On this page you will find an explanation about the purposes of each means of sharing and discovering information
within Rootsweb and the USGenWeb Project.

Information concerning Baldwin County genealogical research is stored in several places. 
This means that just one search engine will not find everything.
Each location of stored information discussed on this page has evolved to accommodate different needs and purposes
  so a brief history and explanatin will help you understand how to use these sites more efficiently.

There is a Search Engine on this page that covers only what is actually on this site.

2. Baldwin County Archives Site
The archives were established so that people could submit public domain records to the Internet in a simple format.
Every county has an Archives site and a volunteer that serves as file manager.
Virginia Crilley is the file manager for Baldwin County.
When you submit your data to the archives, Virginia sees that it is placed online.
You can submit your records to the Archives yourself by visiting here and reading the instructions for doing so.
When you visit the Archives site, you will see that there are many types of records being filed there to be available for other researchers to view.

The Archives page has recently been rearranged and you and search by type and can also search Baldwin County,GAGenWeb, and USGenWeb archives.
 

3. Ancestry/RootsWeb Message Boards
The message boards provide a place on-line for people to post their their own materials.
On the county site and the archives, a volunteer posts the information for the submitter.
However, you can post material to the message board yourself.
Baldwin County Message Board
Here is an explanation of each aspect of the message board:

• Baldwin(1693) This is the name of the board and the number of messages posted to the board.
• "Messages posted to this board also appear in the "GABaldwin-L@rootsweb.com" mailing list."

This means that all messages posted on this boardwill be sent to the mailing list for Baldwin County, Georgia.
Replies to the posts, however, should be either private or posted to the message board
since some posters are not subscribed to the list and will not see a list reply.
• POST A NEW MESSAGE

Click here to post your message.
Remember to use a subject line that is specific to your message: i.e.,Smith Family-- GA--1815
This will help other researchers locate your message and open it if they think they can connect with you.
• ADD BOARD TO YOUR FAVORITES

If you visit this board frequently, this is a good move to make.
It works much like a bookmark and composes a list of the boards you visit most for easy reference.
• ADD BOARD TO NOTIFICATIONS

If you choose to use this, you will be notified every time a message is posted to this board.
However, it will not contain the body of the message.
If you are subscribed to the GABaldwin list, the gatewayed message will contain the entire messge.
• LINKS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This tell you who the Message Board Administrator is, and there is also additional news
or reference information that may be helpful.
• VIEW MESSAGE TYPE

Click on the arrow, andsee all the options:Bible Records, obituaries, deeds, etc.
This will help you classify your own posts, and also locate similar posts. Remember, though, the person who posted must also use this option,
so, just in case, check the query board, too, as it is the default board
• LISTED BY

This feature enables you to view the board posts by date ( chronological order), or by thread ( subject line and related replies).
• REPLYING TO A MESSAGE

You can reply to a messge on-line by clicking REPLY and posting your message.
If you wish to contact the poster privately, you can click on their name. You will see that person's contact information and a list of all other messages he has posted, and where the messages are located.

• You can view EVERY message within a certain month. Browseable Archives
• You can view EVERY message by specific subject. Interactive List Archives

Type in GABaldwi, select year, type in your subject, i.e. John Smith...and you'll see a list of all the messages posted to the list about John Smith.
Click on FULL and you will see the entire message and heading. Click on MESSAGE BODY to view only the message.

SO WE HAVE 4 DIFFERENT SEARCH ENGINES TO USE, so far....

• Web Site
• Archives
• Message Board
• Mailing List

To help out, RootsWeb has created "Resource Pages" for every county. Baldwin COUNTY RESOURCE PAGE
 

And another SEARCH ENGINE!!!
This is not a USGenWeb search engine, but it does list all the search engines available through RootsWeb. RootsWeb Searches
There are most likely some other items that have not been mentioned...
but, in the meantime, print out this page as a resource for handy reference.

And always feel free to ask questions...