If your family has lived in one place for a long time, local records are the place to turn for genealogical information.

Within dusty old libraries and government achieves, you’ll find a lot about your family’s history if you know where to look and what to look for. Whether you’re in your own hometown or visiting another locale on your search to find pieces of your own past, there are certain things to look for on the local level.

Here are places to check for records that might help you fill in the pieces of your family’s own puzzle:

1 - Courthouses – These are the records repositories for marriage licenses, divorce records, court actions and more. Check with the clerks about these documents for known relatives and you might uncover a name or branch you were unaware of.

2 - Local historical archives – Many towns have their own historical societies that keep genealogical information on their past residents. Never walk away from a town without checking into the records these jewels may offer.

3 - Health departments – These government agencies are often the keepers of birth and death certificates. While birth certificates for the living might be restricted, the death records for your relatives will likely be public record.

4 - Census information – A lot of historic information about family members can be found in old census records. Many libraries keep at least old census records for their areas on microfilm.

5 - Newspapers – Check newspaper morgues for any details about your ancestors. Larger papers generally have their own archivists on staff that will likely be more than willing to assist in a search. Expect the possibility for having to pay for the service, but if a search pays off, you might find out some really neat stuff about your family’s past.

6 - Schools – Sometimes old yearbooks and school papers can provide information about your ancestors as they were growing up. These, too, might lead to clues about other family members.

There’s more to a good genealogical record of a family than just names and dates. Those who take the time to fill in the blanks about their family’s lives as they lived them are creating solid records of the past that will become valued heirlooms to generations in the future.