What's in a Name? Welcome to the North American History and Genealogy Blog
American History Research Center
Wisconsin Statute 44.05 established the Wisconsin Historical Society as a center for American history, not just Wisconsin history. Copies of state statues are part of the Library's government publications holdings.
Family History Collections
Our family history collections span the entire United States and Canada, and are an invaluable resource for connecting to your family's heritage.
By Rick Pifer, Director of Public Services for the Library and Archives
The Wisconsin Historical Society's Library and Archives is initiating its own blog. To some of you, the title of the blog, "North American History and Genealogy," may seem a bit grandiose or over-expansive. What state historical society has such pretensions? Well, we do.
In 1846, the founders of the Wisconsin Historical Society set out to create the greatest library of the West. In 1854, the state legislature appropriated $500 to "aid the society in collecting book (sic), maps, charts and papers of every kind, and other materials illustrative of the history and progress of Wisconsin in particular and the west in general."
Lyman Draper (first director of the Society) and Daniel Steele Drury (first librarian) rapidly expanded this vision to all of the United States and Canada. By 1876 the Historical Society had the largest library west of Washington, D.C. Today, that vision is written into Wisconsin Statute 44.05: "The historical society, in order to promote the wider understanding of the significance of the American heritage, shall encourage research in American history in general, and in the history of Wisconsin and the west particularly, through its American history research center."
So, what's in a name? Through our North American History and Genealogy blog, we hope to spark your imagination, your interest, and your curiosity.
We’ll give you insight into our collections, tell you stories of what goes on behind the scenes, highlight the successes and challenges of research being done in our collections, and introduce you to our staff and services. We'd also like to engage in a conversation with you through our blog.
We have spent 166 years collecting library and archival material documenting the history of Wisconsin, the United States, and Canada. As a consequence, we are one of the best institutions in the country for the study of North American history north of the Rio Grande River.
We hope our blog posts will be illuminating, informative and entertaining. We hope you will come along for the ride and maybe, just maybe, join in the conversation.
About the North American History and Genealogy Blog
The North American History and Genealogy blog is written by staff and highlights the world class collections, recent research, acquisitions, and services available through the Wisconsin Historical Society's Library and Archives.