Gazetteers list geographical names such as towns, settlements, villages, districts, rivers, and mountains. They identify these locations and sometimes, give historical and biographical information concerning early residents. The foremost gazetteers for North Carolina research are:
Powell, William Stevens. The North Carolina Gazetteer. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1968. (FHL book 975.6 E5p; computer number 244426.) This gazetteer lists the names of numerous cities and their geographical features and includes the names and locations of many cities that no longer exist.
Gioe, Joan Colbert. North Carolina, Her Counties, Her Townships, and Her Towns. Indianapolis, Ind.: The Researchers, 1981. (FHL book 975.6 E5g; computer number 213802.) This gazetteer contains town and township maps and a place-name index.
To learn when a particular county was organized and from which county it was created, you may wish to consult:
Corbitt, David Leroy. The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943. Raleigh, N.C.: State Department of Archives and History, 1969. (FHL book 975.6 E2cd; film 844933 item2; computer number 21966.)
Gazetteers can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
NORTH CAROLINA- GAZETTEERSNORTH CAROLINA- NAMES, GEOGRAPHICAL
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GENEALOGY
Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies and some public libraries, have special collections of previous research and indexes of genealogical value. You must usually search these in person.
Nationwide Indexes
You can find information on the following important nationwide genealogical indexes in the indicated sections of the United States Research Outline (30972).
- Ancestral File (“Genealogy” section. Also available on FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service.)
- FamilyFinder™ Index (“Census” section. Also available on the Internet at www.familytreemaker.com/allsearch.html. FamilyTreeMaker and FamilyFinder are trademarks of Brøderbund Software, Inc.)
- Family History Library Catalog Surname Search (“Introduction” and “Genealogy” sections. Also available on FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service.)
- Genealogical Index of the Newberry Library (“Genealogy” section)
- Index to American Genealogies (“Genealogy” section)
- Index to National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) (“Genealogy” section. Also available on the Internet at http://lcweb.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmc.html.)
- International Genealogical Index (“Genealogy” section. Also available on FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service.)
- Old Surname Index File (“Genealogy” section)
- Periodical Source Index (PERSI) (“Periodicals” section. Also available on the Internet at www.Ancestry.com/search/rectype/periodicals/persi/main.htm for a subscription fee. Ancestry is a trademark of Ancestry, Inc.)
For another nationwide index of importance to North Carolina research, see:
Rider, Fremont, ed. American Genealogical- Biographical Index. Vols. 1–186+. Middletown, Conn.: Godfrey Memorial Library, 1952–. (FHL book 973 D22am, ser. 2; on 31 films starting with 1698167; computer number 49554.) This is a continuing series. An earlier version of 48 volumes was published as The American Genealogical Index, 1942–1951. The index includes over 4 million brief citations (name, date, and source) to manuscripts, periodicals, and books. The earlier version had reference to 350 sources; the references have been included in the second version. The second version has consulted an additional 800 sources. Also available through:
“American Genealogical Biographical Index (AGBI).” In Ancestry.com [database on-line]. Orem, Utah: Ancestry, 1999 [cited 7 October 1999. Available at www.Ancestry.com/agbi.htm; INTERNET. This on-line database is available only to Ancestry.com members. Ancestry is a trademark of Ancestry, Inc.
To help interpret citations and locate the original sources, use the colored pages in some volumes or use:
Clark, Patricia L., and Dorothy Huntsman, eds. American Genealogical Biographical Key Title Index. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990. (FHL book 973 D22am index; film 1698167 item4; fiche 6088377; computer number 491052). This index shows which sources are at the Family History Library and their call numbers.
Statewide Bibliography
A major index to genealogical works on North Carolina families is:
Hehir, Donald M. Carolina Families: A Bibliography of Books about North and South Carolina Families. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1994. (FHL book 975.6 D23hd; computer number 736001.) This book lists over 1,400 family surnames and gives full bibliographical information about books and microfilms.
Manuscript Collections
The Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Collection contains transcripts of Bible, cemetery, church, will, marriage, death and obituary records. See the “Bible Records” section of this outline.
McCubbins’ Collection. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1956. (FHL films 19828–903; computer number 385555.) This collection, gathered by Mamie G. McCubbins, contains cemetery, Bible, newspaper, family, and county records of Rowan County and more than 30 other counties formed from Rowan County. The records are arranged alphabetically by surname. The first three films are an alphabetical surname guide. The collection is at the Rowan County Library in Salisbury.
Published Collections
Hathaway, James R. B., ed. The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register. 3 vols. Edenton, N.C.: J.R.B. Hathaway, 1900–1903. (FHL book 975.6 D25n; film 1206449 items 3–5; computer number 25874). This register includes 50,000 names found in land, court, and probate records. Indexes to Hathaway’s work include:
Worth, S. Ray. Ray’s Index and Digest to Hathaway’s North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register: With Genealogical Notes and Annotations. Baltimore, Md.: Southern Book, 1956. (FHL book 975.6 D25n index; film 1697387 item 2; computer number 28573. A 1971 reprint of this index is found on film 1320669 item 7.)
Wimberly, Vera Meek. Index to Hathaway’s North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register. Conroe, Tex.: Montgomery County Genealogical and Historical Society, 1989. (FHL book 975.6 D25na 1989 index; computer number 512947.)
Hamrick, David O. Index to the North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register: Hathaway’s Register. 3 vols. Greenville, S.C.: A Press, 1983. (FHL book 975.6 D25n index 1983; computer number 450797.)
Index of North Carolina Ancestors. 2vols. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Genealogical Society, 1981–1984. (FHL book 975.6 D2i; computer number 136288.) This is a list of ancestors names submitted by members of the North Carolina Genealogical Society. The names and addresses of the contributors are given at the end of each volume. Each volume lists different ancestors’ names. There is also a spouse index.
Smallwood, Marilu Burch. Some Colonial and Revolutionary Families of North Carolina. 3 vols. Washington, N.C.: M. B. Smallwood, 1964. (FHL book 975.6 D2s; computer number 244241.)
Eaker, Lorena Shell, ed. German Speaking People West of the Catawaba River in North Carolina 1750–1800.... Franklin, N.C.: Genealogy Publishing Service, 1994. (FHL book 975.6 W2e; computer number 722488.) This book contains the genealogies of many families of German origin who settled in western North Carolina.
Genealogy sources can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
NORTH CAROLINA- GENEALOGYNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY]- GENEALOGYNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- GENEALOGY
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