Genealogy

About the Johnnie Jo Sowell Dickenson Genealogy Room

Explore your family history at the Huntsville Public Library.

Family history, sometimes known as genealogy, is said by many to be the fastest growing hobby in America. Popular television programs tickle our fancy by exploring the family history of celebrities and prominent people. Television and radio advertisements entice us to explore our family tree and learn about our heritage. The question on many people’s mind is, “Where do I begin and how do I get started?”

Here’s an answer. Get started on your family history at the Huntsville Public Library. Stop by 1219 13th Street. Visit with the genealogy staff and volunteers. Ask questions. Take a look at all the Huntsville Public Library has to offer. Take advantage of the library’s excellent collection of print materials and array of electronic resources including Heritage Quest, American Ancestor, and the popular Ancestry.com. Search the U.S. census and military records. Find marriage and death records of long forgotten ancestors. Explore your family history.

Family history is fun and a fascinating pursuit. It’s also a free service provided by your Huntsville Public Library. The Huntsville Public Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

The Johnnie Jo Sowell Dickenson Genealogy Room at the Huntsville Public Library houses more than six thousand books, newspapers, microfilm, and computer based resources for family history research. The Genealogy collection covers wide historical and geographical content. The collection has been developed to give particular attention to Walker County and Southern roots.  Volunteers from the Walker County Genealogical Society regularly assist patrons with their family history questions in the Genealogy room. Seven computers are reserved for genealogy researchers. Please read the Genealogy Room Policy for proper use of and behavior in the Genealogy Room.

Databases

The Huntsville Public Library has access to HeritageQuest Online through the Texshare Databases. Heritage Quest is a premier online genealogy database that includes images and indexes of federal census records from 1790 to 1940.  Heritage Quest also makes available more than 20,000 full text family history and local history books. Heritage Quest includes the Freedman's Bank Records, a primary source for African American family history research. 

Access  to the Texshare Databases and Heritage Quest Online is readily available at the Huntsville Public Library. Outside access requires a login and password. Please contact the Huntsville Public Library for details.

The Library subscribes to Ancestry Library Edition and American Ancestors, the website of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The Library also subscribes to Fold3; Military History & Genealogy Archives. Fold3 offers the web’s premier collection of original military records, gathering the best U.S. military records, photos and stories from the Revolutionary War to more recent conflicts.

Ancestry Library Edition is a comprehensive source for conducting local and family history research. Ancestry Library Edition includes census records, the Social Security Death Index, immigration records, photographs, maps, military records, and more.

American Ancestors is an award-winning genealogical website. It a product of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and is the online repository for more than 200 million searchable names covering New England, New York, and beyond.

These subscription-based websites can be accessed in the Library only.

How to access Heritage Quest from home