Special Collections

Genealogy research can be frustrating, especially when you can't seem to find the information you want. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you search:

• There aren't records for everything.
  • Sometimes it seems like there should be a record of where someone lived or how they traveled, but you can't find it anywhere. Keep in mind that records were not created for every event in the life of every person. It's possible that the record you are hoping for does not exist.
  • Ask yourself: is there a reason that this record might have been created and preserved? Would it have been useful to a business or legal agency? How and where might it have been preserved? An archivist can help you with this type of thinking.
• Records aren't always in alphabetical order.
  • Archival records are stored in whatever order they were originally created. Often this is chronological rather than alphabetical. Unless you know the exact date of a record, it can sometimes be very difficult to find.
  • Fortunately, many records are indexed, meaning that someone has gone through the labor-intensive task of creating an alphabetical list that we can reference. However, keep in mind that not all records are indexed.
• Your ancestors may have moved around a lot.
  • We sometimes think that our ancestors stayed in one place for generations, but this isn't always true. People often moved from county to county or even state to state for work and other opportunities. Sometimes, the records you are looking for will not all be in the same place.

Basic genealogy resources at the UW-Superior Archives:

• Pre-1907 vital records from Douglas and Washburn Counties
• Naturalization documents filed in Douglas and Washburn Counties, including Declarations of Intent, Petitions to Naturalize, and Naturalization Records
• City Directories from Duluth and Superior dating from 1902 (some years are missing)
• City of Superior Special Census, 1891
• National Census, City of Superior, 1900
• Washburn County Jail Registers, 1889-1939
• Superior Lockup Registers, 1891-1938

Wondering if we have a type of record not listed here? Email us at archives@uwsuper.edu.

Vital records are official records of birth, death, marriage, divorce, and domestic partnerships. The Wisconsin Historical Society provides a searchable index of pre-1907 vital records for the state of Wisconsin.

Post-1907 Wisconsin vital records are in permanent retention by the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, and are NOT held by the county or by the Wisconsin Historical Society. By state statute, the WI Vital Records Office requires a written application and a fee for searching for any vital record. They do not provide free searches.

City Directories are annual bound volumes which list the names and addresses of people residing in a city during a particular year. Older City Directories also list residents' occupations. They can be very useful for learning where someone was living, who was living with them, and how they were employed.

The UW-Superior Archives has City Directories for Superior and Duluth dating from 1902, with some volumes missing.

Finding Aids are available for many Wisconsin Historical Society Materials, including some held at the Superior ARC. To see finding aids for collections held here, select "Search" and then Limit to: UW-Superior Jim Dan Hill Library / Superior Area Research Ctr.

• Wisconsin Historical Society Finding Aids

UW-Milwaukee Libraries provides detailed descriptions of some types of records used in genealogy research, including: birth, marriage, and death records; city directories; and naturalization records. Read these descriptions to get a better idea of what to expect from these types of records.

The Wisconsin Historical Society provides many tools and resources for genealogy research, including Civil War records, historic images, local history and biography articles, and more. Visit their Genealogy Page to start exploring!

The UW-Superior Archives is home to the Superior Area Research Center (ARC), part of a network of ARCs across the state. Historical materials from other ARCs, including some genealogy materials, can be temporarily borrowed for research. With some exceptions, any collection held by another ARC can be sent to the Superior ARC on request. The borrowed collection can remain at UW-Superior for up to a month before being sent back to the lending institution.

Transfer service in northern Wisconsin is limited, and there may be a significant delay before materials are transferred to the Superior ARC. For more information, or to request materials from another ARC, please contact the archivist at archives@uwsuper.edu.

State and National Genealogy Resources

Historical Societies

Local Public Libraries