Vinalhaven, Knox County, Maine Genealogy

Brief History
A brief historical sketch of the town of Vinalhaven from its earliest Settlement. Prepared by order of the Town, on the occasion of its One Hundredth Anniversary, 1889.

Additional data on Vinalhaven, Maine can be found in  WikiPedia: the Free Encyclopedia .

Church Records
Historically, the largest religious groups in Maine were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page. To see the churches in Vinalhaven, visit FamilySearch Places. Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Vinalhaven:

Land Records
The following are online land records for the town of Vinalhaven:
 * 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection - index and images

Libraries and Historical Societies
Vinalhaven Public Library P.O. Box 384 6 Carver Street Vinalhaven, ME 04863 Telephone: (207)863-4401 E-mail: [mailto:vpl@vhaven.lib.me.us  vpl@vhaven.lib.me.us] Website

Vinalhaven Historical Society 41 High Street Vinalhaven, ME 04863 Telephone: (207)863-4410 E-mail: [mailto:vhhissoc@myfairpoint.net vhhissoc@myfairpoint.net ] Website

Maps
The following are online maps of the town of Vinalhaven: Maine Historical Maps Maine Genealogy Maine Historical Maps

Probate Records
In Maine, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Vinalhaven:
 * 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1760-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to use this collection - images
 * 1861-1915 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, images

Town Histories
Go to Archive.org to find published materials for this town.

Town Records
In Maine, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following: The following are Vinalhaven town records available online:
 * 1785-1892 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office. Vinalhaven Town Clerk 19 Washington School Road Vinalhaven, ME 04863 Telephone: (207)863-4471 or 863-4343 Fax: (207)863-4393 E-mail: [mailto:dyork@townofvinalhaven.org dyork@townofvinalhaven.org] Website

Vital Records
The town of South Vinalhaven kept annual town reports. These reports often contained birth, marriage, and death information. Below is a list of years when South Vinalhaven kept town reports. (NOTE: Occasionally, these town reports missed vital statistic information from the end of the year. If you don't find your ancestor's vital information, check the following year's town report to see if your ancestor's information was recorded later.)

Vinalhaven, Maine Vital Records Requests Town Clerk's Office

Births

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index

Marriages

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index

Deaths

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index