Alabama Department of Archives and History

Montgomery

The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) serves as the official repository for the State of Alabama. Its archival holdings are among the largest in the state and feature a wide selection of sources related to Alabama’s early history. Material objects are housed in the ADAH’s Museum of Alabama. Galleries featuring early Alabama artifacts include This Land Is Our Land, Cotton State, and Civil War. There are also various Collections of documentary materials. Among these items are the official historical records of the state, including the records of all Alabama governors dating back to 1819, as well as records of the Alabama legislature and various state agencies. Also available are transcriptions of British, French, and Spanish colonial records, as well as records pertaining to the Alabama Territory. Records from every Alabama county are also available and may be searched with the ADAH’s County Records on Microfilm Database. The ADAH also holds private manuscript collections comprised of business records, correspondence, diaries, family papers, organizational records, and other ephemera. Church and synagogue records are also held by the ADAH and can be searched with its Alabama Church and Synagogue Records Collection Database. Similar databases are available for Alabama Newspapers on Microfilm, Maps, Alabama Civil War Records, and Alabama 1867 Voter Registration Records. Items held by the ADAH may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the ADAH’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) maintains a large collection of early Alabama sources. Its Archives & Manuscripts division has an extensive selection of 19th century business records, correspondence, diaries, government records, letters, maps, and other primary source material. Collecting areas include African American History and Life, the American Civil War, Antebellum Alabama, Industrial History, and Women’s History. The BPL also serves as the official repository for Birmingham City’s Archives and the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Also at the BPL are the Jefferson County, Alabama, Archives, featuring some late 19th century county records and vital statistics. A Guide to the Collections is available, as are dozens of Databases. Items held by the Archives & Manuscripts may be searched with the BPL’s Online Catalog. Some of the Archives & Manuscripts material has been digitized and can be viewed through the BPL’s Digital Collections.

Collier Library

Florence

Collier Library serves as the main library for the University of North Alabama. Its Archives and Special Collections houses some early Alabama materials. The Sallie Independence Foster Collection contains personal diaries, business records, and correspondence of the Foster Family during in the years before, during, and after the Civil War. There is also a large selection of Church Records, much of which date from the 19th century. Items held by Collier Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. Some of Collier Library’s earlier materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

Julia Tutwiler Library

Livingston

The Julia Tutwiler Library serves as the main library for the University of West Alabama. Its Alabama Room houses the Tutwiler Library’s special collections. Among its Local History Resources are several early Alabama sources, including 19th century court and vital records for Sumter County. There are also several Alabama newspaper holdings. Finding Aids are available, and the Alabama Room provides several Genealogy Resources. Some of the Alabama Room’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through the Tutwiler Library’s Digital Collections.

Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Mobile

Part of the University of South Alabama Libraries, the Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library features a vast selection of early American sources. Among its holdings is a solid selection of Printed Material, including several 19th century city directories, codes of ordinances, and newspapers. Nearly three and a half million Photographs are available. There is also an extensive collection of Manuscripts totally some 8,000 linear feet, much of which focuses on 19th century Alabama. The bulk of the archival material is found in the Doy Leale McCall Sr. Papers, a robust assemblage of smaller manuscript collections. With over a million items, this collection documents well the 19th century history of the Alabama Black Belt. Two standouts from the McCall Papers are the Pickens Family Papers and the Winter Family Papers. Other McCall Library resources include guides for African-American History, Antebellum History, the Civil War, and Genealogy. Items held by the McCall Library may be searched with the University of South Alabama Libraries’ Online Catalog. Much of the McCall Library’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its various Digital Collections and the McCall Library Photo Gallery.

Harwell Goodwin Davis Library

Birmingham

The Harwell Goodwin Davis Library serves as the main library for Samford University. Its Special Collections maintains a wide variety of sources related to early America. A robust Baptist Collection features microfilmed association records, church records, missionary records, and other materials related to Alabama Baptists. There is also a large Manuscripts Collection, which contains various county court records, Civil War letters, Freedmen’s Bureau Papers, and vital statistics. There are also microfilm copies of popular historical collections, such as the Draper Manuscripts and the Panton, Leslie and Co. Papers. Other resources include the Literary Authors Collection, the Map Collection, and the Newspapers and Periodicals Collection. A Research Guide is available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with the Special Collections Database. Some of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

History Museum of Mobile

Mobile

The History Museum of Mobile collects and preserves the material history of Mobile. Its Permanent Exhibits are made up of fine works of art, furniture, military equipment, and much more. Archival materials are housed in the Museum’s Jack Friend Research Library. Collection highlights include the Creole Fire Company Records, the Creole Social Club Records, and the William T. Mumford Diaries.

M. Louis Salmon Library

Huntsville

The M. Louis Salmon Library serves as the main library for the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Its Archives and Special Collections contain some early Alabama sources. Two standouts are the Frances Cabaniss Roberts Collection and the George Washington Harris Civil War Diary. A Complete Collection List is available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with its Online Catalog. Some of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

Mobile Municipal Archives

Mobile

The Mobile Municipal Archives serves as the official repository for the City of Mobile. Its records date back to the incorporation of the city (1814) and include business licenses, city resolutions, maps, meeting minutes, official correspondence, tax lists, and more.

Mobile Public Library

Mobile

The Mobile Public Library (MPL) maintains various sources related to early Alabama. Its Local History & Genealogy Library has an extensive collection of microfilmed documents from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, including censuses, church records, court records, Dawes Commission records, and municipal records. There are also microfilmed copies of French and Spanish archival records, the Panton Leslie/Forbes Papers, and various other private papers, as well as 19th century newspapers. A Vertical File Index is available. Items held by the MPL may be searched with its Online Catalog. Some of the Local History & Genealogy material has been digitized and can be viewed through the MPL’s Digital Archives.

Ralph Brown Draughon Library

Auburn

The Ralph Brown Draughon Library serves as the main library for Auburn University. Its Special Collections & Archives holds various sources related to early America. Several Rare Book Collections feature strong holdings on the history and culture of Alabama and the American South. Other areas of focus are on architecture, the biological sciences, fashion, literature, sheet music, and travel and exploration. Several Manuscript and Archival Collections touch upon 19th century Alabama’s agricultural and rural histories, as well as Alabama’s role in the Civil War. Finding Aids are available. Items held by the Special Collections may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through the Auburn University Digital Library.

Reynolds-Finley Historical Library

Birmingham

Part of the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Libraries, the Reynolds-Finley Historical Library (RFHL) holds a large collection on the early history of medicine. The Dennis G. Pappas Otolaryngology Collection consists of dozens of rare books about otolaryngology, some of which were first published in the 19th century United States. Also available is the Galbraith/Harsh/Morawetz Neurosurgery Collection, which has some works from early American neurosurgeons. Other standouts include the Arnold G. Diethelm American Civil War Medicine Collection and the Civil War Medical Figures. Another UAB Libraries resource is the Sterne Rare Book Collection, which features some 3,400 prints dating from the 18th to 20th centuries. Strengths of the Sterne Collection include American history, English and American literature, sermons, sheet music, and state laws. There are also materials related to the antebellum United States and the Civil War. Items held by the RFHL may be searched with the UAB Libraries Online Catalog. Some of the RFHL’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through the UAB Libraries’ Digital Collections. The UAB Special Collections offers several research Fellowships.

Wiregrass Archives

Dothan

Part of the Troy University Dothan Campus, the Wiregrass Archives collects and preserves the documentary history of the Wiregrass Region of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Its holdings include various 19th century materials, including the Henry County Records, the Jerrie Watson Bass Collection, the John D. Davis Papers, and the Robert Saunders Papers. Dozens of Online Collection Guides and Inventories are available.

W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library

Tuscaloosa

Part of the University of Alabama Libraries, the W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library maintains a large assortment of early American sources. Its Published Materials contain vast selection of rare books, with particular focus given to 18th and 19th century American literature and travel narratives. Louisiana and New Orleans are well represented. A standout among the printed works is the David Walker Lupton African American Cookbook Collection, which consists of over 500 volumes dating back to 1827. There is also thousands of Alabama Maps. The Library also holds over 4,000 Manuscript Collections. Hundreds of collections pertain to Alabama’s colonial past, as well as the plantation economy and culture that developed there in the 19th century. Several collections relate to American history in general. Some standouts include the Creek Indian Land Sales Collection, Documents of African American Revolutionary War Soldiers, the Elizabeth Tyler Coleman Papers, the Jefferson Davis Papers, and the Wade Hall Collection on Slavery in the United States. Some of these collections pertain to Latin America and the Caribbean, such as an Account of the Battle of Cartagena, the Marguerite Le Noir De Rouvrary, Comtesse de Lostanges Papers, and the Wilfred A. Joubert Papers from Suriname and Meixco. Several Research Guides are available. Printed items held by the Hoole Library may be searched with the University of Alabama Libaries’ online catalog, Scout. Archival materials may be searched with the Hoole Libary’s Archives Database. Much of the Hoole Library’s material has been digitized and can be searched with the University of Alabama Libraries’ Digital Collections.

Other Alabama Archives & Sources

Several Alabama counties still retain their earliest records, although some may have been destroyed by war or natural disaster. Check with local county clerks of court to see what is available. Genealogy Dig keeps a solid List of Alabama Genealogical and Historical Societies.

Several regional repositories hold sources related to early Alabama, including the Georgia Historical Society, the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library, The Historic New Orleans Collection, the Jean & Alexander Heard Libraries, the Mitchell Memorial Library, the P. K. Yonge Library of Florida History, and the Strozier Library. Early Alabama sources can also be found at the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.

As a space of British, French, and Spanish colonization, Alabama is well represented in the archives of all three countries. Check with the British Library and the National Archives at Kew in the United Kingdom, the Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in France, and in Spain at the Archivo General de Indias.