Before you plan a trip to the county courthouse, there are a few things that you must consider. Plan ahead! Before you go: Try to do as much of the preliminary work as you can before you leave home! Before I travel, I try to make sure I have seen all the census records, records at the Family History Library, as well as newspapers on microfilm through my local library. I also have on hand the birth and death certificates of my primary lines (can be ordered through MS Dept of Health).. Do not take everything with you, unless you want to risk losing something! I am lucky to have a little Jornada 720 handheld computer where everything is stored. Check the phone book (go through Yahoo) and look for your surnames. Write letters, giving a brief outline of your family; you could be related! Also write the local funeral homes. Use the Yahoo Yellow Pages to get their addresses. They may be able to tell you where the old funeral home records are for those that went out of business. Take some copies of old family photos with you. They may jog someone's memory. Lastly, if you know what church your ancestors attended, I would certainly write there also. Once you arrive: In addition to the courthouse, you should also plan trips to the Oktibbeha County Public Library, the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum (contact the Oktibbeha Genealogical and Historical Society) and the library at MS State University. Make sure to search the libraries card catalogs online, before you go. This will be a HUGE timesaver! Also, try to determine where you ancestors went to church and where they were buried. This is where those birth and death certificates come in handy. At the courthouse: It is located at 1 West Main St. When you first walk in, the Chancery Court is located to your immediate left. This is where you will go to look at deed, court and land related records. You are basically on your own here. The indexes are located in the middle of the room and the actual records are along the walls in their slots . There are ladders to reach some of the heavy deed books that are up high. You make copies as you go along. Each copy you make costs 50 cents. Most of these deed records are available at your Family History Center. I suggest using their microfilms first, before your trip, and then fill in any missing gaps on your trip. The marriage/divorce records are located down the hall. Again, you will be on your own to look at the records and to make your own copies. Copies cost 50 cents. Most of these marriage records can be found on the films through the Family History Center. Research by mail: If you decide to request information through the mail, please be patient with the county staff. Their primary job is to run the county, and anything we ask of them is secondary. Don't bore them with your family history; get right to the point when asking for information and always include an SASE. There was a fire in the courthouse around 1880, but by all means, it did not destroy all the records! Many have also been microfilmed by the Family History Center folks in Salt Lake City and can be requested through that organization. Please go here to see what records are available. In 1920, there was also a Historical Records Survey done by the Works Project Administration (WPA), detailing exactly what every MS county had at that time. This resource is available at the Mississippi Dept of Archives & History(MDAH). |
Visiting the Oktibbeha County Courthouse in Starkville |
1. Courthouse address and phone numbers: Oktibbeha County Courthouse University Drive Starkville, MS 39759 County Circuit Clerk's Office: 662-323-1356 County Chancery Clerk's Office: 662-323-5834 2. General Research Trip Checklist -Call to find out the hours and holidays -Ask about copymachine services and access - What is the cost for birth, death and marriage certificates - Can you bring in bags, briefcases, laptops and other items - Who in particular do you see for what kind of records (deeds, birth certificates, other documents) - Is the office closed for lunch? - Are there any records stored elsewhere outside of the courthouse and how to access those - Do you have a pamphlet of your holdings? -Take your research notebook w/charts, family group sheets and come with a PLAN -Abstract forms -Research and correspondence logs -Sheet of pastel blue paper for reading microfilm (depends on the reader..easier on the eyes) -Pens and pencils -Notepaper -Magnifying glass -Change for copy machine -Calculator -Map of the area -Tissues -Tylenol -Snacks |
Before you plan a trip to the county courthouse, there are a few things that you must consider. Plan ahead! Before you go: Try to do as much of the preliminary work as you can before you leave home! Before I travel, I try to make sure I have seen all the census records, records at the Family History Library, as well as newspapers on microfilm through my local library. I also have on hand the birth and death certificates of my primary lines (can be ordered through MS Dept of Health).. Do not take everything with you, unless you want to risk losing something! I am lucky to have a little Jornada 720 handheld computer where everything is stored. Check the phone book (go through Yahoo) and look for your surnames. Write letters, giving a brief outline of your family; you could be related! Also write the local funeral homes. Use the Yahoo Yellow Pages to get their addresses. They may be able to tell you where the old funeral home records are for those that went out of business. Take some copies of old family photos with you. They may jog someone's memory. Lastly, if you know what church your ancestors attended, I would certainly write there also. Once you arrive: In addition to the courthouse, you should also plan trips to the Oktibbeha County Public Library, the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum (contact the Oktibbeha Genealogical and Historical Society) and the library at MS State University. Make sure to search the libraries card catalogs online, before you go. This will be a HUGE timesaver! Also, try to determine where you ancestors went to church and where they were buried. This is where those birth and death certificates come in handy. At the courthouse: It is located at 1 West Main St. When you first walk in, the Chancery Court is located to your immediate left. This is where you will go to look at deed, court and land related records. You are basically on your own here. The indexes are located in the middle of the room and the actual records are along the walls in their slots . There are ladders to reach some of the heavy deed books that are up high. You make copies as you go along. Each copy you make costs 50 cents. Most of these deed records are available at your Family History Center. I suggest using their microfilms first, before your trip, and then fill in any missing gaps on your trip. The marriage/divorce records are located down the hall. Again, you will be on your own to look at the records and to make your own copies. Copies cost 50 cents. Most of these marriage records can be found on the films through the Family History Center. Research by mail: If you decide to request information through the mail, please be patient with the county staff. Their primary job is to run the county, and anything we ask of them is secondary. Don't bore them with your family history; get right to the point when asking for information and always include an SASE. There was a fire in the courthouse around 1880, but by all means, it did not destroy all the records! Many have also been microfilmed by the Family History Center folks in Salt Lake City and can be requested through that organization. Please go here to see what records are available. In 1920, there was also a Historical Records Survey done by the Works Project Administration (WPA), detailing exactly what every MS county had at that time. This resource is available at the Mississippi Dept of Archives & History(MDAH). |
Oktibbeha County Courthouse |
This page was last updated on: March 9, 2002
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