Research Resources

Biography

Index to the Typewriter Portrait Series in the Columbus (GA) Ledger-Enquirer, 1949 – 1969

On Sundays, between March 1949 and September 1969, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer published short biographies of local and regional business, governmental and social persons in its editorial section. The weekly column was entitled “Typewriter Portrait,” and featured an intricate pencil sketch of the biographee. Former Bradley Reference Librarian Joan Whiteley has created an index of over 900 of these portraits, presented here – compliments of the Muscogee Genealogical Society. To find out how to access this resource, go to this page.

Index to the Typewriter Portrait Series (PDF)

Births

Compiled by Daniel B. Olds, September 2005

Cemeteries/Burials

City Directories

Courthouse Records

Index to Will Books A-M

Deaths/Obituaries

  • African-American Cemeteries – Covers some counties in the Chattahoochee Valley. Find Georgia or Alabama and then look for counties. 
  • African-American Cemeteries and Obituaries
  • Columbus, Georgia,  Newspapers Obituary Project, 1872-1918*
  • Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Obituary Database, 1990 – 2005*
  • Columbus Enquirer-Sun Death Index 1900-1918 — an obituary index created by the Genealogy Room staff, Chattahoochee Valley Regional Libraries.
  • Columbus Ledger Enquirer Obituary Index 2006-2011 — April 2006 – Sept. 2011, sorted by date. Created by the Genealogy Room staff, Chattahoochee Valley Regional Libraries.
  • How to Find United States Death Records (FamilySearch.org)
  • Indexes of Vital Records for Georgia: Deaths, 1919-1998 (Ancestry.com)
  • Georgia Death Certificates 1919-1927 — and a few other years (Georgia Archives)
  • Muscogee County Death Index, August 1890 – December 1918 (see links below. Compiled December 10, 2001, by Daniel B. Olds)
    • Information extracted from the Death Register on file at Vital Records Section, Muscogee County Health Department, Columbus, Georgia pertains only to deaths that were reported and recorded.
      Sequence of data from left to right:

      • Last Name of Deceased.
      • First Name or Initial of Deceased.
      • Sex of Deceased.
      • Race of Deceased.
      • Age at Death.
      • Date Death Reported.
      • Remarks.
        • Example 1: Abercrombie,?,F,C,0,26,June,1892.Inf of Katie Abercrombie, First name unknown, was female, colored, who died at birth and whose death was reported on 26 June 1892. Katie Abercrombie was the mother of the deceased (A zero for Age at Death means died at birth).
        • Example 2: Adams,Codie,F,W,30,13,September,1908.Mrs. Adams, Codie was female, white, who died at age 30 and whose death was reported on 13 September 1908. She was Mrs. Codie Adams. 
    • Organized alphabetically by last name 

Maps

Marriages

Military Records

Columbus, Georgia Newspapers

Columbus newspapers are available on microfilm at the Columbus Public Library and the Simon Schwob Memorial Library at CSU. The CSU Archives has paper copies from the 1830s to 1953.

Electronic Access

Georgia Historic Newspapers (GALILEO)

This FREE website has 27 old Columbus, GA newspapers from 1828-1893 (with gaps):

  • The Columbus Amateur (1876 – 18??)
  • Columbus Daily Enquirer. (1874 – 1877)
  • Columbus Daily Enquirer-Sun. (1877 – 1886)
  • Columbus Daily Times. (1876 – 1885)
  • Columbus Daily Times. (1858 – 1864)
  • Columbus Enquirer. (1828 – 1861)
  • Columbus Enquirer-Sun. (1886 – 1893)
  • The Columbus Enquirer Tri-weekly. (1855 – 1858)
  • Columbus Sentinel. (18?? – 183?)
  • Columbus Sentinel and Herald. (183? – 1841)
  • The Columbus Times. (1841 – 185?)
  • Columbus Times. (1864 – 1865)
  • The Columbus Weekly Times. (1858 – 1865)
  • The Corner Stone. (1853 – 186?)
  • Daily Columbus Enquirer. (1858 – 1873)
  • The Daily Sun. (1855 – 1873)
  • The Daily Times. (1875 – 1876)
  • The Democrat. (1830 – 18??)
  • Muscogee Democrat. (184? – 18??)
  • Muscogee Democrat, and Mercantile Advertiser. (1844 – 1849)
  • The Southern Sentinel. (1850 – 18??)
  • The Times & Sentinel Tri-weekly. (1855 – 1858)
  • The Tri-weekly Columbus Times. (1850 – 185?)
  • The Tri-weekly Times and Sentinel. (1853 – 1854)
  • Weekly Columbus Enquirer. (1861 – 1873)
  • The Weekly Sun. (1857 – 1873)
  • The Weekly Times & Sentinel (185? – 1858)

Names and topics are searchable from the main webpage (limit to “Columbus”).

***

Newsbank – 1880s – 1988; 1993 – current

Access through CSU Archives: The Newsbank database of Ledger-Enquirer newspapers is freely available to anyone (including the general public) on Columbus State University campus. Researchers can visit the CSU Archives or use one of the computers on the main floor of the Schwob Library. CSU students and employees can access Newsbank remotely from home. There are also a limited number of remote log-on accounts for community members to access this resource from home. To apply for an account, contact the CSU Archives.

Access through Chattahoochee Valley Libraries: for card holders only.

(Note: Non-residents within certain nearby counties may purchase a library card ($35/year) that gives access to electronic resources. More information here.

  • Columbus Ledger (1903 – 1988)
  • Ledger-Enquirer — Text Version (1993 – Current)
  • Ledger-Enquirer – Image Version (2018 – Current)

Newspapers.com 

 A subscription database through Ancestry.com

At this point Newspapers.com has only one Columbus paper, the Ledger-Enquirer, however, it has other Chattahoochee Valley papers, such as the Russell Register (Seale, Ala.), the Union Springs Herald, and some Barbour County newspapers.