The Brickwall Genealogical Society

Purpose of the Society
To assist those in breaking through their brickwall research problems. The society also acquires and displays artifacts which individuals use to build their family brickwalls.

Record Collections
County Church Records


 * Located: Currently this set of records is indexed and available online at our website. This is a free index and is available to members and non-members.
 * How to access: From the society homepage use the link "Church Records" to access the index.
 * Why search this record: Because Brickwall County was very late in recording vital records and many records were burned in one of the seven court house fires, church records play an important role in finding those allusive ancestors.

Indexes for Brickwall County
The society has various name indexes which have been placed on-line and are searchable by member and non-member for free. These indexes can by accessed by visiting our website and clicking on the "Online Indexes" link.

Books

 * The society library has books for church records; county birth, marriage and death records; tax records; county histories; family history books for those who lived in our county.

Periodicals

 * "Brick and Mortar" is the quarterly publication of the society. It is available to all society members free. Copies, for non-members, are available in the society shop for a charge of $15.00.

Family Files

 * Over the years many of our members have submitted information on paper concerning their families. The society has placed this information in filing cabinets in alphabetical order. These are located at the main society library and are currently not available on line. To access the collection see one of the society volunteers. 

Publications for Sale
The society shop has various publications for sale from local authors which deal with many aspects of our counties history. One of our popular publications is "The County in Pictures." This is a multi-volume set with historical images of our county. For additional items in our society store visit our webpage and click on the "Shop" link.

Look up Services
If you are a member of the society, our volunteer staff will search five records for you at no charge. You can specify which five records from our collection we should search; or you can leave it up to staff to choose the records. Non-society members can take advantage of the same service for a fee of $25.00. To request a search service, go to the society website and click on the "Library" link. For an hourly charge we can also visit the following locations:


 * Brickwall County Courthouse
 * Brickwall County Repository of Old Records

How to Do Research in Brickwall County

 * Every second Saturday of the month our staff provides a workshop on how to research in Brickwall County. There is no need to sign-up, just bring your research questions and our knowledgeable staff will give you a quick easy answer.

Local Repositories Society Members Visit
There are additional repositories in the area that include:


 * Brickwall County Courthouse
 * Foundation Township Historical Society
 * Chalkline Township Railroad Society

Benefits to Those Who Join the Society
Cost of membership and how to join:

Memberships are yearly and range from $40.00 for an individual to $1,000.00 for our patron catagory. We also offer a lifetime membership at a one-time fee of $5,000.00. Children between the ages of 8 to 15 can apply for our "Patriot" membership for $15.00 per year.

Unlimited Online Access to:


 * Members and non-members have unlimited access to the society web indexes that can be accessed by visiting our website.
 * Members have free access to the research library and the museum exhibit rooms
 * First time members will also receive five hours of research from our staff of excellent researchers

Newsletter/Periodical:

Our award winning quarterly periodical "Brick and Mortar" is available to each member for free.


 * The monthly newsletter "Trowel and Level" is posted on our website and can be accessed by clicking the publication link. The on-line newsletter is only available to members.

Free Look Ups:


 * See the section above "Look Up Services"

Field Trips:


 * Our annual trip "Stonewalls of Brickwall County" is open to the public but members will receive seating preferences. Cost of the trip will be posted yearly.

Meetings
General membership meetings are held monthly on the first Monday of each month at the society main building. Bring your questions and ask the board of directors any question you wish. Sometimes it really turns into an all out free-for-all.

Workshops
During the months of April through September, the society holds special programs on the third Saturday of each month for children who are interested in the history of Brickwall County and their ancestors. The workshops are held between the hours of 11:00am and 3:00pm. Lunch is served at each workshop.

Board Meetings
Board meetings are held quarterly and are not open to the membership or the general public. If you have an item of business that you wish to place before the board, please contact the society secretary at (605) 123-1234 ext. 123. Various topics discussed are: acquistion of records, research assistence, how to get more money, etc.

Events

 * 12 June: Community Block Party
 * 13 September: "Stonewalls of Brickwall County"
 * 20 December: "Christmas in Brickwall County"

Please contact the society secretary for additional information concerning each event. (605) 123-1234.

Indexing

 * Currently the society is assisting with indexing the 1940 Federal Census. If you are interested in helping with the project contact the society secretary at (605) 123-1234 ext. 123

Past Projects

 * Indexing of Unknown People in Records
 * Indexing Unknown Records (This was a tough one)
 * Indexing Unmarked Graves (This project was dead before it got started)