Family History Resources Sep 17 2014

A Few of NWFL

Family History Resources

By Margaret Harris

Valparaiso Community Library	Microfilm, Large Genealogy Collection, Genealogy Class at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays Head Librarian is Knowledgeable and Staff is Friendly
Fort Walton Beach Library	City Directories, Newspaper Archive on Microfilm, “How-To Genealogy Books, Genealogy Periodicals (Journals) by Location, Genealogy Collection, Check the Stacks Reference/Adult Services Librarian Obtain Library Card for Electronic Resource, “Heritage Quest”^[1]
Search all Okaloosa Libraries	http://www.readokaloosa.org/
Search Okaloosa Museums	Baker Block Museum, Heritage Museum of NWFL^[2], FWB Heritage Park (Little Schoolhouse, Research Library,etc.) Destin Fishing Museum
Fort Walton Family History Center : A community outreach for genealogists (No proselyting permitted). Non-LDS are welcome!	Phone Contact: 850-244-3338 339 Lake Drive, FWB FamilySearch.org Director: George Legge; 850-678-8430 Co-Director: M. Legge
University of West Florida: University Archives and West Florida History Center	This website only covers a small portion of our actual collections and holdings – which include 1.8 million items in over 800 collections, 250,000 photographs, 6,000 maps, and other materials with new research materials arriving daily. Visits, phone-calls, and e-mails to the Department are highly encouraged.
West FL Gen. Society Collection	The collection of the West Florida Genealogy Society is now located at West Florida Regional Library System’s new location for genealogical resources and related archived materials. The West Florida Genealogical Society provides volunteers to help manage the materials and assist patrons. http://www.nwrls.lib.fl.us/genealogy.html (The library in Pensacola that holds the genealogy collection)
8. Mobile City Library	Members of the Genealogical Society of Okaloosa County have been traveling to Mobile’s Public Library for years. Leave early in the morning and research all day! (Reference for this info is Hilma Jenus).
Troy City Library, Troy, Alabama	http://www.troycitylibrary.org/genealogymain.html
10. Bay County Library	http://www.nwrls.lib.fl.us/

Archives: There are two state archives within a 3 hour driving period of Fort Walton Beach, Florida:

ADAH: Alabama Department of Archives and History: http://archives.state.al.us/
State Archives of Florida: http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/index_Researchers.cfm

NARA: There is a Southeast Regional Branch of the National Archives in Morrow, Georgia, as well as the Georgia Archives just across the street: http://www.archives.gov/atlanta/; the website for the National Archives and Record Administration in Washington D.C. is “Archives.gov”. And, have you searched the Georgia Virtual Vault? This field trip to the Southeast Regional Branch and the State Archives takes approximately five hours to drive to from the Fort Walton Beach area.

This listing doesn’t begin to represent all the resources in Northwest Florida for the genealogy researcher; however, it is, rather, a few of the ones that I am familiar with or that friends of mine have mentioned to me. I will, as I find spare moments, strive to add other resources. I’m already feeling guilty about my omission of a discussion re the Santa Rosa County library in Milton; the efforts, there, of several dedicated members and friends of the SRC Genealogical Society and the library, to acquire an amazing collection of genealogical titles deserves special mention.

All of the above, plus more, are represented, no doubt, at Facebook.com. You may want to check twitter.com, as well.

[1] What is Heritage Quest?

[2] History Library at the Museum is available by appointment.