Local History Meets 21st Century Web Technology

In recent years, there has been an infusion of original local history records uploaded to the web making it easier than ever to research local history and genealogy.  Sites like ancestry.com and its library subscription sister site ancestrylibrary.com were the first on the scene primarily with United States Census records.  Ancestrylibrary.com is accessible at any one of our CADL branches. 

Then sites like FamilySearch and Footnote started to join the fun by adding their collections to the internet.  FamilySearch, a product of the Latter Day Saints Church, has started scanning their vast holdings of microfilmed church records, census records, tax records, etc. It will soon  be accessible on their FamilySearch website.  Until then you can view what they have so far at their site pilot.familysearch.org anywhere with internet access.  Footnote, which is accesible for free at the Library of Michigan, contains electronic versions of records housed at the National Archives including FBI case files.

The newest kid on the block for Michigan local history research is Seeking Michigan.  Seeking Michigan is a product of the Library of Michigan and the Archives of Michigan.  It contains items such as Michigan Death Certificates from 1897 to 1920, Civil War Photographs, WPA Property Inventories, and Civil War Service Records.    

Another wonderful resource is the Making of Modern Michigan , or MMM.  MMM contains local history photographs and other resources from institutions all across Michigan including the Capital Area District Library.  It truly is a treasure chest of Michigan Local History Resources.

As always, be sure to check out the Capital Area District Library Local History Page for information about accessing Sandborn Fire Insurance Maps and other valuable tools.