UPDATE ON THE ADAH/GSU LOOSE RECORDS MICROFILMING PROGRAM

A cooperative endeavor by ADAH, the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU), county government officials, and local volunteers, the Alabama loose records microfilming program is now in its fourth year. Work has been completed in 23 Alabama counties and has so far yielded (including projects currently filming) nearly 2,000 rolls–or 3.5 million microfilm images–of historical estate files, marriage licenses, divorces, Confederate pensions, and other records from county probate offices and circuit courts. The following counties have finished their loose records projects: Autauga (58 rolls), Baldwin (21), Barbour (79), Blount (72), Calhoun (144), Cherokee (67), Clarke (56), Clay (31), Coffee (16), Cullman (5), Dallas (129), Elmore (50), Henry (60), Limestone (196), Macon (32), Morgan (309), Pike (57), Shelby (66), Tallapoosa (140), Walker (59), Washington (15), Wilcox (83), and Winston (13). Nearly 500 volunteers from local historical and genealogical societies have participated.

Ten counties (Choctaw, Crenshaw, DeKalb, Etowah, Greene, Jefferson*, Lee, Marshall, Mobile, and Russell) have finished loose records preparation. They are either in the process of having records filmed or waiting for GSU’s camera operators to arrive.

Volunteers from 11 counties (Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Cleburne, Escambia, Houston, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, St. Clair, and Talladega) are at work preparing their loose records. Lowndes and Montgomery County estate files are being prepared by ADAH staff.

Eleven counties (Bibb, Bullock, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Franklin, Monroe, Pickens, Randolph, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa) are not currently preparing records; they are either recruiting local volunteers or awaiting preparation help from GSU. In time, that loose records projects will be completed in these counties.

Because loose records in some counties have been lost in courthouse fires or floods, have been bound in record books and previously microfilmed, or fall outside GSU’s cut-off dates (1915 for estate case files, 1950 for loose marriages and divorces), nine counties (Coosa, Dale, Fayette, Geneva, Lamar, Lauderdale, Marengo, Marion, and Perry) that were inventoried by ADAH staff did not have enough loose records to justify a project. Hale County has loose records that qualify for filming but is not currently participating in the program.

To summarize, the loose records microfilming program has been one of the most successful local records initiatives that ADAH has ever conducted. When finished, it will have preserved millions of loose records in nearly every county–records that have enormous historical and genealogical importance to Alabamians. Even more beneficial, perhaps, has been the program’s role in fostering increased cooperation between courthouse officials who are legally responsible for county records; local volunteers who revere their county’s history; and our own state agency, whose primary mandate is the preservation of all Alabama public records.

State and local officials -- for records management assistance call (334) 242-4452 or email us at records@archives.state.al.us.

Family and historical researchers -- please click here.

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