About The USGenWeb Project
and How It Started

In the spring of 1996, a group of genealogists organized the "Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database Project", which evolved into the KYGenWeb Project.  The idea was to provide a single entry point for genealogy data and research for all counties in Kentucky.  In addition, the information for each county would be indexed and cross-linked to make it easier for researchers to find a name or data that they sought.  In June 1996, as the KYGenWeb Project was nearing 100% county coverage, interested volunteers decided to create a similar set of pages for all states, establishing The USGenWeb Project.  Volunteers were found who were willing to coordinate the efforts for each state, and additional volunteers were sought to create and maintain websites for every county in the United States.

RootsWeb provided free webspace for the USGenWeb Project.  This webspace was to be provided ad-free.  Ancestry.com acquired RootsWeb and is now changing its policy.  Beginning sometime shortly after April 15, 2008, there will be ads along the top of on all of the USGenWeb Project pages that reside on RootsWeb.

This website was moved to a new server to avoid having Ancestry's advertisement banners on the top of all of the pages.  Please be patient as we get any of the kinks worked out.

Many of the USGenWeb Project sites that were on RootsWeb (including the TXGenWeb Project) have moved to new servers.

On Monday, Sept. 24th, 2007, the genealogical family archives that were once part of the Brooks Library in Forney were donated by that library to the Kaufman County Library and are now kept in the Genealogy Department.  They are currently being integrated into the Kaufman Surname files.  These files include published Obituary books, loose obituaries, loose historical documents, published journals, original & duplicated photographs and more than 300 Surname Files of early Forney area residents.  Also, there are many files on persons who did not live in Forney, who were Kaufman County residents who were residents of Kaufman, Terrell, Rockwall, Crandall and Kemp.

TexShare Online Databases

The TX State Library and Archives TexShare Online Databases are available to registered card holders of participating Texas libraries.  Access to the databases is also available from your home or office.  One of the many databases available is HeritageQuest Online which has images of census records!  Visit the TX State Library and Archives and contact your local reference librarian for more information.  (Note many libraries in other states also participate in providing access to the HeritageQuest database; visit your library's website and/or ask at the reference desk for more information.)

• Research Tips
• Kaufman County's Families: Family Group Sheets, Bible Records, Biographies, "Kith & Kin" Photo Album, Family Reunions, Surnames, Links to Home pages and GEDCOMS
• History of Kaufman County: The History of King's Fort, An Introduction to Kaufman County, TX, Sam Houston in Kaufman County
• African-Americans in Kaufman County
• Pioneer Businessmen of Kaufman County
• Old Business Newspaper Ads from the Kaufman Sun, 1880-1889
• Kaufman County Cemetery Central:  Enumerations and photos, Information on Kaufman County Cemeteries (includes tips on finding the cemeteries your ancestors were buried in, tips on locating burial sites, years cemeteries were started, tombstone abbreviations, how to add info, search just the cemetery pages on this site, etc.)
• Kaufman County Census Records:  Images, Index to images, Transcriptions and Look-ups for the Federal Census Schedules as well as Slave, Mortality and Agriculture Schedules and substitute resources for the destroyed 1890 census.  Also information on how to obtain census records, Definitions of some terms you may need to know when researching census records and the Soundex Code
• Churches and Ministers in Kaufman County
• Communities in Kaufman County:  includes info on how to obtain info from the Terrell State Hospital (aka the North Texas Institute or the Hospital for the Insane) as well as information on other Kaufman County communities such as Mabank, Kaufman, Terrell, Forney, Prairieville, etc.
• Disasters in Kaufman County
• Kaufman County Government:  includes information on what records are available in the Kaufman County Court House
• Hispanic Pioneers of Kaufman County
• Kaufman County's Hall of Fame
• Kaufman County Letters
• Kaufman County's Medical History
• Kaufman County Military Records: Photos, Veteran's Memorial, Civil War -- rosters, photos, veterans, pension applications, reenactments, etc., Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, Korean War, National Guard, etc.
• Kaufman County Obituaries
• Kaufman County Probate Records
• Reflections:  Kaufman County, Past & Present  Data and photos of landmarks, historical markers, old maps, historical places, David S. Kaufman, for whom Kaufman County were named, the Pioneer Settlers' Wall of Honor on the library wall, Photographs from Old Newspapers and more
• Kaufman County and the Republic of Texas: Empresario Colonies, Mercer's Colony & Empresario C. F. Mercer, Texas Revolution Widow's Pension Application
• Rockwall County formed from Kaufman County
• Kaufman County Schools:  information and photos of Kaufman County's teachers, students, school buildings, etc.
• Sheriffs in Kaufman County
• Sports in Kaufman County
• Transportation and Communication in Kaufman County:  Newspapers, Post Offices and mail, telegraph lines, railroad, etc.
• Kaufman County Vital Records:  Births, Marriages, Divorces and Deaths
• Other Kaufman County Records:  Probate Records, Tax Records, Land Records (deeds), Voting records, Wills, etc.  See also:   Kaufman County Queries and Message Boards for more Biographies, Bible Records, Deeds, Obituaries, Pensions and Wills which are NOT included in the search engine for this site.

About The USGenWeb Project
and How It Started

In the spring of 1996, a group of genealogists organized the "Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database Project", which evolved into the KYGenWeb Project.  The idea was to provide a single entry point for genealogy data and research for all counties in Kentucky.  In addition, the information for each county would be indexed and cross-linked to make it easier for researchers to find a name or data that they sought.  In June 1996, as the KYGenWeb Project was nearing 100% county coverage, interested volunteers decided to create a similar set of pages for all states, establishing The USGenWeb Project.  Volunteers were found who were willing to coordinate the efforts for each state, and additional volunteers were sought to create and maintain websites for every county in the United States.

Contact information: