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.

Wisconsin Area Research Centers

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

1.  Wisconsin Historical Society
Archive Reference
816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706-1488
Telephone 608-264-6460
Internet: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org
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

Serves Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties.

5. 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.

6. 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&method=and&words=golda&page=100

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

7. 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&hl=en&um=1&sa=X&oi=froogle&ct=title

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

8.  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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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. .

12.  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.

13.  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.

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

For additional addresses of county genealogical and historical societies, see directories cited in United States Archives and Libraries and United States Societies.

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.

Web Sites

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. The following sites are important gateways linking you to many more 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.

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.