Delaware Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

: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>

:'''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>

: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}}. {{FSC|728550|item|disp=FS Library Ref Book 973 J54d}}.</ref><br><br>

: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>

: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>

: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}}; {{FSC|74387|item|disp=FS Library fiche 6331225}}. This source briefly describes jurisdiction, record type, number of volumes, and dates covered.<br><br>

: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>

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

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

: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>

: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>

: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>

: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>

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

:There are many historic '''Delaware''' manuscripts, books, Quaker and early settlement sources.<ref name="DB2795" /> <ref>[http://libwww.freelibrary.org/explore/shell.cfm?topicTitle=Genealogy{{amp}}template=genealogyhand.cfm Genealogy 101] in ''Free Library of Philadelphia (accessed 28 December 2013).''</ref><br><br>

: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>

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

:A good resource for finding early '''Delaware''' ancestors. The Maryland State Archives [https://msa.maryland.gov  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.) {{FSC|118379|item|disp=FS Catalog book 975.2 A1 no. 56.}} This is a county-by-county list of indexes and years covered.<br><br>

:Colonial references to '''Delaware''' settlements. This huge collection has indexes and original sources associated with the {{FSC|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>

: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>

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

::[[Wilmington Delaware FamilySearch 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.