The Ancestor Hunt has been cataloging and listing links to free online genealogy collections in over 24 different record categories since 2014. These are available for you to view and use via the Resources tab above.
There is a massive amount of genealogy and historical material that can help us researchers as we discover who belongs in our family tree, and more importantly, what is their life story. But much of this genealogical and historical material doesn’t fit nicely into a specific genealogy record category.
As researchers, we should avail ourselves of the types of materials listed below. They definitely will help us in our genealogy and family history research These online resources are available generally at state libraries and archives, larger public libraries, and college and university digital collections. Hence the creation of these lists of links to free online digital archives for the state. I hope they prove useful to you in your pursuit.
Types of Information Available in Digital Archives
- Scrapbooks
- Diaries
- Family Papers, Biographies, and Other Collections
- Letters
- Oral Histories
- Maps
- Bulletins and Newsletters
- Corporate Collections
- Local Community and County Histories
- Photographs and Postcards
- Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Government Publications and Documents
- and Yes, Genealogy Record Collections and Indexes
(Updated May 2024)
The Free Online Digital Archives for the state are listed below, preceded by Archives that are available for the region or the country:
Multistate Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Public Library of America
- Documenting the American South
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Smithsonian Digital Library
Kentucky Archives
- A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
- Access Genealogy – Kentucky
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
- American History & Genealogy Project – Kentucky
- Ancestry Free Index Collections
- Boyd County Public Library
- Campbellsville University Digital Collections
- Chronicling America – Kentucky
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database
- Cyndi’s List – Kentucky
- David Rumsey’s Historical Maps
- Daviess County Public Library
- Dead Fred
- Death Indexes – Kentucky
- Digital Commons Collections
- Digital Library of Appalachia
- Digital Public Library of America – Kentucky
- Documenting the American South
- Eastern Kentucky University Digital Collections
- ExploreUK
- FamilySearch
- FamilySearch – Kentucky Online Genealogy Records
- FamilySearch Catalog
- FamilySearch Wiki – Kentucky
- Filson Historical Society Library
- FindAGrave
- Genealogy Trails – Kentucky
- Google Books – Kentucky
- HathiTrust – Kentucky
- I Dream of Genealogy
- Interment.net – Kentucky
- Internet Archive – Kentucky
- Kenton County Public Library
- Kentucky Christian University Digital Collections
- Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA)
- Kentucky Digital Library
- Kentucky Genealogical Society Digital Archive
- Kentucky Historical Society
- Kentucky Historical Society Collections
- Kentucky History Special Collections: Archives
- Kentucky State Digital Archives
- Kentucky State University Digital Collections
- Lawrence County Public Library
- LDS Genealogy – Kentucky
- Lexington Public Library
- Library of Congress Digital Collections
- Lincoln County Public Library
- Linkpendium – Kentucky
- Louisville Free Public Library
- Morehead State University Digital Collections
- Murray State University Digital Collections
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Archives at Atlanta
- National Archives Online Exhibits
- National Archives Resources for Genealogists
- National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Genealogical Research Library
- Nationwide Gravesite Locator
- New Horizons Genealogy – Kentucky
- Northern Kentucky University Digital Collections
- PastPerfectOnline Collections
- Pendleton County Historical & Genealogical Society
- Pendleton Public Library
- RootsWeb.com
- Sanborn Maps – Kentucky
- Scott County Public Library Digital Archives
- Smithsonian Digital Library
- The Official Land Records Site
- Transylvania University Digital Collections
- United States Social Security Death Index
- University of kemyucky – Notable Kentucky African American (NKAA) Database
- University of Kentucky Digital Collections
- University of Louisville Digital Collections
- University of Pikeville Digital Collections
- University of the Cumberlands Digital Collections
- US GenWeb – Kentucky
- US GenWeb Archives – Kentucky
- Western Kentucky University Digital Collections
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
One reply on “Free Online Kentucky Digital Archives”
I’d like to contribute my genealogical research to the Kentucky Online Digital Archives. Here’s a link to the pdf version. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GGZv4r0wJSA7x4MpUcKgeKdWiQ3biL41/view