Wisconsin Archives and Libraries

United States Wisconsin  Archives and Libraries

These archives, libraries, societies, and museums house sources, lists, and indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Wisconsin.

National
National Archives at Chicago 7358 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60629-5898 Phone: (773)948-9001 Fax: (773)948-9050 E-mail: [mailto:chicago.archives@nara.gov chicago.archives@nara.gov] Internet: http://www.archives.gov/chicago/


 * Includes federal censuses 1790–1930; selected military service indexes, pension indexes, passenger lists, and naturalizations. Free computers for Ancestry, Heritage Quest, or Fold3. Federal agency, civil, and criminal court records of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Statewide
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/


 * This is the best manuscript collection in Wisconsin, including censuses, tax, and land records. They hold the famed Draper Manuscript Collection of pioneer history, and the Wisconsin State Old Cemetery Society collection.


 * The Wisconsin Historical Society serves as the state archives, the state library, and the American history library for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Its research collections are divided between library and archives divisions. The library houses printed and microfilmed materials, while the archives maintains the original records for Wisconsin government jurisdictions. The Wisconsin Historical Society is the largest free-standing American history library in the United States. It has the second-largest collection of newspapers in the U.S., after the Library of Congress.


 * The Wisconsin Historical Society and the University of Wisconsin System jointly operate a network of Area Research Centers located at UW campus libraries throughout the state. Each geographic region is served by an Area Research Center (ARC), which houses the original records from that region. Centers often have probate records, tax records, school records, church records, naturalization records, and other local historical records.


 * Several guides have been published that describe the collections of the Wisconsin Historical 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: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1986. (Family History Library book


 * 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: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1944, 1957. (Family History Library book ; .) 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's website has a number of resources of use to genealogists:


 * Wisconsin Genealogy Index - a statewide index of pre-1907 birth, marriage, and death records, 150,000 obituaries and biographical sketches
 * Historical image collection - thousands of images from the 19th and 20th centuries
 * Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 - alphabetical and regimental lists of soldiers who served in Wisconsin units during the Civil War
 * Civil War veterans' censuses - 1885, 1895, 1905
 * Local history and biography articles - 16, 000 searchable newspaper articles
 * County histories - 80 digitized, searchable county histories
 * Wisconsin Magazine of History - digitized, from 1917 to the present

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

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.

Area Research Centers


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 FamilySearch Catalog under WISCONSIN - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES.


 * 1. Wisconsin Historical Society (see above) Archive Reference 816 State Street Madison, WI 53706-1488 Telephone 608-264-6460 Internet: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/research.asp askarchives@wisconsinhistory.org


 * Serves Sauk, Columbia, and Dane counties


 * 2. 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/Departments/archome.html specoll@uwlax.edu


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


 * 3. University of Wisconsin-Platteville The SW Wisconsin Room Ullsvik Hall, 1 University Plaza Platteville, WI 53818 Telephone: 608-342-1719 Internet: http://www.uwplatt.edu/library/swwis/ swwis@uwplatt.edu


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


 * 4. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Harold W. Anderson Library 800 West Main Street Whitewater, WI 53190 Telephone: 262-472-5520 Internet: http://library.uww.edu/archives/archicol.html archives@uww.edu


 * Serves Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties


 * 5. University of Wisconsin-Parkside Wyllie Library/Learning Center 900 Wood Road Box 2000 Kenosha, WI 53141-2000 Telephone: 414-595-2345 Internet: http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/archives archives@uwp.edu


 * Serves Kenosha and Racine counties


 * 6. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department UWM Libraries PO Box 604 2311 East Hartford Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53201 Telephone: 414-229-6980 I nternet: http://www4.uwm.edu/libraries/arch askarch@uwm.edu


 * Serves Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties. They have a great historical collection especially for German immigrants to Wisconsin.


 * 7. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Forrest R. Polk Library 800 Algoma Boulevard Oshkosh, WI 54901 Telephone: 920-424-0828 Internet: http://www.uwosh.edu/archives archives@uwosh.edu


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


 * 8. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Library Area Research Center (7th Floor) 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 Telephone: 920-465-2540   1-888-729-4611 Internet: http://www.uwgb.edu/library/spc speccoll@uwgb.edu    libraryweb@uwgb.edu


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


 * 9. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Area Research Center University Library 900 Reserve Street Stevens Point, WI 54481 Telephone: 715-346-2586 Internet: http://library.uwsp.edu/depts/archives/archives.htm archives@uwsp.edu


 * Serves Adams, Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties


 * 10. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Special Collections &amp; Archives (5022 5th floor) William D. McIntyre Library University Drive Eau Claire, WI 54702-5010 Telephone: 715-836-2739 Internet: http://www.uwec.edu/Library/archives/index.htm library.archives@uwec.edu


 * Serves Buffalo, Eau Claire, Chippewa, Rusk, Clark, and Taylor counties. They have a large manuscript collection with many historical references.


 * 11. University of Wisconsin-Stout Swanson Learning Center - University Archives and Area Research Center University Library 315 Tenth Ave. Menomonie, WI 54751 Telephone: 715-232-2300 Internet: http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/archives/index.cfm archives@uwstout.edu


 * Serves Barron, Dunn, and Pepin counties


 * 12. University of Wisconsin-River Falls Area Research Center Chalmer Davee Library 120 Cascade Avenue - street address 410 South 3rd Street - maling address River Falls, WI 54022 Telephone: 715-425-3567 Internet: http://www.uwrf.edu/library/arc archives@uwrf.edu


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


 * 13. Superior Public Library Area Research Center 1530 Tower Avenue Superior, WI 54880 Telephone: 715-394-8860 E-mail: [mailto:jenningsj@ci.superior.wi.us jenningsj@ci.superior.wi.us] Internet: Superior Public Library


 * This is another very good genealogy collection. Serves Douglas County.


 * 14. Northern Great Lake Center Area Research Center 29270 County Highway G Ashland,  WI 54806 Telephone: 715-685-2647 Email:  whsnorthwoods@whs.wisc.edu


 * Serves Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Vilas, Washburn, Sawyer, Price, Oneida, and Forest counties

Regional
Beloit Public Library 605 Eclipse Blvd. Beloit, WI 53511 Telephone: 608-364-2905 Email: [mailto:refstaff@beloitlibrary.org refstaff@beloitlibrary.org] Internet: Beloit Public Library


 * Their collection has many books, periodicals, and family folders.

Brown County Library 515 Pine St Green Bay, WI 54301 920-448-4400 Fax: 920-448-4376 E-mail: [mailto:bc_library@co.brown.wi.us bc_library@co.brown.wi.us] Internet: Central Library]


 * Includes a very large genealogy section. They have a good range of materials such as local histories, county histories, newspapers, obituaries, and family folders.

Kenosha Public Library Simmons Neighborhood Library 711 59th Place Kenosha, WI 53140 Telephone: 262-564-6130 Internet: Kenosho Public Library


 * They have a good genealogy section.

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


 * The Milwaukee County Historical Society houses a huge manuscript collection, Civil War and church records, obituaries and biographical newspaper clippings, naturalization indexes, census records, court and probate records, and coroners' inquests, with a specialty in German immigrant families.

Milwaukee Public Library 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53233 Telephone: 414-286-3011 Internet: Genealogy


 * A very large genealogy and family history collection including family folders, research aids, biographies, indexes, obituaries, newspapers and a large collection for German immigrants in Wisconsin.

Oshkosh Public Library 106 Washington Avenue Oshkosh, WI 54901 Telephone: 920-236-5205 Internet: Local History Internet: Genealogy Research


 * Their genealogy collection features books, periodicals, family folders, and indexes.

Racine Heritage Museum Research Center 701 Main Street Racine, WI 53403 Telephone: 262-636-3926 Fax:262-636-3940 E-mail: [mailto:inquire@racineheritagemuseum.org inquire@racineheritagemuseum.org] Internet: Racine Heritage Museum


 * This is a very good genealogy collection. Includes cemeteries, federal and territorial censuses, city directories, photos, plat and fire insurance maps, manuscript histories, diaries, letters, memoirs, marriage card file 1838-1879, military records, naturalizations 1838-1906, obituaries and newspapers.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Library 728 State St Madison, WI 53706 Telephone: 608-262-3193 E-mail: E-mail a Librarian form Internet: Memorial Library


 * They have a very large manuscript collection. It has many historical documents.

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.

Out of State
Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Telephone: 260-421-1225 E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@acpl.info genealogy@acpl.info]


 * This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States and the largest genealogy collection in a public library. Its holdings include more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items on microfilm and microfiche. It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great Wisconsin collection.

Newberry Library 60 West Waltron Street Chicago, IL 60610 Telephone: 312-255-3512 Email: [mailto:genealogy@newberry.org reference@newberry.org.]


 * A large Chicago repository with genealogies, local histories, censuses, military, land, indexes, vital records, court, and tax records many from Wisconsin, the Mississippi Valley, eastern seaboard, Canada, and the British Isles.

Guide
A genealogical 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 1988; film.