Alaska, Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of digital images of probate records including wills from the collections at the Alaska State Archives for the years 1900 to 1959. It may also include miscellaneous court records including civil cases, criminal cases, warrants, bonds, and insanity records from 1908-1940; census records from 1875-1910; and naturalization and citizenship records from 1900-1922.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Probate records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees, oaths of executors, forms about guardians and other court documents. Information in entries includes:
 * Name of testator or deceased
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, and other relatives or friends
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence of testator
 * Lists of belongings, property, and so forth
 * Document and recording dates (Sometimes the date of death will be given. Recording dates are also used to approximate event dates, i.e. a letter of administration was usually written shortly after the time of death.)

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The date of the event or the name of a spouse or child

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Date Range and Volume to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use probate records to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs, and relatives
 * Use a will to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate
 * For earlier years, use the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records
 * Search for vital records such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find immigration and land records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Alaska.
 * Alaska Guided Research
 * Alaska Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Alaska Research, 1880-Present

Citing For This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.