Wisconsin Archives and Libraries
The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers.
For additional addresses of county genealogical and historical societies, see directories cited in United States Archives and Libraries and United States Societies.
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
archives@uww.edu
Serves Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties.
5. University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Wyllie Library/Learning Center
900 Wood Road
Box 2000
Kenosha, WI 53141-2000
Telephone: 414-595-2345
Internet: http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/archives
archives@uwp.edu
Serves Kenosha and Racine counties.
6. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Archives Department
UWM Libraries
PO Box 604
2311 East Hartford Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Telephone: 414-229-6980
Internet: http://www.uwm.edu/Library//arch
askarch@uwm.edu
Serves Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties.
For Area 6, Births, Marraiges, & Deaths:
WI Vital Records Office
1 West Wilson St.
PO Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309
7. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Forrest R. Polk Library
800 Algoma Boulevard
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Telephone: 920-424-0828
Internet: http://www.uwosh.edu/archives
archives@uwosh.edu
Serves Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, and Winnebago counties.
8. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Cofrin Library
Area Research Center (7th Floor)
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
Telephone: 920-465-2540 1-888-729-4611
Internet: http://www.uwgb.edu/library/spc
speccoll@uwgb.edu libraryweb@uwgb.edu
Serves Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, and Shawano counties.
9. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Area Research Center
University Library
900 Reserve Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Telephone: 715-346-2586
Internet: http://library.uwsp.edu/depts/archives/archives.htm
archives@uwsp.edu
Serves Adams, Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties.
10. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Special Collections & Archives (5022 5th floor)
William D. McIntyre Library
University Drive
Eau Claire, WI 54702-5010
Telephone: 715-836-2739
Internet: http://www.uwec.edu/Library/archives/index.htm
library.archives@uwec.edu
Serves Buffalo, Eau Claire, Chippewa, Rusk, Clark, and Taylor counties.
11. University of Wisconsin-Stout
Swanson Learning Center - University Archives and Area Research Center
University Library
315 Tenth Ave.
Menomonie, WI 54751
Telephone: 715-232-2300
Internet: http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/archives/index.cfm
archives@uwstout.edu
Serves Barron, Dunn, and Pepin counties.
12. University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Area Research Center
Chalmer Davee Library
120 Cascade Avenue - street address
410 South 3rd Street - maling address
River Falls, WI 54022
Telephone: 715-425-3567
Internet: http://www.uwrf.edu/library/arc
archives@uwrf.edu
Serves Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix 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=158
jenningsj@ci.superior.wi.us
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
Note
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
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.
.)
Inventories of County Archvies
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
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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:
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
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.
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