Westlake Ohio Family History Center

Center Contacts and Hours

 * Location &amp; Map:


 * Address: 25000 Westwood Road, Westlake, Ohio. (This is not a mailing address.)
 * Location onMap


 * Mailing Address: PO Box 45331, Westlake, OH 44145
 * The Family History Center is on the southeast corner of the building on the north side of Westwood Road, between Walter and Columbia Roads. Look for the sign. Park on the right (East) side of the building. Enter at the front/East door of the building.


 * Phone: 440-777-1518 (Call during hours when Center is open.)


 * E-mail: [mailto:westlakefhc@gmail.com westlakefhc@gmail.com]


 * Open Hours:
 * Mon thru Sat: 10 am to 2 pm
 * Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening 6 to 9 pm.

Holiday Schedule

Closed Memorial Day, Labor Day (Sept 2), November 28-30 and December 21 thru January 1, 2014.

Monthly Class Schedule
Held the third Friday of each month at 7:30 PM except April, July, August and December.

Upcoming classes
September 13, 2013 @ 7:30 PM Getting Started Using the Family History Center Presented by Betty Franklin

October 18, 2013 @ 7:30 PM Put Magic into Your Genealogy by using "RootsMagic" Presented by Gary Teaman

November 15, 2013 @ 7:30 PM The Joy in Genealogy Presented by Dorothy Titera

Collections

 * Our Book Collection can be accessed at:www.librarything.com/catalog/fhlwestlake


 * Family History Library Catalog: Films can be ordered online www.familysearch.org/films

You can place orders from any computer connected to the internet, using a credit or debit card, or by PayPal.``You will need a FamilySearch ID and password, and an email address.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. Also will provide you with access to other FamilySearch Services from home.

Hardware and Equipment
■ 7 computers, high speed Internet ■ 3 printers, 1 also copies and scans. ■ 11 microfilm readers ■ 2 fiche readers ■ Digital Imaging Equipment for copying film or fiche to USB flash drive, DVD, CD or paper.

Center Services
Use of the Center is free. Copies and Computer Printouts $ 0.25 one side, $ 0.40 two sided.

Resources in the Local Area
Cuyahoga County Deed Search; 1810-2012 recorder.cuyahogacounty.us/searchs/generalsearchs.aspx

Cuyahoga County Property Research;  http://fiscalofficer.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/REPI.aspx

Cleveland District Roundtable, includes; Cuyahoga County Birth Affidavits--1860-1908

Cleveland Cemetery Index

Cuyahoga County Porbate Index--1926-1904

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcdrt/

Volunteer at the Center
The Westlake Family History Center has many opportunities for you to serve as a Volunteer.

Please call: 440-777-1518.

Links
www.cleveland.com/westlake/index.ssf/2011/09/westlake_family_history_center.html

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Ever wonder where you come from?Maybe you've heard your great-grandfather traveled by ship from his native Ireland to New York during the Great Potato Famine.Or perhaps there's a family rumor you have royal blood.Wouldn't you like to know the truth? What if you could even find photos of your ancestors that you've never seen before? Genealogy-- searching one's family roots-- is now the fastest growing hobby in the U.S.

Websites such as Ancestry.com have wonderful tools and can get you started on your journey. But there is a fee to access many record databases and it can be overwhelming and frustrating to research family roots on your own.

Westlake has a great resource right in its midst that can help you uncover your family's past. It's called The Westlake Family History Center.It's a service offered through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, many people know it as the Mormon Church, and they say they have the largest genealogical library in the world. It collects the information because, it states:

"Our commitment to helping people connect with their ancestors is rooted in our beliefs. We believe that families are meant to be central to our lives and that family relationships are intended to continue beyond this life. We therefore believe that all family members—those living, those past, and those future—share an enduring bond that reaches across the generations."

You don't have to be a member of the Church to use The Westlake Family History Center. It's free and open to all.The center has been in Westlake for 40 years and is manned by genealogy experts who can help you start, or delve further into, your family history. "We help an average 25 to 30 people each week," says center Director Phil Franklin. "It's nice if they can bring in a pedigree chart to get their search started. A pedigree chart is basically a list of the names, birth dates and death dates of your parents, grandparents and other family members. It can be used as a road map to guide your search.

"Once they bring that in, we try to get on a computer because people really enjoy seeing the historical records pop up," Franklin said. The center has several useful tools for tracking your ancestry:

•The ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the Family History Library Catalog. •Access to the Family History Center Portal page. That means the center offers free access to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions, including ancestry.com and the Access Newspaper Archive.