Wisconsin Archives and Libraries

The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers. One of the largest collections in the United States is at the state historical society.

Wisconsin Historical Society 816 State Street Madison, WI 53706 Library Division Telephone: 608-264-6535 Library Division Fax: 608-264-6520 Archives Division Telephone: 608-264-6460 Internet: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/

The research collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society are divided between library and archives divisions. The library houses printed materials, while the archives maintains the original records for Wisconsin government jurisdictions. The local records are often located at the appropriate area research centers (see addresses below).

The library's subject card catalog contains the names of individuals from biographical sketches in histories, biographies, and obituaries. The library will check this card catalog for a name if you will send a self-addressed stamped envelope. The library's book collection is listed in MadCat, the University of Wisconsin Library's online catalog.

Several guides have been published that describe the collections at this society. A helpful introductory guide is:


 * Danky, James P., ed. Genealogical Research: An Introduction to the Resources of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1986. (Family History Library book 977.5 A1 no. 91.) ib

Another guide to the collections at the Wisconsin Historical Society is:


 * Smith, Alice E., ed. Guide to the Manuscripts of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Madison, Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1944, 1957. (Family History Library book 977.5 A5w; 977.5 A5w supp. 1.) A second supplement was published in 1966 (not available at the Family History Library). These guides contain references to the papers of many families and businesses.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has an on-line Wisconsin Genealogy Index that indexes the pre-1907 vital records and other records. It is available at  http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/vitalrecords/

The pre-1907 vital records index lists births and deaths

The society houses collections of regional interest at area research centers. These centers often have census records; pre-1907 birth, marriage, and death records; probate records; tax records; school records; church records; naturalization records; and other local historical records.

In addition to the state historical society library in Madison, Wisconsin also has the following area research centers:

William D. McIntyre Library Special Collections University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI 54702-5010 Telephone: 715-836-3873 Internet: http://www.uwec.edu/Library/archives/exhibits/buildings/mcintyre.htm

Serves Sawyer, and Taylor counties.

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Library Learning Center 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 Telephone: 414-465-2539 Internet: http://www.uwgb.edu/

Serves Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, and Shawano counties.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eugene W. Murphy Library 1631 West Pine Street La Crosse, WI 54601 Telephone: 608-785-8511 Internet: http://www.uwlax.edu/Murphylibrary/about/eugenemurphy.html

Serves Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempeleau, and Vernon counties.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Golda Meir Library 2311 East Hartford Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53201 Telephone: 414-229-5402 Internet: http://www.uwm.edu/cgi-bin/UWMHome/htdig/htsearch?config=htdig&amp;method=and&amp;words=golda&amp;page=100

Serves Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties.

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Forrest R. Polk Library 800 Algoma Boulevard Oshkosh, WI 54901 Telephone: 414-424-3347 Internet: http://www.google.com/products?q=University+of+Wisconsin-Oshkosh+Forrest+R.+Polk+Library&amp;hl=en&amp;um=1&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=froogle&amp;ct=title

Serves Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, and Winnebago counties.

University of Wisconsin-Parkside Wyllie Library/Learning Center Box 2000 Kenosha, WI 53141-2000 Telephone: 414-595-2411 Internet: http://www.answers.com/topic/university-of-wisconsin-parkside

Serves Kenosha and Racine counties.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Elton E. Karrmann Library 725 West Main Street Platteville, WI 53818 Telephone: 608-342-1719 Internet: http://www.uwplatt.edu/

Serves Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, and Richland counties.

University of Wisconsin-River Falls Chalmer Davee Library 410 South 3rd Street River Falls, WI 54022 Telephone: 715-425-3567 Internet: http://www.uwrf.edu/library/

Serves Burnett, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Washburn counties.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Learning Resources Center 900 Reserve Street Stevens Point, WI 54481 Telephone: 715-346-2586 Internet: http://www.uwsp.edu/

Serves Adams, Forest, Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Oneida, Portage, Vilas, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties.

University of Wisconsin-Stout Library Learning Center Menomonie, WI 54751 Telephone: 715-232-2300 Internet: http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/

Serves Barron, Dunn, and Pepin counties.

Superior Public Library Area Research Center 1530 Tower Avenue Superior, WI 54880 Telephone: 715-394-8860 Internet: http://www.ci.superior.wi.us/index.asp?nid=156

Serves Douglas County.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Harold W. Anderson Library 800 West Main Street Whitewater, WI 53190 Telephone: 414-472-5520

Serves Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties.

For additional addresses of county genealogical and historical societies, see directories cited in the "Archives and Libraries" and "Societies" sections of the United States Research Outline (30972).

The Family History Library has guides to the three Wisconsin area research centers at Green Bay, River Falls, and Stevens Point. These guides are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under WISCONSIN - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES.

National Archives-Great Lakes Region (Chicago) 7358 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60629-5898 Phone: (773)948-9001 Fax: (773)948-9050 E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov Internet: http://www.archives.gov/great-lakes/

Wisconsin State Genealogical Society P.O. Box 5106, Madison, WI 53705-0106 E-mail: wsgs@tds.net Internet: http://www.wsgs.org

Milwaukee County Historical Society 910 North Third St. Milwaukee, WI 53203 Telephone: 414-273-8288

The society above houses Civil War and church records, obituaries and biographical newspaper clippings, naturalization indexes, census records, court and probate records, and coroners' inquests.

Vesterheim Genealogical Center 415 West Main St. Madison, WI 53703 Telephone: 608-255-2224

This center has records of many Norwegian-Americans, including passenger lists, church records, family records, and Norwegian local and farm histories.

Wisconsin State Old Cemetery Society c/o Robert Felber, Archivist 6100 W. Mequon Rd. Mequon, WI 53092-1951 Telephone: 414-355-6252

There are an estimated 8,500 cemeteries in Wisconsin. This society has compiled the records of about 2,000 cemeteries. They publish a newsletter in which you can place queries.

A guide to Wisconsin archives and libraries is:


 * Ryan, Carol W. Searching for Your Wisconsin Ancestors in the Wisconsin Libraries. Green Bay: C. W. Ryan, 1988. (Family History Library book 977.5 D27r 1988; film 1440401 Item 2. .)

To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Wisconsin counties, use the fifteen inventories of the county archives published about 1940 by the Historical Records Survey. This source contains detailed inventories of all the records which existed in the county courthouse in approximately the year 1940. It also describes the contents of the records. The Family History Library has copies of the inventories for Barron, Buffalo, LaCrosse, Marathon, Monroe, Rusk, and Sheboygan counties. They are listed in the catalog under WISCONSIN, [COUNTY] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES.

Computer Networks and Bulletin Boards

Computers with modems are important tools for obtaining information from selected archives and libraries. In a way, computer networks themselves serve as a library. The Internet, certain computer bulletin boards, and commercial on-line services help family history researchers:

Locate other researchers

Post queries

Send and receive E-mail

Search large databases

Search computer libraries

Join in computer chat and lecture sessions

You can find computerized research tips and information about ancestors from Wisconsin in a variety of sources at local, state, national, and international levels. The list of sources is growing rapidly. Most of the information is available at no cost.

Addresses on the Internet change frequently. As of April 1997, the following sites are important gateways linking you to many more network and bulletin board sites:

USGenWeb

www.usgenweb.com/

A cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet for each county, state, and country.

Roots-L

www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/usa/

A useful list of sites and resources. Includes a large, regularly updated research coordination list.

For further details about using computer networks, bulletin boards, and news groups for family history research, see the United States Research Outline (30972), 2nd ed., "Archives and Libraries" section.

FamilySearch™

The Family History Library and some Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch™. FamilySearch is a collection of computer files containing several million names. FamilySearch is a good place to begin your research. Some of the records come from compiled sources; some have been automated from original sources.

Computers with FamilySearch™ do not have access to computer on-line services, networks, or bulletin boards. However, those services are available at many public libraries, college libraries, and private locations.