Marion County Courthouse
Middle of Columbia- you can't miss it!

Reviewed by Shannon Gorman July 2007

I found the staff to be as welcoming and helpful as they were three years ago, which is to say they are VERY easy to work with. The records that most people will want are kept in open, and easy to access. Being this is a functioning courthouse, there is no where to just sit and work on your personal family history, so you need a strong back to stand for a long time reading old books! What is so wonderful is that you have access to the actual records, so for those researchers who are used to only relying on online resources, this will be an exciting change. The courthouse staff was willing to make copies and took the time to talk to me about the possibility of copying a few of the really old record books and donating them to the Marion County Historical Society.

Marion County Library
900 Broad Street
Columbia, Mississippi, 39429

Reviewed by Shannon Gorman July 2007

The library has a genealogy reading room, with two file cabinets for storing paper copies of family history research. Most of the files are empty. It appears the small effort to go to the front desk to make copies is too great so a few lazy people are just taking files out of the file cabinet. The door is kept locked, but there is not a genealogy library staff member and there is no monitoring of the collection. I went to the library three days in a row, and the only assistance I was offered was a key to the reading room.When I asked to speak to the person in charge of the genealogy collection, I was told there was no such person. I did inquire a few other places regarding the genealogy research collection, and was told several times that there used to be a lot more books, and family information, but that the people who were sustaining the interest in the collection have gotten old and the collection is slowly vanishing.

The book collection includes, but is not limited to cemetery and census records; Daughters of the American Revolution resource books; as well as a few books on the local prominent surnames. A real plus is the compilation of Dell Clawson's articles written about 20 years ago that cover a lot of the common local surnames.

There is room for improvement, but it is a good place to start your research. There is no online access in the reading room, and to make copies you have to go to the front desk. There a wide variety of reading material available, and this could be a great genealogy collection with a little work. I would suggest a coin fed copy machine be made available in the genealogy reading room. If there is a local volunteer minded researcher in Columbia, the library really needs your guidance. There is great potential here, all that is needed is someone who cares.

Family History Center
805 West Lakeview Drive
Columbia, Mississippi 39429
Phone- 601-736-5846
Hours- 4:30-7:30 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Reviewed by Shannon Gorman July 2007

I found the staff to be friendly and willing to work with individuals. The Family History Center is staffed by volunteers who will assist you in completing your family research. They will help fill in the gaps as best they can, but it is still up to you to provide basic information to them. The Church of the Later Day Saints is in the process of compiling the information currently found online, and contributed by individuals, into a new searchable database. There is free software that will need to be installed, and you will need online access to utilize this new database. The name of the software is Path 5.

When you go to the Family History Center the first time, you will be given a chart to take home and fill out with as much of your family history information as you can, or wish to share. You will be offered access to free genealogy classes given at the Family History Center. The only downside that may bother some people is that they will keep a copy of your research. This is done to help other researchers, who will have access to your information once it is entered into the LDS database. I do not know if they hide information on living persons, but it is a good question to ask if you are including your descendants in your research.

I asked about the verification of information given to them by individuals, and they stated they tried to verify the information, but had to rely on the honesty of the people submitting the information to them. I would verify everything myself, but you should do that regardless of the source of the information.

I think it is worth the time to visit the Family History Center and see what information they may already have on your ancestors. If you do choose to work with them, they will give you a nicely organized book of your personal family history when it is complete.

Marion County Historical Society
200 Second Avenue, Suite 3
Columbia, Mississippi 39429
Phone- 601-731-3999
Days Open- Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Hours- 10 AM to 12 Noon and 1 PM to 3 PM
Closed for lunch from 12 Noon to 1 PM

Reviewed by Shannon Gorman July 2007

This is mainly a museum, with a tremendous collection of literature on the War Between the States. In recent years they have been given manuscripts, photographs and books relating to family history. They have started a collection, and are very willing to share what they have. If you are interested in researching your Revolutionary War ancestors, this is a great place to visit. Ask for Mrs. Virginia Crain, a very gracious woman, who is a member of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.