Family History Collections
Take A Look Inside
Find your family with Wisconsin Historical Society family history collections. A majority of our family history resources are located in the Library & Archives, while a small but rich part of our genealogy collections are online and accessible for searching by name or place.
Search Our Collections
Library & Archives Catalog
Search the Society's library and archival materials in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's online catalog.
Archival Finding Aids
Finding aids (registers) describe archival resources held by 24 repositories throughout Wisconsin. These provide access to uncover correspondence, diaries, photographs and more.
Digital Collections
Our digital collections provide easy access to hundreds of thousands of digital files, including photographs, videos, documents, and other historical materials. Content is added on an ongoing basis.
Search Indexes
Search over 3,000,000 records including: pre-1907 birth, death and marriage record indexes; newspaper clippings; and photographs and other visual materials.
Our Genealogy Collections
Vital Records
Vital Records
The Society has millions of vital records recorded in Wisconsin before October 1, 1907. The collection includes approximately:
- 1 million birth records and 27,000 delayed birth records
- 1 million marriage records
- 400,000 death records
Wisconsin law required counties to register birth, marriage and death events with state officials starting in 1852, but the law was not strictly enforced until roughly 1880. Most records date from 1880 or later.
It is possible that some records only exist at the county level and are not in our state-level collection. The Society does not own vital records after September 30, 1907.
Accessing Vital Records
Copies of vital records are stored on microfilm in the Society's Library. Search our index to see if we have vital records for your ancestor. You must visit the Library in person to print copies of the vital records; if you are unable to visit in person, you may want to hire a researcher to print the records or order the records from the Wisconsin State Vital Records Office.
Search Vital Records
Wisconsin Local History and Biographical Articles (WLHBA) Collection
Wisconsin Local History and Biographical Articles (WLHBA) Collection
The Wisconsin Local History and Biographical Articles (WLHBA) Collection contains 16,000 digitized historical newspaper articles and clippings on notable Wisconsin people and communities. Most articles were published between 1860-1940.
Accessing the Local History and Biographical Articles Collection
WLHBA is searchable on the Society's website. The materials found in the index are not comprehensive of all materials on our shelves.
Search WLHBA
Wisconsin Name Index
Wisconsin Name Index
The Wisconsin Name Index (WNI) is a searchable index of names found in various collections in the Library. These include:
- About 150 county and local histories
- Dozens of professional directories and biographical encyclopedias
- More than 60 scrapbooks containing 30,000 obituaries from the “Wisconsin Necrology” scrapbooks
- Selected articles from Wisconsin magazines and newspapers
Most items were published from 1870-1970.
Accessing the Wisconsin Name Index
The WNI is searchable on the Society's website. The materials found in the index are not comprehensive of all materials on our shelves.
Search WNI
Local and County Histories
Local and County Histories
Local and county histories are rich resources for researchers, as they document the families, events, and conditions of communities. The Society's Library collects printed local and county history books for towns, cities, counties, and territories throughout the United States and Canada. The collection also includes published collections of local records, such as marriage indexes and newspaper extracts for various counties and communities.
Accessing Local and County Histories
Most local and county history books are non-circulating and must be used at the Society's Library or Archives.
Early history books for all Wisconsin counties have been digitized and are free to search on our website.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog for materials.
Search the Collection
Census Records
Census Records
Use census records to determine where your ancestor resided during specific years of their lives. The Wisconsin Historical Society has several collections of census records, including:
- United States federal census records for Wisconsin (1790-1940)
- Wisconsin state and territorial censuses (1836-1905)
- Canada Censuses, 1666-1901
- Special U.S. federal schedules of Wisconsin
- Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880
- Agricultural Schedules, 1850-1880
- Veterans Schedules, 1890
- Manufacturers/Industrial Schedules, 1850-1880
- Defective, Dependent and Delinquent Classes, 1880 only
- Indexes of U.S. federal census, 1790-1930
- Indexes of Wisconsin State Censuses, 1836-1905
- Indexes of Canada Censuses, 1666-1901
- Published transcriptions of census records (various U.S. counties and Canadian provinces)
Accessing Census Records
Original census records are available on microfilm at either the Society's Library or your local Area Research Center; published indexes and transcriptions are housed in the Society's Library. Federal, state, and territorial censuses are digitized and available on genealogy databases. Most special schedules have not been digitized.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog
Immigration Records
Immigration Records
If your ancestor immigrated to the United States, immigration records may be essential to your research. The Wisconsin Historical Society holds published pre-20th century passenger lists, naturalization indexes, emigrant guides, and more, covering the United States and Canada, as well as original Wisconsin naturalization records.
Accessing Immigration Records
Published immigration materials are housed in the Society's Library. Some materials can be checked out or loaned through InterLibrary Loan.
The Society's Archives holds original naturalization records for 70 of the 72 counties in Wisconsin (excluding Milwaukee and Menominee counties). Many are housed at Area Research Centers throughout the state.
Search The Library & Archives Catalog
Cemetery Records
Cemetery Records
Burial records can be an essential resource for family historians, particularly in absence of civil death records. The Society holds many published and unpublished records and indexes from churches and public and private cemeteries around Wisconsin, the United States, and Canada.
Accessing Cemetery Records
Published cemetery records for municipalities, churches, and counties in the U.S. and Canada are housed in the Society's Library. These records may include cemetery inscription indexes, cemetery histories, and transcribed church burial registers.
Original and unpublished Wisconsin cemetery records, such as financial books, burial lists, and cemetery association records, reside in the Archives.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog
Newspapers
Newspapers
Find your ancestor’s obituary or skim the daily happenings in your ancestor’s hometown paper with our collection of historical newspapers.
The Wisconsin Historical Society has one of the largest collections of newspapers in the United States, surpassed only by the Library of Congress. More than 4,000 United States, Canada, and military titles span from the 17th century to the present, including about 1,600 Wisconsin titles.
Accessing the Newspaper Collection
Most of the newspaper collection is on microfilm in the Society Library. These can be viewed in the Library or requested from the Society through InterLibrary Loan. Some newspapers are digitized and available through newspaper databases, which you can access for free in the Library.
Search the Library & Archives catalog for materials.
Newspapers
Family History Books
Family History Books
Family histories provide the names, dates, places, and stories of families over many generations. The Society holds one of the largest collections of published family histories in North America. These number over 40,000 and represent families from across the United States and Canada.
Accessing Family Histories
The Society's family history books are non-circulating and must be used in the Society's Library.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog
Military Records
Military Records
Find your military ancestor at the Wisconsin Historical Society. The military records held by the Society include published and unpublished materials in the Library and Archives. Wisconsin military collections include World War One (WWI) and National Guard service records and an extensive Civil War collection, as well as personal papers from individual soldiers and military personnel. The Library holds military histories, published soldiers' papers such as letters and correspondence collections, reports, and more.
Civil War Records
The Wisconsin Historical Society has been gathering materials about the Civil War since it began in 1861 and continues to do so today.
After more than 150 years of collecting, the Library and Archives own nearly 10,000 books and pamphlets, over 1,300 manuscript collections, and more than 2,000 historical photographs, broadsides, and maps related to the Civil War. Learn more about our Civil War Collection.
Accessing Military Records
Unpublished manuscripts and Wisconsin government records are located in the Archives and Area Research Centers. Published materials are in the Library and may be able to be checked out.
More than 25,000 pages of original documents about Wisconsin in the Civil War are available online, including soldiers' letters, diaries, and memoirs; regimental histories and rosters; photographs, maps, biographies and battle summaries.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog for materials.
Civil War
Maps and Atlases of Wisconsin
Maps and Atlases of Wisconsin
With maps and atlases, you can locate your ancestor's property or home over time, understand how they traveled, and determine the topography and places of interest in your ancestor's neighborhood, such as schools, mills, and churches. The Society's collection of Wisconsin maps and atlases include land ownership maps, plat maps, fire insurance maps, road maps, topographical maps, and more.
Accessing Maps & Atlases
More than 3,000 of our maps and atlases, including most early Wisconsin land ownership maps, are available to search and browse online.
The majority of our maps and atlases are located in the Society's Archives or at Area Research Centers. These do not circulate.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog for materials.
Maps & Atlases
Religious Records
Religious Records
When there are no civil registered birth, marriage or death record, church or religious records can serve as important alternate sources. The Wisconsin Historical Society holds records from some churches throughout Wisconsin, as well as published histories, periodicals, and sacramental indexes from churches throughout the United States and Canada.
Accessing Religious Records
Published church histories, newsletters, and indexes, such as burial listings or membership lists, are housed in the Society's Library, in print and on microfilm. Some materials may not be able to be checked out.
Original and unpublished Wisconsin religious records reside in the Archives or at Area Research Centers.
Search the Library & Archives Catalog
Draper Manuscripts
Draper Manuscripts
The Draper Manuscripts collection is valuable for genealogists researching their family history in the Trans-Allegheny area. The collection primarily covers the period between the French and Indian War and the War of 1812 (ca. 1755-1815). Interested in the history of the early United States, Lyman Copeland Draper made it his life's work to collect materials and conduct research on military engagements, conflicts between groups on the western frontier, and westward exploration. Strengths of the Draper Manuscripts include historical and genealogical notes, interviews, correspondence, newspaper extracts, and more.
Accessing the Collection
The original manuscript collection is housed in the Society Archives. Microfilm copies are available in the Society Library. There is no comprehensive index to the entire Draper Manuscripts Collection. However, there are several ways to locate information within the collection, all available at the Society. Archivists and librarians can assist.
Draper Manuscripts
Things to Note
Most books, bound periodicals, microforms, and government publications may be requested through InterLibrary Loan. Contact your local library to inquire about requesting materials.
Family history materials, as well as many local and county histories, cannot be requested or circulated through InterLibrary Loan and must stay at the Society.
Staff may be able to scan pages from materials upon request; fees may apply. Contact the Library for assistance.
Some collections may be housed at Area Research Centers (ARCs). The Area Research Center network makes it possible for researchers to access and view archival collections housed in different locations across Wisconsin.
- There are 14 Area Research Centers (ARCs) in Wisconsin, located at UW campus libraries throughout the state and at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. Each one serves a specific geographic region.
- Records created in and focused on the region served by a particular ARC are housed permanently at the appropriate Center.
- You can access most collections from across the state and request to have them sent to your region from anywhere in the network.
- The network is a partnership between the Wisconsin Historical Society and the University of Wisconsin (UW) System.
To aid your genealogy research, the Society offers free access to subscription databases. They are accessible from any public computer in the Society's Library, or on personal devices connected to the Society's wi-fi. These sites include:
- American Ancestors
- Ancestry Library Edition
- FamilySearch affiliate library (accessible from public computers only)
- Fold3
- Heritage Quest Online
- Multiple newspaper digital collections
Collections Use FAQs
Explore how you can find, access, and use our collection materials.
The Society's library and archives collections can be searched in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library catalog and some parts of our collections have been digitized and are available online.
The Society's historical object collection cannot be searched online.
Library & Archives
Many books, bound periodicals, microforms and government publications may be checked out for home use with a library card. Rare, fragile, small and heavily used materials (including genealogical resources) do not circulate. A borrowing card is not required if you want to use materials within the Library. Archival materials are available for use in our Archives Reading Room.
For more information about our borrowing policies Library & Archives Services.
Historic Objects
If you are interested in viewing our historical objects please contact us.
Due to significant demands associated with developing the Wisconsin History Center, the Society has reduced capacity to handle loan requests. Therefore, we are not accepting new requests at this time.
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the webpage for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
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Personal use (prints, gifts, home and study): Request images for personal use
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Commercial use (public display, publishing, media, products, film and more): Request commercial use of our Collection
Materials in our websites and digital collection are provided for research, teaching, and private study. The Wisconsin Historical Society hold rights to some items; others may be governed by additional copyright or donor restrictions.
We encourage users to download low-res images from our website for personal or classroom use, without written permission, within the meaning of the principles of “Fair Use.”
Permission is required for reproduction, publication, or commercial use of any content made available through our websites and digital collection. By using this website, including our digital collections, you agree to the Terms of Use. Users are responsible for determining whether their intended use qualifies as fair use under U.S. copyright law. When relying on fair use, cite the source.
Visit Our
Library & Archives
Perhaps the best way to begin exploring our collections is by visiting us in person. In our reading rooms, you’ll find free and unparalleled access to our collections, helpful staff and amenities, and perhaps, your very own story.
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Donate to The Society's Collections
Your Story is Wisconsin's Story
History is made every day, everywhere. Since 1846, contributions from people across the state have helped us fulfill our mission to collect, preserve and tell the stories of Wisconsin.
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