Featuring the McCarroll Genealogy Collection

Recently, I had the opportunity to conduct client research in the McCarroll Genealogy Collection at the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library. I was reminded what a fantastic facility it is!

Established by his brothers as a perpetual memorial to Joe McCarroll, it is located in downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  If you have ancestors who lived or passed through Christian County, it is a major resource for you but its scope goes far beyond that of one county. They have a large collection of resources covering at least 79 of Kentucky's 120 counties with over 5,000 books and periodicals. Within the collection are deed books, tax lists, census records, cemetery transcriptions, funeral records, court order books, family histories, will books, vital statistics, marriage records, and a host of other types of genealogical resources. 

For Christian County, they have a lot of original records including land grants and original court minute books dating back to the foundation of the county in 1797.  They have obituaries going back to the 1880s. They maintain a collection of newspapers including that of Kentucky New Era (1872-1983), and Hopkinsville Kentuckian (1892-1919).  In many situations, a trip to the Christian County courthouse is not needed as the records are held in this collection, particularly if you are dealing with the early years of the 1800s.  It is important to note that part of Muhlenberg County was formed from a part of Christian County in 1798 and Trigg and Todd Counties were formed from a part of Christian County in 1820. Remember you need to follow a county's genealogy when doing research!

The McCarroll Collection has the advantage of having a genealogy reference librarian who can assist patrons. She regularly conducts genealogy educational programs.

What I found particularly helpful is they have quite a bit of resources for Virginia research, especially on Louisa, Orange, and Albemarle Counties where I am presently working on a very tough brick wall problem.  I will be heading back to Hopkinsville in the near future to do some research. 

Take advantage of a beautiful spring day soon and head to Hopkinsville to do some research in the McCarroll Genealogy Collection.

Backstory Bloodhound, LLC can assist you with your research needs in many counties in western Kentucky, including Christian County.