Some of the most important genealogical documents are kept at the county level. But you don't have to trek to your ancestors' old stomping grounds to find them. Now, you can access many of these records without leaving home — thanks to government agencies creating online databases of their holdings. Here's a look at two agencies in your ancestral county that are keeping up with the information age.

Clerk of courts

The clerk of courts, or county clerk, holds court-proceedings records (appeals, affidavits, indictments), residential records (changes of address, leases, mortgage deeds) and other personal records (name changes, wills, military discharge papers, vital records).