Wisconsin Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

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 {{FHL|488907|title-id|disp=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: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1944, 1957. (Family History Library book {{FHL|173600|title-id|disp=977.5 A5w}}; {{FHL|173662|title-id|disp=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's [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org website] has a number of resources of use to genealogists:  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/vitalrecords/ Wisconsin Genealogy Index] - a statewide index of pre-1907 birth, marriage, and death records, 150,000 obituaries and biographical sketches  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/ Historical image collection] - thousands of images from the 19th and 20th centuries  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/roster/ 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  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/genealogy/ Civil War veterans' censuses] - 1885, 1895, 1905  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba/ Local history and biography articles] - 16, 000 searchable newspaper articles  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wch/ County histories] - 80 digitized, searchable county histories  

*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wmh/archives/search.aspx ''Wisconsin Magazine of History''] - digitized, from 1917 to the present

Serves Sauk, Columbia, and Dane counties  

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

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

Serves Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties  

Serves Kenosha and Racine counties  

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

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

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

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

Serves Buffalo, Eau Claire, Chippewa, Rusk, Clark, and Taylor counties  

Serves Barron, Dunn, and Pepin counties  

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

Serves Douglas County  

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