FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Courthouse Disasters

Main Project Page

Purpose
To record information concerning record losses in courthouses.

Contact
Jane Colmenares

Task List
Task List

Instructions
Go to the Task List and sign out a state to work on. There will be a corresponding Google Doc that will list any courthouse disasters in your counties.

Step 1
1. You will want to check each county page on your list. Under the heading Record Loss, there should be one of three cases


 * There is no information for courthouse disasters (either because there were none, or they have just not been added).
 * There will be accurate information describing the loss.
 * There will be a statement telling the user that for courthouse disaster information go to an external link

2.  If there is a statement directing the user to an offsite link, remove that statement.

3. If there is no information, check the Google Doc to see if there was a courthouse loss for that county. See instructions in Step 2 for how to update.

4. If there is no history of record loss in that county (or state) enter "No known history of courthouse disasters."

5. If there is accurate information describing the loss, do nothing to this county and move on to the next.

Step 2
Record the record loss in this way...

1876 The courthouse at Baxter burned 7 September 1876. Most county records were lost. Some deed books survived.

or if you only have limited information such as date and fire

1876 Fire burned courthouse

If you have edited the page, place "updated courthouse disaster information" in the Edit Summary Box and go on to the next county.

Once you have completed checking the state, go back to the Task List and enter the date you completed the work. You can then sign out another state.