816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: (608) 264-6534
Hours: See below
Genealogy Collection | General Information | Researchers | Getting there from Rockford
1997 LIBRARY SCHEDULE
The State Historical Society Library will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, except for the dates shown below. The Library is always closed on Sunday. The Stacks and Microforms Room close 30 minutes before these hours.
January 1, 1997 ............................................Closed
New Year's Day
January 2 - 17 -- 8:00-5:00 ...........................UW
intersession
January 18 - 20 .............................................Closed
Martin Luther King Day
March 22 - 29 -- 8:00-5:00 ...........................UW spring
break
May 19 - June 14 -- 8:00-5:00 ......................UW
intersession
May 24 - 26 ..................................................Closed
Memorial Day
July 4-6..........................................................Closed
Independence Day
August 11-29 -- 8:00-5:00 ............................UW
intersession
August 30 - September 1 ...............................Closed
Labor Day
November 26 -- 8:00-5:00 ............................Day before
Thanksgiving
November 27 ................................................Closed
Thanksgiving Day
December 22 - Jan. 16, 1998 -- 8:00-5:00.....UW intersession
December 24 - 25 .........................................Closed
Christmas Eve & Day
December 31 - Jan. 1, 1998 ..........................Closed New
Year's Eve & Day
This schedule sometimes changes without notice. Before traveling to Madison to use the Library, call 608-264-6534 or 608-264-6535 to confirm these hours.
GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES
The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library
THE COLLECTION
The State Historical Society Library possesses one of the largest genealogical collections in the country. Nearly one-fifth of the entire library collection, now over three million items, deals with family or local history. The collection is not in any way limited to Wisconsin history and genealogy: the Library attempts to acquire all available historical and genealogical materials relating to any part of the U.S. and Canada. No attempt is made to collect foreign historical or genealogical publications. By agreement the University of Wisconsin Memorial Library collects non-North American historical materials and, though it does not collect genealogical materials specifically, it may have useful materials for the genealogical researcher.
VITAL RECORDS
The Library holds microfilm of the births, marriages, and deaths
recorded in Wisconsin before October 1, 1907. The researcher
should be aware that recording, particularly of births and
deaths, was very incomplete. There are statewide indexes of
births and deaths and a partial index to the marriages covering
the counties alphabetically from Adams to Racine. These records
must be used in person as the Library does not have sufficient
staff to undertake searches in them. The researcher who desires
service by mail or who needs post-1907 records should contact the
Bureau of Health Statistics, P.O. Box 309, Madison, Wisconsin
53701, or the Register of Deeds at the appropriate county
courthouse.
FEDERAL CENSUSES
The Library has acquired on microfilm a complete file of all the available schedules of the 1790-1920 U.S. censuses for all the states as well as the censuses of Canada, 1666-1881. These censuses are not available for interlibrary loan, but may be used by researchers visiting the Library. The Library has also attempted to acquire all available published indexes to these materials and now has indexes to most states through 1860 and a few for later years. There are few indexes to the Canadian censuses except for the earliest years. The Library has only begun to acquire the available Soundex indexes to the U.S. censuses from 1880-1920 and currently holds only the 1880 Soundex indexes for Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, and California as well as the 1900 Soundex indexes for Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Library has 1920 Soundex indexes for most states and plans to acquire the rest as funding permits.
WISCONSIN FEDERAL CENSUSES AND INDEXES
Among the most useful genealogical tools in the Library are the
indexes to the U.S. censuses of 1820-1870 for the area that is
now Wisconsin. The indexes cover the entire state for each census
year and, beginning with 1850, include all the individuals living
in a household, not just the household head. The Library also
holds a Soundex index to the 1880 U.S. Census for Wisconsin which
indexes only households with a child ten years old or younger.
Also held on microfilm are the 1900, 1910 and 1920 U.S. censuses
for Wisconsin and the Soundex indexes for the 1900 and 1920
censuses. The Library has copies available for interlibrary loan
of all the U.S. censuses for Wisconsin, and all the indexes,
except the 1920 Soundex.
WISCONSIN STATE CENSUSES
The State Archives, housed in the Historical Society building,
holds manuscript copies of the Wisconsin state censuses of 1836,
1838, 1842, 1846, 1847, 1855, 1875, 1885, 1895, and a statistical
abstract of the 1865 census. These censuses resemble the early
federal censuses, listing only the head of a household by name
and summarizing the number of others. All these state censuses,
except for the 1865 statistics, have been microfilmed and are
available for interlibrary loan. Published indexes exist for 1836,
1838, 1842 and 1855. The Library also holds the 1905 Wisconsin
State Census, the only state census to list all the members of a
household by name. A county by county index to this census is
available for all counties. The 1905 census and indexes are on
microfilm and available for loan.
PASSENGER LISTS
Passenger lists are among the most frequently requested
genealogical materials, and the Library has a strong collection.
Most of the existing lists from the colonial period through the
early nineteenth century have been published in some form. The
Library holds most of the items cited in the standard
bibliography, the Passenger and Immigration Lists Bibliography by
P. William Filby (2nd edition, Detroit, Gale Research, 1988). The
bulk of the lists from 1820 through the end of the nineteenth
century have not been published, but the Library has on microfilm
the available lists for the major east and Gulf coast ports (New
York, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and New Orleans (ca. 1820-ca.
1890--the ending date varies from port to port) as well as the
available indexes. Note, however that the lists for New York from
1847-1896 are not indexed. The Library also holds lists for
Quebec, 1865-1900, and Halifax, 1890-1900. The passenger list
microfilms are not available for interlibrary loan nor can the
Library staff undertake searcheR in them
WISCONSIN BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES
Wisconsin materials are often more intensively cataloged than
those relating to other states. Many biographical sketches in the
histories of Wisconsin counties and communities as well as
several thousand selected obituaries (the "Wisconsin
Necrology") are indexed in the Library's subject card
catalog.
NEWSPAPERS
The State Historical Society Library also holds one of the nation's largest newspaper collections. This collection is also national in scope with strengths in colonial newspapers, ethnic and labor newspapers, and papers from major cities. The extensive Wisconsin portion predominates, however. The collection is estimated to contain from two-thirds to three-fourths of all the newspaper issues ever published in Wisconsin. All the Wisconsin newspapers and many of the out-of-state papers are microfilmed and are available for interlibrary loan.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The State Historical Society is open to the public and
genealogical researchers are welcome to use its collections.
Because of the large number of mail requests for genealogical
research assistance received by the Library, only the most
limited searching can be performed in response to a particular
request. Genealogical questions by mail may be directed to the
Reference Librarian, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816
State Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53706. A more detailed guide to
the Society's genealogical materials, Genealogical Research, is
available in-person for $5.95, or postpaid for $8.35 from
Publication Orders at the above address.
GENEALOGICAL
RESEARCHERS
The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library
We presently have five record's searchers registered with us who may be able to undertake the research in which you are interested. They are:
Mrs. Jean Skinner
7540 Century Place
Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 836-1375
Ms. Catherine Ostlind
Sol Terra House
Route 1, Box 184-B
Merrimac, WI 53561
(608) 493-2617
Mrs. Mary C. Martin
1122 Frisch Road
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 271-3390
Mrs. Nancy G. Williams
409 Orchard Drive
Madison, WI 53711
(608) 231-1641
Mrs. Joy Reisinger
1020 Central Avenue
Sparta, WI 54656
(608) 269-6361
Each of these researchers is very familiar with our collections
and services. They have no official connection to the State
Historical Society, however, and you must conduct any business
arrangements directly with them rather than with us.
[Winnebago County Homepage] [USGenWeb] [ILGenWeb][Boone County Homepage]
Katy
Hestand
County Coordinator
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