The Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library functions as the Eastern Data Center for the CWSS project. Mr. Curt Witcher, who manages the Historical Genealogy Department, also manages the national data entry for the CWSS Names Index for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Dozens of volunteers prepare the majority of data entry packets for distribution, track data entry work accomplished by thousands of data entry volunteers across the country, and assist in training volunteers nation-wide. The knowledgeable staff and able crew of volunteers have provided vital support for this endeavor.
The Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library was organized in 1961. Its renowned collection contains more than 223,000 printed volumes and 276,000 items of microfilm and microfiche. This collection grows daily through department purchases and donations from appreciative genealogists and historians.
More than 39,000 volumes of compiled genealogies represent work already done on American and European families, and range from brief typescripts to well documented multi-volume works. Nearly 5000 genealogies on microfiche and numerous family newsletters complement this collection. Over 100,000 printed volumes of local history data are testimony to the department's efforts to comprehensively collect U.S. genealogy and local history publications. County and town histories, vital, cemetery, church, court, land, probate and naturalization records can all be accessed through department catalogs. Significant collections of microfilmed local records, such as the North Carolina Core Collection, are available for: CT, IL, IN, KY, MA, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, VT and WV. Smaller microfilmed collections are available for other states. Additional microtext sources which complement the outstanding print collection include the "Genealogy & Local History Series" on microfiche, and microfilmed county histories for CA, IL, IN, MI, NY, OH, PA and WI.
The department maintains an extensive collection of published materials relating to this country's military history as well as microfilm copies of major record groups from the National Archives relating to pension and service records. Holdings include most microfilmed National Archives service and pension records covering every conflict from the Revolutionary War through the Philippine Insurrection. Civil War regimental histories on microfiche, and significant microfilmed Confederate records from state archives are also included. The excellent collection of related printed references contains adjutant generals' reports, lineage society publications, soldiers' diaries, and more than 1000 regimental histories. The military collection is now expanding into data on 20th century conflicts with additions of unit histories for WWI and WWII, and casualty lists for the Korean War, Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War.
For more information about The Historical Genealogy Department, please visit their web site at http://www.acpl.lib.in.us.
Last updated: February 28, 2013