Area Research Center Collections

Local Government Records

The records of local governments cover a wide variety of government offices and functions. The ARC has more records from Pierce and St. Croix Counties and the least from Burnett County (the youngest of the four counties).

Search AtoM, the archives catalog that includes photos, to find locally held government archival materials or Search@UW.

Examples of local government materials include:

• Criminal and civil case files
• Tax and assessment rolls
• Poor farm records
• County court and justice of the peace court records
• School records
• City and county governance records

Local Manuscript Collections

"Manuscripts" is the term used for archival materials created by private individuals and families, and entities such as businesses, community organizations, and churches. Use AtoM, includes photos, or search@UW to locate manuscripts collections.

Some typical types of manuscript materials include:

• Letters and correspondence
• Diaries
• Photographs
• Scrapbooks
• Written reminiscences and oral histories
• Ledgers and other types of financial records
• Membership records
• Civilian Conservation Corps records

Local History and Genealogy Materials

These materials are mainly published, but also include some materials available only in hard copy, such as indexes, and microfilm..

• Local, county, and church histories
• Printed family histories and genealogies
• Newspaper and cemetery record indexes
• Maps and atlases, including plat books and Sanborn maps
• Newspapers from the four counties
• Oral histories
• Federal and state census records (population, agricultural)
• Telephone books sand city directories