NC LIVE. If you are accessing it from home, you will need our NC LIVE Password. Please call Genealogy at 704-283-8184 ext. 224 OR e-mail us at ucplgenealogy@unioncountync.gov. We will need your library card number! Some popular resources include:

• Census Records
• Revolutionary War Pensions
• Electronic Copies of Family History Books

 

Charlotte Observer This database from Newsbank which begins about July 9, 1985 is useful when searching for an obituary. Some popular resources include:

• Old articles from The Union Observer
• Obituaries published in The Charlotte Observer

 

Sanborn Maps This database is from NC LIVE and offers old fire insurance maps from 1867-1970. Some popular resources include:

• Street Names located within a city/town during a time frame.
• Buildings
• Dwelling Places

Julie Ganis This site is maintained by Julie Ganis and is a great resource for anyone researching in Anson County and Union County. Use this site to find a variety of information including:

• Newspaper Abstracts
• Postcard Images
• Cemetery Lists

 

Librarian's Links This is a list of links for Union County and North Carolina Researchers. Use this site to find favorite links such as:

• 1907 Union County Map
• Helms Family Database
• North Carolina City Directories

 

Union County Soil Survey, 1914 This interactive map from NC Maps (UNC-Chapel Hill) allows the user to 'fade' the historical map and see a current map 'underneath' to compare the old with the new.

Civil War Confederate (NC) Pension Applications Find pension applications from 1901 - into the 1930s for former soldiers and slaves who gave service to the Confederate Armies. Applicants had to be residents of North Carolina at the time of the application (they did not have to serve from North Carolina).

 

Early Mecklenburg Marriages, Death & Other Notices This database contains County Newspapers before 1900. Some popular resources include:

• Marriage Abstracts
• Death Notices
• Sale transactions for land and slaves
• Individual and Business Information

 

Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds This website contains resources for Mecklenburg County Researchers. Some popular searches include:

• Death Dates
• Marriage Dates

 

North Carolina, Estate Files, 1663-1979 (Family Search) Family Search's online collection of North Carolina Loose Estate papers contain information such as the disposal of property and provisions for minor children - some counties have not been indexed as of January 2013.

 

North Carolina Family Records Online This database is maintained by the North Carolina State Library and the Archives. Some popular categories to search:

• Bible Records
• Marriage & Death Notices from the Raleigh Register (1800s)
• Links to other N. C. Resources

 

The North Carolina Gazetteer Learn the origins of places of North Carolina or simply what county a town is in (creeks and waterways too!). Available online through NCPedia.

 

North Carolina Land Grant Images and Data This site is maintained by David McCorkle. The index portion is a work-in-progress as of May 2014. However, all of the images for the Mecklenberg County grants are up and can be browsed like a microfilm reader. See "Images Only" or "Query". Data for surrounding counties (but no images) is also available.

 

NC Maps This database contains historic maps of the Tar Heel State from three of the state's largest collections: North Carolina State Archives, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Outer Banks History Center. Some popular resources include:

• Civil War Maps
• Revolutionary War Maps
• County Maps
• Sanborn Maps

 

NC State Archives This is the official web site for the state archives. Search this site to see or find:

• New Online Projects
• Catalog of Holdings (MARS)
• Contact Information or Directions for visitors

Castle Garden This database contains the text immigration records from 1820-1892. Use this site to learn information such as:

• Year of Immigration
• Occupation
• Country of Origin

 

Cyndi's List This site contains a comprehensive list of links to other genealogical websites and databases.

England and Wales Free BMD This site is an on-going project to transcribe the Civil Registration Index for England and Wales. Use this site to find:

• Births
• Marriages
• Deaths

 

Family Search This site is maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints, but it contains free genealogy records from all over the world. Some of the resources are:

• Census Indexes and/or Images - including the 1940 census
• Death Records
• Free Online Classes

 

National Archives This site is maintained by the Federal Government to be the nation's record keeper. The genealogy page gives you access to:

• World War II Enlistment Records
• How to order copies of records such as military or naturalization records
• Genealogy articles as published in "Prologue"

 

Social Security Death Index From Family Search find:

• Birth and Death Dates
• Last State of Residence

 

US GenWeb This site seeks to provide access to free genealogy for every state and county in the US. Volunteers run the individual sites. Some of the items found here are:

• Transcriptions of Wills
• Digital Books
• Family postings or inquiries

Low Country Africana: African American Genealogy in SC, GA, & FL This excellent free site has a good introduction to getting started (under their "Research Library"), links to records or sources and much more. There will be some focus on the Gullah-Geechee culture.

Beginning African-American Genealogy from the UCPL A short hand-out to get you started that includes some tips for local researchers.

JewishGen, affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage Find free 5-minute videos to get you started and tips on interviewing family members. You will need to register (free) to gain access to most of the site.

Native American This site contains Native American Genealogy information as well as information for a regular American Genealogy Researcher. Some popular items at this site include:

• Articles such as "Proving Your Indian Ancestry"
• The Dawes Roll – Final Roll
• Eastern Band and Eastern Cherokees of North Carolina information