town records
Local government files
Town records are the official documents maintained by a municipality—deeds, meeting minutes, birth and death certificates, tax rolls, and similar administrative papers.
These records serve as the legal and historical archive of local government: The deed is filed in the town records.
Genealogists and historians often consult town records to trace property ownership or family histories.
- birth certificatesDocuments proving nativity
- committee reportsDocuments from assigned groups
- ordinancesLocal government rules
- chartersDocuments establishing rights
- public recordOfficially accessible government information
death certificates · microfilm · election results · genealogies · chronicles · tax rolls · contracts · meeting minutes · marriage licenses · dog licenses · deeds · court rulings · community history · local history · historical society · public notices · zoning regulations · building permits
town recordspersonal diaries
Private daily written records
personal correspondence · private papers · family letters · personal letters · autobiographies
town recordsoral tradition
Culture passed by speech
folk memory · hearsay · gossip · rumors · anecdotal evidence