State Archives

Online indexes to U.S. state archives collections.

Resources in this category:

Alabama Department of Archives and History
http://www.archives.state.al.us/index.html

The state archives of Alabama web site offers links for genealogists and historians, teachers and students, museum visitors, and state and local officials. Online collections include: a Civil War soldiers database, an 1867 voter registration database, a World War I Gold Star database, and a photo database.

Alaska State Archives
http://www.archives.state.ak.us/

The Alaska State Archives "is the repository that preserves the government records of Alaska's history and makes these records accessible to its patrons in a safe, professional, and responsible manner." The site provides access to photographs and information about researching genealogy in Alaska.

Arkansas History Commission and State Archives
http://www.ark-ives.com/

The mission of the state archives of Arkansas is to: keep and care for the official archives of the State of Arkansas; collect material bearing on the history of Arkansas from the earliest times; copy and edit official records and other historical material; and encourage historical work and research. The site contains Arkansas historical facts and pictures.

California State Archives
http://www.ss.ca.gov/archives/archives.htm

The California State Archives provides a repository for the state's permanent governmental records as well as other materials documenting California history. Collections that can be explored online include: California Constitutions, Spanish and Mexican land grants, family history resources, legislative records, the Robert F. Kennedy assassination investigation, oral histories, and photographs.

Colorado State Archives
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/

The Colorado State Archives preserves the state's legal and historical records and provides information about documents on its web site. Users may search the Archives by name, Colorado county, time span, or record type.

Connecticut State Archives
http://www.cslib.org/archives/

The Connecticut State Archives web site offers County Courts finding aids (descriptions of the collections) and databases of individuals listed in State Archives records. The section Treasures from the State Archives includes pages about "The Connecticut Floods of 1955: A Fifty-Year Perspective" and "Log Book of Slave Traders between New London and Africa, 1757-8".

Delaware Public Archives
http://www.state.de.us/sos/dpa/

The Delaware Public Archives identifies, collects, and preserves public records of enduring historical and evidential value. It collects local government and genealogical records and manuscripts. The site features "100 Stories", an online exhibit which provides a wide variety of documents and photographs that tell the story of the First State.

District of Columbia Archives
http://os.dc.gov/os/cwp/view.asp?a=1207&Q=522721&osNav=|3137...

The District of Columbia Archives division, part of the Office of Public Records, is responsible for the historical and permanently valuable records of Washington, DC. The Archives services all historical, genealogical, architectural, legal, fiscal, and academic research and records requests.

Florida State Archives
http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/barm/fsa.html

The Florida State Archives is mandated by law to collect, preserve, and make available for research the historically significant records of the state, as well as private manuscripts, local government records, photographs, and other materials that complement the official state records. Online collections include World War I service cards, Florida Confederate pension application files, a photographic collection, the Call & Brevard family papers, Florida's early Constitutions, and Spanish land grants.

Georgia Archives
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/

The Georgia Archives identifies and preserves Georgia's most valuable historical documents. Online collections include colonial wills, Georgia legislative documents, historic documents of Georgia, a historic postcard collection, and Confederate files including enlistment oaths and discharges, muster rolls, and pension records.

Hawaii State Archives
http://www.state.hi.us/dags/archives/

The Hawaii State Archives "is responsible for collecting, appraising, preserving, and making available to the public Hawaiian government records of enduring value. The primary collections consist of government records from the monarchy to the current legislative session, private collections of individuals and organizations, historical photographs, maps, and library collections specializing in Hawaiian history, culture, and Pacific voyages."

Idaho State Historical Society Library and Archives
http://www.idahohistory.net/library_archives.html

The Idaho State Historical Society Library and Archives holds a large collection of material relating to the history of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. The collection is extremely varied in subject, geographic area, and time period. It includes both historical and genealogical information and covers a wide variety of mediums, including manuscripts, state archives, books, periodicals, oral history interviews, motion picture films and videos, microfilm, and maps.

Illinois State Archives
http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/archives.htm...

The Illinois State Archives serves by law as the depository of public records of Illinois state and local governmental agencies which possess permanent administrative, legal, or historical research values. Its collections do not include manuscript, newspaper, or other nonofficial sources.

Indiana Commission on Public Records State Archives Division
http://www.in.gov/icpr/archives/

The Indiana State Archives is the official repository of Indiana government records of permanent historical and legal significance. It principally contains records generated by state government and state agencies, but also holds a major collection of county and local government records.

Iowa State Archives
http://www.iowahistory.org/archives/index.html

The function of the State Archives of Iowa (a division of the State Historical Society of Iowa) is to document the rights of citizens, the actions of state officials, and the state experience. The State Archives works to ensure that the essential evidence of government is created, maintained for as long as it is needed, and is available to the citizens of the state and to the public in general.

Kansas State Archives
http://www.kshs.org/research/collections/documents/govtrecor...

The Kansas State Historical Society serves as the state archives. Holdings include the inactive unpublished records of state government with enduring historical value. The archives also holds microfilm copies of unpublished records from many city and county offices, and some federal records.

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
http://www.kdla.ky.gov/home.htm

The Kentucky State Archives collections include census microfilm, Kentucky local and state government records and publications, and military records. The archives also allow family history requests for birth, death, marriage, divorce, and military records.

Louisiana State Archives
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/

The Louisiana State Archives, a division of the Louisiana Secretary of State's office, is mandated to identify, collect, preserve, maintain, and make available records and artifacts of Louisiana history. Online exhibits include the World War I Permanent Poster Collection and the Baton Rouge Art League Permanent Collection.

Maine State Archives
http://www.maine.gov/sos/arc/

"The Maine State Archives maintains approximately 95 million pages of official State records considered to be permanently valuable. The earliest dates from 1639." Several databases are searchable online, and the web site links to many other resources on Maine's history.

Maryland State Archives
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/

The Maryland State Archives "serves as the central depository for government records of permanent value. Records date from the founding of the colony in 1634 to the 1990s. Included in the Archives' holdings are colonial and state executive, legislative, and judicial records; county probate, land and court records; church records; business records; publications and reports of state, county and municipal governments; and special collections of private papers, maps, photographs, and newspapers."

Massachusetts Archives
http://www.state.ma.us/sec/arc/arcidx.htm

The Massachusetts Archives holds the official records created by Massachusetts state government. Holdings are organized by agency and date from 1629 to the present. They include: records reflecting the structure of state government, special colonial and early state materials to 1800, genealogy, and African American history resources.

Archives of Michigan
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19273_19313--...

The Archives of Michigan contains "more than 80 million state and local government records and private papers, 300,000 photographs and 500,000 maps. Records in the State Archives are particularly useful for tracing genealogy, legislative history/intent, land surveys, military service, and governmental policy on mental health, public health, education, labor, welfare and corrections."

Minnesota State Archives
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/index.html

The Minnesota State Archives collects Minnesota government documents including: correspondence, reports, minutes, memoranda, published records, maps, photographs, architectural drawings, microfilm, sound recordings, ephemera, and videotapes. The collection is searchable through this web site, as are naturalization and tax and assessment documents.

Mississippi Department of Archives and History
http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/

This site allows users to search the Mississippi Department of Archives and History's collection and view many of the department's publications.

Missouri State Archives
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/Default.asp

The Missouri State Archives is the official repository of the state's government and historical documents. Among its holdings are documents relating to French and Spanish colonial rule, the New Madrid Earthquakes, Supreme Court case files, the Civil War, Frank and Jesse James, and Harry S. Truman.

Montana Historical Society Archives
http://www.his.state.mt.us/research/default.asp

The Montana Historical Society Archives collections are comprised of manuscripts, state and local government records, and oral histories, all of which are searchable on this website.

Nebraska State Historical Society
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/index.htm

The Nebraska State Historical Society houses the state archives of Nebraska. The Library/Archives Division "safeguards the documentary heritage of Nebraska so that it can be used by all researchers". Its collection includes newspapers, maps, photographs, government records, papers of individuals and organizations, sound recordings, and moving images.

Nevada State Archives
http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/NSLA/archives/

The Nevada State Archives preserves the documentation of Nevada's history, with records dating back to 1851. Its website features the "Ask an Archivist" tool and the "Special Features" section with web documents like: "An Outline of Capital Punishment in Nevada", "First Records of Carson Valley, Utah Territory, 1851", "Nevada's Governors", and "Political History of Nevada".

New Hampshire Division of Archives and Records Management
http://www.sos.nh.gov/archives/

The New Hampshire Division of Archives and Records Management offers information on such topics as: Archival Holdings, Civil War Research, Civil War Pensions Index, Genealogy, Guide to the Archives, Index to NH State Papers, and Land Title Research.

New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management
http://www.njarchives.org/index.html

The New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management, "holds in trust the public records of New Jersey: one of the oldest and most vital functions of government. The division has statutory authority to ensure the security, integrity, and efficiency of record-keeping by state and local public agencies, and to preserve the rich documentary heritage of New Jersey and its people."

New Mexico Archives and Historical Services Division
http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/archives/archives_hm.htm

This site for the state archives of New Mexico has an online catalog, several archival holdings finders, and guides. It also provides links, to the Online Archives of New Mexico and other useful sites for historical research.

New York State Archives
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/aindex.shtml

The state archives of New York collects materials related to the state's history from the seventeenth century to the present day. The web site provides an extensive collection of images in addition to the Research Room, which has electronic access to information about many of the archives resources.

North Carolina Office of Archives and History
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/

The North Carolina Office of Archives and History provides access to the archives, government records, and historical publications of this state.

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
http://www.hpo.dcr.state.nc.us/default.htm

Discover preservation programs related to North Carolina history. Find assistance in writing grants for preservation projects; study the process of historical preservation; learn about North Carolina’s architectural history.

North Dakota State Archives and Historical Research Library
http://www.state.nd.us/hist/sal.htm

The state archives "acquires and preserves all types of research materials relating to North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains." This site provides information on researching genealogy, government sources, manuscripts, newspapers, and photographs within the state archives of North Dakota.

Ohio Historical Society State Archives
http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/statearc/

The state archives of Ohio is maintained by the Ohio Historical Society, which is mandated to "collect, preserve, and make available to the public, documents pertaining to the operation of state and local governments." The Historical Society has digitized several groups of historical materials, which are available online.

Oklahoma State Archives
http://www.odl.state.ok.us/oar/archives/index.htm

The Oklahoma State Archives preserves the historical records of the Oklahoma state government. The section "State Archives Collection Highlights," describes some of the more popular archives collections, such as the Index to Oklahoma's Confederate Pension Records and Historical Maps.

Oregon State Archives
http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/

The web site for the Oregon State Archives offers guides to state agency records and historical county records. It also provides research aids to adoption, census, land, military, naturalization, probate, and vital records.

Pennsylvania State Archives
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/DAM/overview.htm

This site is a guide to doing research in the State Archives of Pennsylvania. It provides online guides to the archives' manuscripts and government records.

Rhode Island State Archives
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/Archives/

The Rhode Island State Archives "acts as the official custodian and trustee for public records possessing permanent historical value". The collection of historical records dates from 1638 to the present.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History
http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/homepage.htm

The state archives of South Carolina offers the following digital records on its web site: Confederate Pension Applications, 1919-1938; Insurance file photographs of public schools, 1935-1952; Grand Jury Presentments to the General Assembly, 1783-1877; National Register of Historic Places files. The On-Line Records Index allows searching of over 300,000 documents by personal name, geographic location, and topic.

South Dakota State Archives
http://www.sdhistory.org/arc/archives.htm

The state archives of South Dakota, part of the South Dakota Historical Society, collects records of the state government and of South Dakota and regional history. Its web site features several online databases, such as the Naturalization Records Index and Newspaper Database.

Texas State Library and Archives Commission
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/

"The Texas State Archives preserves and documents the heritage and culture of Texas by identifying, collecting, and making available for research the permanently valuable official records of Texas government, as well as other significant historical resources". The State Archives includes government records dating back to the 18th century.

Utah State Archives and Records Service
http://www.archives.state.ut.us/

The Utah State Archives web site has an online catalog to the collection, several holdings lists, and finding aids (tools which describe individual collections). A group of online exhibits is also available.

Vermont State Archives
http://vermont-archives.org/

The state archives of Vermont "preserves and keeps accessible state government records deemed by statute, records schedules or archival appraisal to have continuing value". The web site includes a searchable catalog and a guide to records at the archives.

Library of Virginia
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/

The Library of Virginia houses the Virginia State Archives. This site offers the ability to search the Archives and Manuscripts Catalog: the "main access point for state government records, military records, personal papers, family Bible records, genealogical notes and charts, church and cemetery records, business records, maps, and other archival and manuscript material."

Washington State Archives
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/

The Washington State Archives includes the State Records Collection of government documents, a Historical Records Search with links to additional genealogical resources, and information about the five regional repositories.

West Virginia State Archives
http://www.wvculture.org/history/archivesindex.aspx

The West Virginia State Archives has online guides to the collections, which include: manuscripts, state government records, county court records on microfilm, maps, naturalization records, newspapers on microfilm, yearbooks, Civil War medals, state publications, and accessions.

Wisconsin Library and Archives
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/

The Wisconsin Library and Archives is housed by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The site contains an online genealogy tool, the Wisconsin Name Index, and a database of Wisconsin Historical Images.

Wyoming State Archives
http://wyoarchives.state.wy.us/index.htm

The Wyoming State Archives web site features an online map collection and information about the Historic Photograph Collection, as well as information about using the archives.