Genealogy website RootsPoint announces the Fondo Colonial archive image collection for Hispanic Heritage Month

Genealogy website RootsPoint announces the Fondo Colonial archive image collection for Hispanic Heritage Month

One-of-a-kind collection of 17^th-19^th century archival records available for free

HENDERSON, NV—(September 22, 2015)– Genealogy website RootsPoint.com, in collaboration with the Hispanic Heritage Project, announced today free access to the Fondo Colonial collection from the Archivo Históricos Municipal de Hidalgo del Parral (Parral Archive). The browsable collection of more than 77,500 digitized images available on the RootsPoint website spans the period between 1611 and 1821 and contains civil colonial records of the Province of Nueva Viscaya. Today, this area consists of the states of Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, Sinaloa and part of Coahuila, Mexico. Images include records of the government, finance and treasury, church, militia, notaries and protocols.

“The Fondo Colonial represents the written culture of Hispanic America through the last few centuries,” commented Carlos Yturralde of the Hispanic Heritage Project. “Within it, one gets a sense, not only of the daily goings-on within the Spanish colonies, the marriages, the commerce and the births and deaths, but one also catches glimpses of the evolution of Hispanic ways of life transforming into what they are today.” Yturradle also added that the Fondo Colonial helps individuals see the past and the present become one through the documents, and gain a stronger and deeper sense of who they are.

The Fondo Colonial collection is one of the most important archival collections in North America with its records pertaining to the history of the people of Spain, Mexico, the southwestern United States, and the many indigenous nations of the region. Digitization of additional records is ongoing, promising to preserve these one-of-a-kind archival records for generations of researchers. More information about the collection can be found on the Fondo Colonial collection webpage on RootsPoint.

About RootsPoint

RootsPoint is an online community for genealogical/family history information and resources. The RootsPoint website features the 1940 United States Federal Census and the 1841- 1901 UK Census as well as additional collections including histories, military, and immigration records. RootsPoint’s GenMall provides a one-stop shop for genealogy books and resources.

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About Hispanic Heritage Project

Founded in 1992, the Hispanic Heritage Project began as part of the Friends of the Escondido (California) Public Library to raise funds for purchasing books on the Spanish Colonial Period for the Library’s Pioneer Room. Through fundraising and organizing efforts the Project has expanded its work to make available online Hispanic historical documents to researchers. The Project supports digitization and access efforts for Mexican archives by supplying equipment and funds. Much needed resources allow repositories to preserve and digitize materials ensuring their availability to researchers worldwide. Repositories the Project has assisted include the Hidalgo de Parral municipal archive, the Parral Diocese Archive, the parish of San Bartolome in Valle de Allende, the Institute of Historical Investigations at the University of Juarez in Durango, and the Historical Archive of Colima. Efforts to digitize archival records and make them available for free to researchers continues with the help of donations and sponsorships. Information about the Hispanic Heritage Project’s work and publications can be found on their website http://www.hh-p.org/home.html.

Contact

RootsPoint
info@rootspoint.com
801-906-9517