Tips On Research - Library and Archives Research
Reading Materials
The Town, County or State library or State Archives are still the best source of old maps, history books, old newspapers, memoirs and diaries, school yearbooks and community celebration books. Today, you can obtain any book, any document, any microfilm or its copy through the regional inter-library loan system that is computerized. You need to become familiar with the computerized setup at your library to search through classified catalogues.
Valuable documentation can be found in the National Archives, Library of Congress (Manuscript Section), the Historical Sections of the Department of Defense, the Interior, Justice and Agriculture. On the state government level, documentation can be found in the secretary of state's archives, state treasurer's archives, state land offices' archives and state prison records.
On a county level, documents may be found in the archives of the county attorneys, clerks, surveyors, assessors and sheriffs. In city governments, old records can be found in the files or archives of mayors, city clerks, city engineers, libraries, city museums, police departments, street commissions and utilities offices. Private records of attorneys, bankers, businessmen, doctors and auctioneers can also furnish clues to finding a treasure.
Many rare and old historical books can be found in a small and antique book stores, annual library book sales, garage sales and, of course, on Internet. College library and your community, county or state Historical Society also possess a good amount of local historical information, nothing to say about their special publications that might date back to the early 1900s. Genealogical books can help you track present day descendants of ancestors who owned the land discovered in your research.
But do not buy some very expensive, "rare" book or map, touted to give you a "fabulous" lead. In all probability, if it is that good the person who owns it would not want to sell it. And more likely many people bought that book and followed that "fabulous" lead. Definitely stay away from so called "Treasure Atlases." They are good only for collecting or armchair treasure hunters.
Historical Plates or Markers and Road Signs
While driving through your community, you might have seen such plates standing on the roadside. In New York state, they were erected by the Department of Education in the 1930s. By showing the exact locations where historical events took place or where settlements once stood, these historical markers might provide you with valuable leads.
Some old farmhouses and homesteads bear plates that identify the original owner and show the date of their construction.
Sometimes the house owner sets up a plate informing public about historical value of the place.
The History of the American Revolution Was Made Here
While driving through any rural area, be on the lookout for road signs that use words like: grove, park, school house, church, fort, reunion, revival, canal, lock, ferry, market, square, beach, picnic lane, battlefield, camp, etc. They might indicate treasures.
Old Photographs and Lithographs
Old photographs, lithographs and postcards can be worth a thousand footsteps as well as words. They will give you a first-hand visual description of the place of your interest, let you see all changes that occurred in the area over the years, and enable you to pinpoint exact location of the spot among the modern infrastructure.
19th Century Lithograph Depicting A City Built Around A Paper Mill
A Productive Hunt Site
Tools for research can take on other forms and types. More likely you will develop your own research methods and techniques. Always think like a detective, develop a concentrated self-discipline, be persistent, diligent and dedicated, be curious and have fun!
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