Delaware Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

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[[Allen County Public Library]] IN{{·}}  

Wilmington Public Library

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[[Image:Library of Congress Jefferson Building.jpg|450px|Library of Congress Jefferson Building in Washington DC]]

101 Independence Ave. SE <br> Thomas Jefferson Building, LJ G4 <br> Washington, D.C. 20540-4660 <br> Telephone:<ref name="ContInfo" /> &nbsp;Reading Room: 202-707-5537<br> Fax:<ref name="ContInfo" /> &nbsp;202-707-1957 <br> E-mail: &nbsp;[http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-genealogy.html Ask a Librarian]<ref name="ContInfo">[http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/address.html Contact Information] in ''The Library of Congress'' (accessed 12 May 2010).</ref> <br>Internet: http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/  

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:The LC "Local History and Genealogy Reading Room" has moved to the main reading room, but services are unchanged. They are part of the world's largest library including 50,000 genealogies, 100,000 local histories, and collections of manuscripts, microfilms, maps, newspapers, photographs, and published material, strong in North American, British Isles, and German sources.<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/lhgcoll.html The Collections] in ''Local History and Genealogy Reading Room'' in ''The Library of Congress'' (accessed 8 January 2014).</ref> '''Delaware''' family history is well represented.<br><br>

[[Image:National Archives and Records Administration.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Researchers' entrance to National Archives I in Washington DC]]700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW<br> Washington DC<br> Telephone: &nbsp;1-866-272-6272<br> Fax: &nbsp;301-837-0483<br> E-mail: [http://www.archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html National Archives and Records Administration]<br> Internet: http://archives.gov/  

:'''Archives I''' has nationwide censuses, pre-WWI military service and pensions, passenger lists, naturalizations, passports, federal bounty land, homesteads, bankruptcy, ethnic sources, prisons, and federal employees. The National Archives Building in Washington, DC (Archives I), houses textual and microfilm records relating to genealogy, American Indians, pre-World War II military and naval-maritime matters, the New Deal, the District of Columbia, the Federal courts, and Congress.<ref>[http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/researcher-info.html Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC] in ''National Archives'' (accessed 31 December 2013).</ref> Their collection includes many people who settled in '''Delaware'''.<br><br>

[[Image:National Archives at Philadelphia sign.jpg|thumb|right|195px|Sign at the entrance to the National Archives at Philadelphia]]14700 Townsend Road<br>Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096<br>Telephone: 215-305-2044<br>Fax: 215-305-2052<br>E-mail: [mailto:Philadelphia.archives@nara.gov Philadelphia.archives@nara.gov]<br>Internet: http://www.archives.gov/philadelphia/  

:This archives branch has federal agency and court records for '''Delaware''', Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. All U.S. federal censuses 1790-1940, and indexes. Also have passenger arrivals in Philadelphia 1800-1945 and Baltimore, pension and bounty land warrant applications, naturalizations 1790-1990, early federal history, diplomacy, military history, World War II homefront, National Park Service, merchant marine, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and federal tax evasion and smuggling cases.<ref name="DB12627">William Dollarhide and Ronald A. Bremer. ''America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers'' (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998), 126-27. {{WorldCat|39493985}}. {{FHL|728550|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J54d}}.</ref><br><br>

505 N. Market Street<br>Wilmington, Delaware 19801-3091<br>Email: [mailto:president@delgensoc.org president@delgensoc.org]<br>Website: [http://delgensoc.org/index.php Delaware Genealogical Society]

:This Society focuses on Delaware and surrounding states. They provide education and research assistance via their website, monthly seminars, newsletter, twice-yearly journal, DGS blog, queries, projects, free help, and fee-based help.<ref>[http://delgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=19 Research] in ''Delaware Genealogical Society'' (accesed 24 April 2016).</ref><br>[[File:Delaware Historical Society Library.JPG|thumb|right|180px|Delaware Historical Society in Wilmington]]<br>

505 N. Market Street<br>Wilmington, DE 19801<br>Telephone: 302-655-7161<br>E-mail: [mailto:deinfo@dehistory.org deinfo@dehistory.org]<br>Website: [http://www.dehistory.org/ Delaware Historical Society]

:This an important facility for finding early Delaware sources: colonial records, newspapers, church records, state records, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Delaware histories and genealogies.<ref name="DB27" /><br><br>

[[File:Delaware Public Archives Bldg.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Delaware Public Archives in Dover]]121 Duke of York St.<br>Dover, DE 19901<br>Phone: (302) 744-5000<br>Fax: (302) 739-6710<br>E-mail: [http://archives.delaware.gov/contact_form.shtml Contact form]<br>Website: [http://www.archives.delaware.gov/default.shtml Delaware Public Archives]<br>Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/DelawarePublicArchives/?fref=ts Delaware Public Archives]

:They have good coverage of the colonial sources for each "hundred" and each county.<ref name="DB27" /> Also, they provide finding aids and digitized records online. For a guide see:  

:*Joanne Mattern, and Harold B. Hancock, comps. ''A Preliminary Inventory of the Older Records in the Delaware Archives''. (Dover, Delaware: Delaware Public Archives, 1978). {{WorldCat|866708643}}; {{FHL|74387|item|disp=FHL fiche 6331225}}. This source briefly describes jurisdiction, record type, number of volumes, and dates covered.<br><br>

Division of Public Health<br>417 Federal Street<br>Dover, DE 19901<br>Telephone:877-888-0248<br>Website: [http://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/ss/vitalstats.html Birth & Death Records - Office of Vital Statistics]

:Obtain copies from the '''Office of Vital Statistics''' of birth, marriage, and death certificates either in person, by telephone, by written request—or by going online to the '''[https://www.vitalchek.com/vital-records/delaware/delaware-vital-records-georgetown VitalChek Delaware]''' webpage and using a credit card to pay the added fee for online BMD vital records requests.<ref>[http://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/ss/vitalstats.html Birth & Death Records - Office of Vital Statistics] in ''Delaware.gov'' (accessed 25 April 2017).</ref> Delaware statewide registration began for births / deaths in 1881, and marriages in 1847. Some local counties or cities have some spotty earlier records.<br><br>

William C. Jason Library<br>1200 N. DuPont Highway<br>Dover, DE 19901-2277<br>Telephone 302-857-6191<br>Fax: 302-857-6177<br>E-mail: [http://desu.libguides.com/content.php?pid=115160&sid=995310 List of contacts]<br>Website: [http://www.desu.edu/library/library Library]

:They have a very good historical collection for Delaware.<ref name="DB27" /><br><br>

35 Loockerman Plaza<br>Dover, DE 19901<br>Telephone: 302-736-7030<br>E-mail: [http://answers.delawarelibraries.org/ Ask a Delaware Librarian] form<br>Website: [http://www.cityofdover.com/Home-Library/ Dover Public Library]

:Collection covers Delawareana, the Delmarva Peninsula sources, local histories and genealogies.<ref name="DB27" /><br><br>

[[File:Hagley mill race.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Hagley Museum mill race in Wilmington]]

298 Buck Road (P.O. Box 3630)<br>Wilmington, DE 19807-3630<br>Telephone: 302-658-2400<br>Fax: 302-658-0545<br>E-mail: [mailto:research@hagley.org research@hagley.org]<br>Website: [http://www.hagley.org/library Hagley Research]

:This is in effect a second state public archives. They have early Delaware records, diaries, plat maps, and colonial records which cannot be found in the Delaware Public Archives.<ref name="DB27" /> They also have records and publications of more than 1,000 businesses, and some families, especially the DuPont and related families. A guide to their records is:  

:*John Beverley Riggs, ''A Guide to Manuscripts in the Eleutherian Mills Historical Library'' (Greenville, Delaware: First Eleutherian Mills Historical Library, 1970). 1970 ed. {{WorldCat|104052}}, and 1978 supplement {{WorldCat|5382284}}. This guide lists records acquired through 1965. The supplement lists records acquired through 1975.[[File:UDel - Morris library.jpg|thumb|right|280px|UDel Morris Library in Newark, Delaware]]<br><br>

181 South College Avenue<br>Newark, DE 19717-5267 USA<br>Telephone: 302-831-2965<br>E-mail: [http://library.udel.edu/contact/ Ask the Library e-mail form]<br>Website: [http://library.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library]

:This is virtually a second state archives.<ref name="DB27" />[[File:Wilmington Public Library, Wilmington, Del (62235).jpg|thumb|right|280px|Wilmington Public Library]]<br><br>

10 E 10th Street<br>Wilmington, DE 19801 USA<br>Telephone: 302-571-7400<br>E-mail: [mailto:wilmref@lib.de.us wilmref@lib.de.us]<br>Website: [http://wilmington.lib.de.us/finding-information/local-historical-research/ The Wilmington Library]

:Delawareana, genealogies, and histories,<ref name="DB27" /> ''Delaware Index'' of newspapers, city directories, maps, censuses 1810-1930, obituary searches for a fee, and digitized collections.<ref>[http://wilmington.lib.de.us/finding-information/local-historical-research/ Local History Research] in ''The Wilmington Library'' (accessed 24 April 2016).</ref><br><br>

[[Image:Allen County Public Library.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Allen Co Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana]]

900 Library Plaza <br> Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802 <br> Telephone: 260-421-1225 <br> E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@acpl.info genealogy@acpl.info]<br>Internet: [http://www.genealogycenter.org/ Genealogy Center ACPL]  

:This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_County_Public_Library Allen County Public Library] in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' (accessed 28 April 2010).</ref> 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.<ref name="ACPLGC">[http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/ Genealogy Center] in ''Allen County Public Library'' (accessed 28 April 2010).</ref> It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great eastern seaboard and '''Delaware''' collection.<ref>[http://www.genealogycenter.org/docs/default-source/resources/aboutusbrochure.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Genealogy Center Collections] in ''Genealogy Center'' (accessed 27 February 2015).</ref> <br><br>

:[[New Sweden|New Sweden]] colony, and Swedish heritage in the Delaware Valley (northern '''Delaware''', southern '''''New Jersey''''', and southeast '''''Pennsylvania''''').<ref>[http://www.americanswedish.org/frames.htm About the Museum] in ''American Swedish Historical Museum'' (accessed 24 December 2013).</ref><br><br>

303 Gay St.<br>Cambridge, MD 21613<br>Telephone: 410-228-7331<br>Internet: [http://www.dorchesterlibrary.org/ Dorchester County Public Library]  

:Their collection includes many Maryland Eastern Shore, and '''Delaware''' historical sources.<ref name="DB27">Dollarhide and Bremer, 27.</ref><br><br>

[[Image:Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central]]1901 Vine Street<br>Philadelphia, PA 19103-1157<br>(between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway)<br>Telephone: 215-686-5322<br>E-mail: [http://libwww.freelibrary.org/faq/eref.cfm E-mail a Librarian] form<br>Internet: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/branch.cfm?loc=cen

[[Image:Historical Society of Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Historical Society of PA in Philadelphia]]1300 Locust Street<br>Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699<br>Telephone: 215-732-6200<br>Fax: 215-732-2680<br>E-mail: [mailto:ReadyReference@hsp.org ReadyReference@hsp.org]<br>Internet: http://hsp.org/  

:More information here about early '''Delaware''' than in Delaware. Has early Quakers, Germans, Scots-Irish, and other settlers in William Penn's colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Records which have been published are normally well-indexed. This society also has 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century manuscripts (letters, diaries, account books, deeds, minutes, and scrapbooks), passenger arrival lists and indexes, <ref name="DB2795">Dollarhide and Bremer, 27 and 95.</ref> local and regional history, ethnic and immigrant studies materials, 600,000 books, 20 million manuscripts, over 300,000 graphics items, and 300 years of newspapers.<ref>[http://hsp.org/collections/about-our-collections About Our Collections] in ''Historical Society of Pennsylvania'' (accessed 27 December 2013).</ref> <br><br>

201 West Monument St.<br>Baltimore, Maryland 21201-4674<br>Telephone: 410-685-3750<br>E-mail: [mailto:reference@mdhs.org reference@mdhs.org]<br>Internet: [http://www.mdhs.org/library/library-overview Maryland Historical Society Library Overview]

:This facility has a large genealogical book collection for '''Delaware''', and family Bibles, newspapers, and biographies.<ref name="DB27" /><br><br>

Hall of Records Building <br>350 Rowe Boulevard <br>Annapolis, MD 21401 <br>Telephone: 410-260-6400 <br>Fax: 410-974-2525<br>E-mail: [mailto:ref@mdsa.net ref@mdsa.net]<br>Internet: [http://www.msa.md.gov/ Maryland State Archives]  

:A good resource for finding early '''Delaware''' ancestors. The Maryland State Archives [http://aomol.net/html/index.html online] has nearly all available public records from 1634 to 1789. This is the most complete collection of any of the 13 colonies. It can take up the three days just to check the indexes.<ref name="DB2755">Dollarhide and Bremer, 27 and 55.</ref> For more information about the state archives, see the following references.

:*Maryland. Hall of Records. ''A Guide to the Index Holdings at the Hall of Records''. Rev., Bulletin, [Maryland. Hall of Records] No. 17. (Annapolis, Maryland: Hall of Records, 1972.) {{FHL|118379|item|disp=FHL book 975.2 A1 no. 56.}} This is a county-by-county list of indexes and years covered.<br><br>

[[Image:Pennsylvania State Archive building.jpg|thumb|right|150px|PA State Archive building in Harrisburg]]300 North Street&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(''mail to:&nbsp;'' 350 North Street)<br>Harrisburg, PA 17120<br>Telephone: 717-783-3281<br>E-mail: [mailto:ra-statearchives@pa.gov ra-statearchives@pa.gov]<br>Internet: [http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&mode=2&objID=2887 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission]

:Colonial references to '''Delaware''' settlements. This huge collection has indexes and original sources associated with the {{FHL|221762|item|disp=''Pennsylvania Archives''}} series, such as vital, military, prison, naturalization, land records, census, ships lists, railroads, mines, and 1.5 million online records<ref name="DB2797">Dollarhide and Bremer, 27 and 97.</ref> <ref>[http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/research_topics/3162 Research Topics at the Pennsylvania State Archives] in ''Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission'' (accessed 23 December 2013).</ref> including [http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/archival_research_topics/3162 online genealogy guides].<br><br>

'''Salisbury University Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture'''<br>Guerrieri Academic Commons ('''street address''')<br>(4th Floor, Room 430)<br>1101 Camden Ave ('''mailing address''')<br>Salisbury, MD 21801<br>Telephone: 410-543-6312<br>Fax: 410-677-5067<br>E-mail: [mailto:nabbcenter@salisbury.edu nabbcenter@salisbury.edu]<br>Internet: [http://www.salisbury.edu/nabb/ Nabb Research Center]

:This repository has family files, family histories, local histories, photos, and artifacts from the Delmarva Penninsula ('''Delaware''', Maryland, and Virginia) also called the "Eastern Shore." Includes correspondence, manuscripts, ledgers, diaries, local business and organizational records, maps, newspapers, land surveys, and oral histories. Microfilm collections hold governmental and church records of Somerset, Worcester, Dorchester and Wicomico counties in Maryland; Accomack and Northampton counties in Virginia; and Sussex County in '''Delaware'''.<ref>[http://www.salisbury.edu/nabb/ Nabb Research Center] in ''Salisbury University'' (accessed 25 April 2017).</ref><br><br>

The Maryland Room<br>100 W. Dover St.<br>Easton, Maryland 21601<br>Telephone: 410-822-1626<br>Fax: 410-820-8217<br>E-mail: [http://www.tcfl.org/library/ask.html Ask a Question] form<br>Website: [http://www.tcfl.org/mdroom/ Maryland Room: Local History and Genealogy Special Collections]

:Many '''Delaware''' and Eastern Shore historical sources.<ref name="DB27" /><br><br>

Some of the above collections are partially duplicated at the [[Family History Library]] and its branch '''[[Introduction to Family History Centers|Family History Centers]]''' around the world. Most centers can help you by:

*Giving you limited, personal, one-on-one research suggestions (but they do not do research for you) [[File:Family History Center Located in this Church Building .JPG|thumb|right|280px|Wilmington Delaware Family History Center]]

*Providing access to genealogical records through the premium online Internet '''[[Family History Center Portal|FHC Portal]]''' for free.

*Offering free how-to classes (varies by location)

*Fostering contact between genealogical enthusiasts

There are several [[:Category:Delaware Family History Centers|centers located in Delaware]], ''for example:''   

::[[Wilmington Delaware Family History Center]]<br>143 Dickinson Lane<br>Wilmington, DE<br>Telephone: 302-654-1911

:::Each center is staffed by volunteers and has varying hours and services. Telephone in advance to verify their hours.

To locate one of these 4,500 centers in your own neighborhood, see [http://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator Find a Family History Center].<br><br>

*Delaware Historical Records Survey, ''Inventory of the County Archives of Delaware. Number 1. New Castle County''. (Dover, Delaware: The Public Archives Commission, 1941). {{WorldCat|866146917}}; {{FHL|217674|item|disp=FHL fiche 6051279}} Detailed description of each record type including years covered, number of volumes, and contents.

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