Finding my Criswell Family in Vertical Files

Vertical files are collections of documents relating to a particular subject, such as a surname, location, topic, organization, or event. These vertical files can be found in repositories of all sizes. Look in archives, libraries, historical and genealogical societies, university archives, and other repositories housing archival records. 

 

The contents, often found in filing cabinets, are not usually cataloged or digitized, and new content is added when received. Vertical files for a particular surname may contain family trees, family histories, copies of family Bible pages, letters, photos, newspaper clippings, genealogy-related correspondence, and even genealogical queries. Researchers must look through the files to determine the contents. The number and kind of items found in each file will vary.  

Several years ago, I visited West Waco Library & Genealogy Center in Texas and found a vertical file for Criswell containing family letters, obituaries, and transcriptions of newspaper articles. Criswell found in the Surname Vertical File Index at the Tennessee State Library and Archives netted much-wanted articles about the Criswell [Creswell] family published in 1928.

Most repositories will have an index of their vertical files to access in person. Some have their indexes available online. Here are some examples of U.S. repositories giving access to online vertical file indexes. 

 

The materials in the Library of Congress vertical files do not appear in the Library of Congress Online Public Access Catalog. Visit the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room to view the files.

 

The California Genealogical Society's index is a great finding aid. Not only do you see the surname, but a summary of the information in the file is included. 

 

The Manteo Library in Dare County, North Carolina, has a local history collection that includes vertical files. The subject index is online. Look under genealogy to find surnames. 

 

Look at the Margaret Martin O’Bryant Research Library page of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society to find a nice index of their vertical files. 

 

Although the Texas State Library and Archives Commission no longer accept additions to their vertical files, they maintain a large vertical file index. 

 

A search on Google for Virginia genealogy "vertical files" resulted in abundant resources in Virginia and other states. Try this search for other locations.  

To learn more about vertical files, read Lisa Lisson's blog post Vertical Files in the Archives and A Valuable Genealogy Resource and Vertical Files: Like a Box of Chocolates by Melissa Barker at Legacy News. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

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Diana

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