Arizona Introduction

United States   Arizona    Introduction

This set of Wiki pages describes major sources of information about families from Arizona. As you read this outline, study the United States set of Wiki pages, which will help you understand terminology and the contents and uses of genealogical records.

Records of the Family History Library
The Family History Library has many of the records described in these Arizona Wiki pages. The major holdings include Spanish, territorial, federal, and Indian census records. The library also has helpful genealogical collections including cemetery records. The library has few records from the county courthouses.

Some of the sources described in this set of Wiki pages list the Family History Library's book, microfilm, and microfiche. These are preceded by FHL, the abbreviation for Family History Library. You can use these numbers to locate materials in the library and to order microfilm and microfiche at Family History Centers.

Family History Library Catalog
The library's records are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog found at the library and at each Family History Center. The catalog is available in a online or microfiche version. The FamilySearch Catalog now contains the catalogs of additional FamilySearch Centers where the records in the catalog may be found. There are pull-down menus to choose to search an individual FamilySearch Center catalog or to find out if a particular item is in another FamilySearch Center.

To find a record, look in the Place Search of the catalog for:


 * The place where your ancestor lived, such as:
 * UNITED STATES - CENSUS
 * ARIZONA - MILITARY RECORDS
 * ARIZONA, MARICOPA - VITAL RECORDS
 * ARIZONA, MARICOPA, PHOENIX - DIRECTORIES


 * The record type you want to search, such as:
 * UNITED STATES - CENSUS
 * ARIZONA - MILITARY RECORDS
 * ARIZONA, MARICOPA - VITAL RECORDS
 * ARIZONA, MARICOPA, PHOENIX - DIRECTORIES

The page titles in the Arizona Wiki pages match the names of record types used in the catalog.