I wrote an earlier review for a pension file I had ordered. I was so pleased with the speed and overall customer service that I ordered two additional files from Gopher. My most recent order was for a Spanish American War pension and service file, which had been challenging for me to locate. It turned out to be a bit more difficult to access than the civil war files I had ordered previously, but Gopher found the pension file for me after searching a couple of different locations. They were also able to let me know that the service [...]

Gopher Records was fast in response to my requests and was very thorough in what they sent to me and have low rates! I highly recommend using their service!

I have used this service several times and very happy with my results. They are my go to people for pulling NARA records. They are the best!

My records came very quickly and were complete. I highly recommend this service! Thank you!

This was my second order from Gopher Records - and I am even more satisfied with this order than my first. I first ordered the free records assessment, as I am not very experienced in researching military records. After receiving the information from that, I decided to order the Civil War Soldier's Bundle, which included the soldier's service file, pension file, and carded medical records. This was money well-spent! The pension file included letters written by the soldier as well as testimony given by my 3rd great-grandparents - and even included my 3rd great-grandfather's signature. [...]

One of my Civil War Pension requests had an issue at NARA and the Gopher Records team had already appealed the decision before contacting me about the issue and kindly asked for up to 2-3 weeks to resolve whatever issue had arisen. In the meantime they split my initial order so I could get the other research interests while they figured out next steps on the snag. Great resolution! Within a week I believe I received the full pension file, 255 pages of sworn affidavits, medical records, and service summaries, for free. I was told the file had already been [...]

Fast turnaround and great digital copies. If you have ever visited the archives you will understand the tremendous service and great price. If you visit It would be hard to spend less than $300 per night and an extra $50 for your car, plus your travel expenses. You will need to pay for a ride to and from or walk, not an easy task if you are carrying a computer, copier and any paperwork you have. It will take a while to learn the system. How nice is this over the older system when you had to order from the archives itself [...]

I had been curious about my great-grandfather's background as a young man serving in the Civil War as no stories about that generation had ever been passed down to me. I appreciated the service of Gopher Records in retrieving 210 pages tied to his Civil War experiences, including his pension files. I'm learning more and more about him as I work my way through, and I find it exciting to see his actual signature as well as his wife's signature along with a daughter's signature as she served as a guardian to her mother. I learned about Gopher Records [...]

Customer service is top-notch. I will use these guys every single time I need NARA (National Archives) records for things like Civil War pensions or old Homesteading claims. I highly recommended them. Thanks, Bob! I was looking for old Homestead files from the 1930s - cash purchases from a time period past the “normal” era for these things, which I understand makes them harder to find/retrieve. In my particular case, I was looking for two separate claims by the same ancestor (in the same general area). Neither of which were “regular” completed transactions. I had originally asked for help from a different [...]

Thank you for the superior job you did in researching my two Civil War soldiers. All the documents you furnished established a timeline from their mustering into the Army of the Potomac following through till their discharges. It was a very interesting read and gave a good idea about their time in service. The added bonus was the widow who applied for a pension for herself and minor child after the war. She was unknown to me. Thank you again Gopher Records!