Connecticut County Resources

This entry was originally written by Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., CG, in Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of the Connecticut Family History Research series.

History of Connecticut

Connecticut Vital Records

Census Records for Connecticut

Background Sources for Connecticut

Connecticut Maps

Connecticut Land Records

Connecticut Probate Records

Connecticut Court Records

Connecticut Tax Records

Connecticut Cemetery Records

Connecticut Church Records

Connecticut Military Records

Connecticut Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections

Connecticut Archives, Libraries, and Societies

Connecticut Immigration

Ethnic Groups of Connecticut

Connecticut County Resources

Connecticut Town Resources

Map of Connecticut

Counties were abolished officially in 1959, as their purpose had been chiefly to define county court districts. For genealogical research purposes, counties become necessary when using the federal census returns, since census returns are all cataloged by county. Connecticut's original four counties had become eight counties by the time of the first federal census in 1790. Although some towns on the borders crossed county jurisdictions for different census enumerations, the most accurate indication of these changes can be found in William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790'1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987). This guide should be consulted when using census records. Each town's present county is given in the Connecticut Town Resources section.

Map	County	Date Formed	Parent County(ies)
B6	Fairfield	1666	original
E2	Hartford	1666	original
B2	Litchfield	1751	Fairfield/Hartford
F5	Middlesex	1785	Hartford/New Haven
D5	New Haven	1666	original
J5	New London	1666	original
G2	Tolland	1785	Windham
J2	Windham	1726	New London