My
father’s ancestors lived in southern Mississippi and northern Louisiana. During
my recent trip to New Orleans I planned to do some Louisiana research. I went to
the Louisiana Archives in Baton Rouge. The next day I drove to Washington
Parish and used the Franklinton Library. Now it’s time for a true confession. I
spent the next day in New Orleans. I played tourist and walked around the
French Market and bought trinkets for Christmas gifts. I ate oysters and looked
at the mighty Mississippi River.
Back
at our hotel I had to decide what to do on Monday. It was going to be my husband’s
last full day at the convention center. Did I want to spend more time enjoying
the Crescent City or do more research? If I wanted to do research should I
return to the archives in Baton Rouge or the library in Franklinton? Or, should
I go to a new repository? I munched on some pralines and thought over my
choices.
In
the end I decided to do something I had not done in about twenty years, I went
to Mississippi.
Main Branch in
McComb, 1022 Virginia Ave., MS
I
stepped up to the main desk in the McComb Library and asked about their
genealogy resources. I was directed to a locked room in the corner of the library.
The reference librarian unlocked the door and swung it open for me. That was
the extent of my introduction to the genealogy records.
I
took off my rain jacket, put my things on the single large table and started to
scan the shelves.
- Alford, Hugh Edwin. In Search of My Alford Ancestors. Mississippi: Privately printed.
- Brumfield, Albert K., and Alma Dell Clawson. Brumfield Histories. Louisiana: Privately printed.
- Chaun, Darryl Wayne, Trudy Berger, Hudora Lewman, Pearl Cotton Strange, Rial Ellsworth, Larry Carruth, and Patsy Carruth. Hollywood Cemetery, McComb, Mississippi; 1872 - 2007. McComb, Mississippi: Privately printed.
- Gordon, Oma J. Mississippi Amite County Marriage Records; 1809 - 1913. Book I. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Privately printed, 2002.
- Gordon, Oma J. Mississippi Amite County Marriage Records; 1914 - 2000. Book II. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Privately printed, 2002.
- Lampton, William, and Irma Lampton. The Tombstone Inscriptions of Walthall County, Mississippi. Privately printed, 1976.
- Murray, Nicholas Russell. Amite County Mississippi Marriage Records 1914 - 1931. Hammond, Louisiana: Hunting for Bears.
- O'Rourke, Helen L. Gone but not Forgotten. McComb, Mississippi: Privately printed.
I
also went through the file cabinets and was disappointed to find several empty
folders. I photographed others including information on Pike County residents
and the Spanish American War. When the library closed I had lots of information to take away with me.
Watch my blog for an analysis of my findings at the McComb Library.
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This reminds me of the cartoons people post on Facebook on how you know you're a genealogist. "If you'd rather go to a library in Mississippi than tour New Orleans, you might be a genealogist."
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Wendy! You made me laugh out loud! Very true!
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