Home | Libraries | Help Libraries are great sources for historical records including city directories, atlases and plat maps, vital records, old newspapers, census records, personal narratives, local histories and much more. Many of these resources are now available online through digital collections, library web sites, and library subscription. You can search InfoSoup for local resources, explore local history online, or visit your library and ask about their local history collection.
InfoSoup libraries' vast collection of local history materials, books, maps, newspapers, pamphlet files. For a good overview of materials available try browsing by county or city subject headings:
Try some of these other searches to explore local history resources:
These InfoSoup libraries have posted local history information on their web sites and/or descriptions of their local history holdings.
Census RecordsU.S. federal census records for Wisconsin counties are available on microfilm at some InfoSoup libraries, including Algoma, Appleton, Oconto, Shawano, Iola, and Waupaca. Please contact the libraries for more details on specific holdings or check with your local library for more information about locating census records.
Full image of census records are also available online from HeritageQuest and, inside any InfoSoup library, from Ancestry Library Edition.
A selective index of articles appearing in various Appleton newspapers from 1853 to the present. From the Appleton Public Library.
A selective index of articles appearing in various Kaukauna newspapers from 1880 to the present. From the Kaukauna Public Library.
A partial but continually growing index to obituaries and death notices from Appleton newspapers. From the Appleton Public Library.
Information on over 500 Fox River area deceased veterans from the War of 1812 to World War I. From the Appleton Public Library.
A name index to four Outagamie County Plat books published between 1889 and 1942. From the Appleton Public Library.
Search for pre-1907 Vital Records (VR), including birth, death, and marriage records as well as for 150,000 Wisconsin Name Index (WNI) records, including biographical sketches, obituaries, and newspaper articles published before 2000. From the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The resource library for public libraries in Outagamie and Waupaca counties features an extensive Wisconsin Collection, including city & county directories, cemetery records, local history books, census records, and more.
The central library in Green Bay has a large collection of local history & genealogy material covering Brown and other northeast Wisconsin counties.
An extensive genealogy and local history collection concentrating on the city of Oshkosh and Winnebago County.
A vast collection of resources and services are available from the State Historical Society in Madison.
Each Area Research Center serves a specific geographic region. The Society maintains a courier service which allows members of the network to borrow collections housed elsewhere for use by their local patrons.
A directory of more than 360 county, local, and specialized historical organizations affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society. Not sure of the name or region? Try the map search.
Branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche in the central Family History Library. Find Family History Centers in Wisconsin.
Many counties in Wisconsin provide the ability to order Birth, Death, Marriage, and Real estate records online.
Digital Collections A growing number of local and state projects are helping to bring more and more library resources to the Web. These Digital Collections include plat maps, city directories, photographs, postcards, local histories, and more. Explore Digital Collections ›
These premier genealogy databases are available to all InfoSoup library patrons.
Includes census data, family records, local histories, military records and PERSI (the PERiodical Source Index). Library card number & PIN required from outside a library.
In Library use only. The library version of the popular Ancestry.com. Provides access to a vast collection of Census records, birth, marriage & death records, immigration and military records, directories, passenger lists, and more!
Web SitesA very small selection of the many thousands of web sites available to those interested in local history and genealogy.
Part of the USGenWeb project of volunteers working together to provide free websites for genealogical research in every county. To view counties in other states, go to the USGenWeb Project homepage.
The project’s mission is to increase local history resources and awareness through collaboration, communication and web publishing. Includes photos, local and regional histories, and links to other web sites.
One of the oldest, largest, and most popular starting points for online genealogy. The site categorizes and annotates the full spectrum of genealogy material available on the web. Includes sections for Wisconsin and individual Wisconsin Localities.
Free search of Ellis Island/Port of New York passenger lists records.
This Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) site has a search engine for over 35 million names in its "vast record collections."
Information on doing research at the National Archives, using their microfilm rental program, and access to a growing collection of online resources.
The oldest and largest free genealogy site.