Archives refer to the non-current records of an organization or an institution.
Examples would include annual reports produced by a corporation, meeting
minutes of an organization, publications produced by a state agency,
personal diaries or narratives, etc. The term archives can also be used
in the generic sense of a place where historical items, old documents
and artifacts are stored. Archives generally have a geographic or thematic
focus. For example, the National
Archives and Records Administration
, collects materials that document
important events in American history. The Archives
of African American Music and Culture
collects and preserves oral
histories, photographs, audio and video recordings, and other materials
related to African American music culture.
The River Falls Area Research Center and University Archives houses
materials for the Northwestern region of Wisconsin including Burnett,
Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties, as well as serving as the official
repository for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. To learn more
about the River Falls ARC visit the About Us
page or read about the Area Research Center network below.
Area Research Center (ARC) —
In the 1950’s, with the goal of making history more accessible
to the people, the Wisconsin
Historical Society (WHS) developed the Regional Depository
System. Under this system, local/county governmental records and other
historical materials were stored at various college campuses and other
public institutions throughout the state. In the early 1960’s
this depository system was revitalized with the birth of the ARC
Network in which the state of Wisconsin was divided up into
14 geographic regions, each with its own ARC, in a cooperative network
based out of the WHS in Madison. Every ARC permanently houses WHS
records relevant to their geographic region of the state. In addition
to each ARC’s participation in this WHS network, the majority
of the ARC’s are located on UW campuses and also serve as the
official repositories for the university records of their campus.
The River Falls ARC houses materials that document Northwestern Wisconsin
which includes the counties of Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix,
as well as being the official repository for the records of the University
of Wisconsin-River Falls.
For the convenience of researchers, WHS collections can be transferred
between ARC’s though a courier system. University records do
not circulate and can only be viewed at the UW-River Falls University
Archives. Contact the Archivist
for more information.
Biographical Index —
The River Falls center has a biographical index containing thousands
of names of people who have lived in the four-county area (Burnett,
Pierce, Polk and St. Croix). This index contains births, deaths, marriages,
graduations, and other important life events found primarily in newspapers
but also local history books, manuscript collections, university publications,
Pierce County naturalizations, miscellaneous genealogical documents
and other sources located within the archives. The index covers the
1850’s through roughly 1900-1910, depending on the source, although
, the UWRF Alumni magazine, is indexed through
the present. (To see a list of items and dates of coverage included
in the biographical index, click here
The cards in the index will contain the name of the person, the particular
event or category, the name of the source in which to find it, the date
the information appeared in the source and/or a page number in the source.
The River Falls center also holds a microfilmed biographical index compiled
by Willis Miller, former editor and co-owner of the Hudson
. This index (RF Micro 34) records births, deaths,
marriages, graduations, and biographical information taken primarily
from the Hudson Star Observer
from 1850-1980. Since the index
was microfilmed in 1980, Miller has added thousands of entries. The
entire index is maintained at the Star-Observer
office in Hudson.
Blue Book —
This series of books has gone under several different titles, such as
the Legislative Manual for the State of Wisconsin,
Book for the State of Wisconsin
, etc. However, they are commonly
referred to as the “Blue Books
.” Issued for 2-year
periods, the Blue Book lists the members of the Wisconsin legislature
and the Wisconsin members of the U.S. Congress. It also gives a tremendous
amount of information about the state, such as school enrollments, population
statistics, county officials, county seats, descriptions of various
state agencies, names of newspapers published in the state, voting statistics,
etc. The River Falls center has almost a complete run of the series,
going back to the mid-1800’s. Two biographical indexes have been
published that help to track former legislators and state officials.
The River Falls center also has a few of the equivalent books for Minnesota,
called the Legislative Manual for the State of Minnesota.
Business Histories —
The first step when researching a business is to consult the manuscript
collections to determine if the River Falls center has a collection
from a particular enterprise. Local history books, Sanborn maps, tax
rolls, the center’s vertical file, and centennial/special editions
of a local newspaper where the business was located are also useful
sources. If the founders or people with major involvement in the business
can be named, using the biographical index to trace them as individuals
often produces additional useful information about the business. Holdings
records for manuscript collections and local histories at the River
Falls ARC can be found online in the UW-River Falls Voyager
library catalog. Sanborn maps, tax rolls, newspapers, the vertical file
and biographical index must be viewed at the center.
Cemetery Records —
The Saint Croix Valley
(SCVGS) completed an extensive project
in the 1980’s to inventory tombstones in local cemeteries. The
River Falls center holds the resulting tombstone transcriptions for
most of the cemeteries in the counties of Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix
as well as corresponding surname indexes for each county. In addition,
the center also has church and cemetery records for the four-county
area of Burnett, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties that were microfilmed
by the Genealogical Society
(GSU) in the early 1980’s; tombstone transcriptions
for a few cemeteries in Barron, Burnett, Dunn, and Washburn counties;
as well as a few manuscript collections from area cemeteries which can
include lists of burials.
after the SCVGS project was completed will not be listed; a few of the
cemeteries were completed after the surname project was done so names
will not be included in the surname index; names may have been missed—double
check in the appropriate cemetery’s records if a surname does
not appear on the index; tombstones deteriorate due to weather, vandals,
etc. over the years, which may account for someone not being listed.
Hardcopies of the tombstone inscriptions are available to view in the
River Falls ARC. Visit the Collections
to see a list of cemetery records held for each county.
Many of these records can also be viewed online at USGenweb
The U.S. Government has been taking a decennial census of its inhabitants
since 1790. Individual states conducted censuses before 1790 and several
states continued to do so until the early 20th century. A 72-year waiting
period is imposed on the public release of federal census records in
an effort to protect individual privacy. Thus, 1930 is the most recent
census available to researchers. The UWRF ARC holds Wisconsin census
records from 1836 (when Wisconsin became a territory) up through a partial
1930 Census, with indexes covering 1836, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
(Soundex), 1900 (Soundex), 1905 (partial index), and 1910. (See also,
Soundex.) The center also holds census
records for Minnesota from 1860-90, a complete 1880 United States Census
and index on CD Rom from Heritage Quest, and some aggregate data books
that give information for the entire U.S. In addition to population
schedules, special censuses were taken to record things like mortality,
agriculture, and industry. The River Falls center holds an 1840 special
census listing Revolutionary War pensioners as well as an 1890 special
census listing soldiers, sailors, and widows of soldiers of the U.S.
Civil War. Incidentally, this census listing Civil War soldiers was
one of the few items in the 1890 census that was not destroyed by a
fire in the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C., in 1921. Many census
records for Wisconsin and other states can be found on Census
Online and USGenweb.
Church Records —
Church records vary greatly from one collection to the next. They can
include such things as membership lists, sacramental records, financial
records, burial permits, minute books, and building plans. The River
Falls center holds microfilmed copies of local church records owned
by the Genealogical Society
of Utah (GSU) with a comprehensive index of GSU church record holdings
for the entire Area
Research Center (ARC) Network searchable by church name, location,
or denomination. (This index is not available online but it can be viewed
at other ARC’s throughout the state and can usually be obtained
through Interlibrary Loan.) Several church
records and related items can also be found in the manuscript collection
and the River Falls center’s vertical file.
Additionally, the book collection should be checked to see if a church
history was catalogued as a book. Search by church name, or denomination
in the UW-River Falls Voyager
library catalog (read more about Voyager below).
Civil War —
Two excellent sources for locating civil war soldiers are the Civil
War Soldiers and Sailors System website maintained by the
U.S. Park Service, and a digital book from the Wisconsin
Historical Society entitled the Roster
of Wisconsin Volunteers. The 1890 Census, held by the River Falls
center, lists U.S. Civil War veterans and their widows, also providing
the person’s state, regiment, and company. The 1885, 1895 and
1905 WI census, also held at the River Falls center, includes an enumeration
of “Soldiers and Sailors of the Late War.” A soldier’s
pension and/or military records can be obtained by contacting the
National Archives. Additional
resources for researching the Civil War at the River Falls center
include the manuscript collection, vertical file, local newspapers
and books including Wisconsin Volunteers, a print version
of Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, Military History of Wisconsin,
War of the Rebellion, and Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor.
A few simple and inexpensive steps can help preserve your
family treasures whether they be documents, photographs or textiles.
The most important precaution you can take is to keep your treasured
items away from heat, moisture and light, all of which can quickly
lead to deterioration. Two of the best sources for information on
preservation can be found at the conservation departments of the U.
S. National Archives and the Minnesota
History Center (MHS).
- Watch an MHS instructional
video on preserving family treasures such as important
documents, photographs, and textiles. (11:03)
Copyright & Use—
The nature of historical, archival collections means that copyright
or other information about ownership may be difficult to determine.
Whenever possible, information about copyright or other restrictions
is included. This information is provided as a service to aid patrons
in determining the appropriate use of an item, but the legal determination
ultimately rests with the patron. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in his/her use of photographs, manuscripts and all other records. The user is liable for any violation
of copyright or donor agreement.
Individuals may request permission to use items for singular, non-profit, educational/research purposes. Express written permission from the
Archivist is required; other conditions of use may apply. Please contact the Archivist to inquire.
County Histories —
The River Falls center has several county history books for Wisconsin,
particularly the Northwestern region of the state. The books will
often give short histories of the cities and townships in the county
as well as biographies of people in the county. In addition, the River
Falls Area Research Center (ARC) houses indexes to several county
histories housed at other ARC's throughout the state; these histories
can be transferred for use at the River Falls center. Information
about township and county names as well as boundary changes can be
accessed in the archives reading room. Search the River Falls Voyager
library catalog for local history books at the UW-River Falls ARC.
Court Records —
The River Falls center holds a variety of court records for the four-county
region (Burnett, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix). The majority of court
records include court calendars (which list what cases came to court
at what time), judgment dockets (which list what the decision of the
case was, including the monetary judgment imposed upon a person),
minute books (which detail the proceedings of each case), and record
books (which list the facts about the case). Until the early 1960's,
naturalization records were produced by the courts. For St. Croix
County and a small amount of Pierce County, the River Falls center
also has the case files which contain court papers, testimony, and
other important materials relating to the case.
Farm Statistics, Annual Enumeration by Assessors
The River Falls center holds annual enumeration of farm statistics
on microfilm (River Falls Micro 61-64) for the four-county area (Burnett,
Pierce, Polk and St. Croix) for the years 1923-1960. The records will
list every farmer in the township and give exact details on the operation,
such as number of cows, number of sheep, number of acres of wheat
cultivated, etc. These records can be ordered for other counties from
the Wisconsin Historical
Society in Madison.
Related information can be found in census records
(agricultural data was often recorded in addition to population data),
local history books and manuscript collections.
Falcon Features —
This is the alumni magazine at UW-River Falls. It began in 1952 and
contains feature stories, current campus events, and a section about
alumni including news, deaths, births, and marriages. Falcon
Features is indexed through the present issue in the River
Falls center’s biographical index. Hardcopies
of the publication can be found in the University Foundation records
(UWRF Series 25).
Finding Aid —
A finding aid, also called a collection inventory or a
register, is an instrument that gives information about the materials
in a collection. A typical finding aid for a manuscript collection
will give the title of the collection; the call number; information
as to the background on the person, agency, or organization the collection
is about/from; an abstract of what is contained in the collection;
a scope note (brief synopsis) of what materials are in the collection;
a detailed description by box and folder number of the contents of
the collection; a noting of who donated the materials; and a noting
of when the collection was donated.
Finding aids are the first and best tool a researcher can use to guide
them to appropriate materials without the luxury of online records.
Finding aids are particularly useful when using large collections
stored in multiple boxes or locations. If a patron is interested in
having a large collection transferred from another ARC for research,
often times the holding ARC will send the patron a finding aid in
advance so he or she can determine which boxes/volumes are most valuable
Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) —
The Genealogical Society
of Utah is connected to the Mormon Church, known formally
as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Mormon religion
has been instrumental to family history and promoting genealogy worldwide.
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, is considered
to be one of the best places to do genealogical research in the world.
They also have several branch Family History Centers, connected with
Mormon churches, throughout the world. There are several centers in
the area including Oakdale, Crystal and Red Wing, MN. Navigate to
and enter your location to find a center near your home. Non-Mormons,
as well as Mormons, are welcome to do research at these facilities.
Genealogy is the study of one’s family history. The River Falls
center houses Genealogical Helper and Heritage Quest,
courtesy of the St.
Croix Valley Genealogical Society. Both publications provide
excellent information for the novice to the professional genealogist.
The center has many genealogies on file; some are extensive and published
family lineages while others might be a single document, such as a
diploma or an ancestral chart. Holding records for published genealogies
and manuscripts containing genealogies can be found in the UW-River
Falls Voyager library
catalog. Single documents are located in the Miscellaneous Genealogical
Documents collection in the archives reading room (check the biographical
index under either the surname or the name of interest).
Homesteading was the process by which someone obtained land from the
U.S. Government. To determine who homesteaded a particular piece of
property, consult the Abstract of Title to the property, which can
be obtained from a local abstracter’s office or check with the
Register of Deeds office at the county courthouse where the land is
located (visit the UWRF ARC’s Regional
Contacts page for local courthouse contact information). The River
Falls center holds a resource called the U.S. General Land Office
Wisconsin Local Tract Books (RF Micro 130) for the four-county region
(Burnett, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix). The land description (township,
range, and section) is necessary in order to successfully do the research.
Land description can be determined by consulting a plat map. Homesteading
information was online for a time at www.glorecords.blm.gov.
However, due to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, much of this
data was pulled offline but their site still includes a good deal
of useful information. (As of 2005, the homesteading information was
still not available online.)
House Histories —
When researching a house history, an Abstract of Title for the property
should be obtained from an abstract office or the Register of Deeds
at the county courthouse where the property is located (visit the
UWRF ARC’s Regional Contacts page
for local courthouse contact information). The abstract will list
every owner of the land the house sits on since it was homesteaded
from the U.S. Government. Tax rolls held at the River Falls center
are a good source of information, ownership, and valuation, regardless
of whether the house is in the country or in a city/village. If the
house is in a city or village, one could search local history books
and information in the River Falls center’s vertical file (look
under the name of the community-historic buildings or historic houses).
For River Falls, Hudson, and New Richmond, the center has copies of
intensive historic surveys that were done in the 1980’s-1990’s,
which include information on historic houses. For the city of River
Falls, the center has property appraisal cards from the 1930’s-1940’s
that contain specific information on many houses in the city (Pierce
Series 56). If the house is in the country, plat maps can be used
to track land ownership. Many of the plat maps will use a small black
square to indicate the location of a house on a parcel of land. Another
possibility in tracing the history of a house is to track the history
of the first/early owners. Clues about the house can be found in obituaries,
biographies, local history books, etc.
Interlibrary Loan —
The River Falls Area Research Center (ARC) loans out certain items
such as newspapers and census records on microfilm to other libraries
and ARC’s requesting those materials. The center can also borrow
items from other libraries and ARC's for patrons to use here. Some
materials do not circulate and must be veiwed in the center's reading
room. Contact the Archivist
for more information.
A manuscript is a one-of-a-kind unique document with literary or historical
value. Examples would include correspondence between two individuals,
the diary of a farm wife on the plains, the records of a country store,
a ledger from a church, and a membership book from an organization.
The River Falls center houses manuscript collections that document
the history of Northwestern Wisconsin, in particular Burnett, Pierce,
Polk and St. Croix Counties. Each is given an RF Mss (River Falls
Manuscript) or RF SC (River Falls Small Collection) designation as
part of its call number. Manuscripts can be identified on the UW-River
Falls ARC Collections pages or by searching
the UW-River Falls Voyager
library catalog, by title, by donor, and by subject headings. Many
of the manuscript collections are accompanied by finding aids, which
give more detail on each collection. This is particularly useful for
The River Falls center has a wide array of maps documenting the layout
and history of northwestern Wisconsin such as plat maps, Sanborn Maps,
and a host of others including railroad maps, historic location maps,
atlases, geological maps and more. Plat maps record
rural land ownership in townships within a county. In most cases,
individual township plat maps are contained in what is commonly known
as a plat book. Plat books were produced very sporadically until more
modern times, so do not expect to find one for each year. The earliest
plat books for the four-county area (Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St.
Croix) start in the 1870’s. In the front of modern plat books
and those from the 19th century is an explanation of how to determine
land description (NE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 10, Township 24 North,
Range 19 West). Townships are composed of 36 sections; each section
contains 640 acres. Township and range numbers stem from when the
state was originally surveyed in the 1830’s. Sanborn
maps are fire insurance maps and serve as a wonderful resource
to trace the growth of cities and to track where businesses were located.
The Sanborn Co. was founded in 1867 by D.A. Sanborn for the purpose
of drawing maps of the downtown districts of cities across the U.S.
If a building burned down, these maps would be consulted by insurance
companies to research its physical structure. The maps were not issued
on a regular basis and the company stopped making the fire insurance
maps in 1961. The River Falls center has Sanborn Maps on microfilm
for the entire state of Wisconsin, as well as paper copies of the
maps for cities in the four-county area (Burnett, Pierce, Polk and
St. Croix). The dates range from approximately the 1880’s to
the 1920’s. The center also has several University maps and
aerial photographs that show how the campus has grown over the years.
(See Historical File-UWRF Series 43)
Master’s Theses and Papers —
The River Falls center holds master’s theses and papers written
by UW-River Falls master’s degree students from the mid-1960’s
to present (UWRF Series 80). A
thesis is done under Plan A of the master’s program while a
paper is done under Plan B of the master’s program. Circulating
copies of these items can be found in the main stacks of the Chalmer
Davee Library. Search the online library catalog, Voyager,
to find individual holdings.
Latin for badger, the Meletean is the name of the yearbook
at UW-River Falls. It was published from 1912-1969 and had a short
run in 1991-1992. Two complete sets of the Meletean are available
at the River Falls center (UWRF Series
Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) —
The Minnesota Historical Society,
located in St. Paul, was established in 1849 (Minnesota became a territory
in 1849 and a state in 1858). The society collects manuscripts and
archival materials that document the history of the state as well
as genealogical materials, books, maps, photographs, and a host of
other materials. Additionally, the society has quite an extensive
collection of railroad records. Various guides have been published
regarding their holdings, of which the River Falls center has several,
including a series of books highlighting many of their collections
entitled Minnesota Historical Society Collections. The MHS website
contains a wealth of valuable information including a video on preservation
and an extensive online index to Minnesota birth and death records.
National Archives —
The National Archives was founded in 1934 and is located in Washington,
D.C. In 1985, the official title became the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to reflect the growing
importance of records management. NARA seeks to collect materials
that document U.S. history. Before its official founding, most of
the records were stored in the many federal office buildings in Washington,
D.C., making both research and conservation difficult. The National
Archives has 11 branches in the form of Regional Federal Archives
and Records Centers across the U.S. The National Archives also administers
the Presidential Libraries. The River Falls center has a guide to
the holdings in some of these libraries, entitled, A Guide to
Manuscripts in the Presidential Libraries.
National Archives Canada —
The Library and Archives
Canada (LAC), previously known as the Public Archives of Canada
and the National Archives of Canada, collects and documents materials
pertinent to the history of Canada. The LAC mission statement emphasizes
collecting and caring for materials of national importance; assisting
federal and ministerial governments in records management; and making
the records available to interested persons. Census microfilms can
be ordered from LAC through interlibrary loan for patrons to use at
the River Falls center.
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) —
Early legislation in 1906, 1916, and 1935 established policies for
identifying and preserving historic properties in the U.S. but the
passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 set forth
the policies that guide the field of historic preservation today.
The NRHP recognizes thousands of significant sites and buildings.
The criteria for inclusion of a site/building in the National Register
include pre-history significance, historic person significance, historic
architectural style, or importance of the site/building to the history
of the community. For more information, people should consult the
website of the National Register
of Historic Places, the website of the Wisconsin
Historic Preservation Office, or request the “State Historical
Society of Wisconsin #5” folder from the vertical file while
at the River Falls center, which includes a listing of preserved properties
in Wisconsin, more detailed information on the program, and contacts.
In addition, the center has two volumes listing National Register
properties in the U.S.
Native Americans —
When doing research on Native Americans, it is important to keep in
mind that the culture was based on oral tradition as opposed to written
records. Therefore many of the primary sources that deal with Native
Americans originate with those who worked with them, not from the
Native Americans themselves.
A few places to look for materials at the River Falls center are
the manuscript collection which includes the American Indian Reference
Collection (River Falls Mss BL); books on the reading room shelves
including How to Research American Indian Blood Lines as
well as The Source which contains some great information
on researching Native Americans and their genealogy; and the center's
vertical file which contains materials about treaties and treaty disputes
in the region, particularly regarding the Chippewa and Souix which
were once the main tribes in Northwestern Wisconsin. Census records
can also be a source of information as they often had a separate enumeration
for Native Americans.
Be sure to check under a variety of subject headings when doing research
including both “Native Americans” and “Indians”
as well as “Archeology.” Many tribal burial mound areas
are now being preserved under the law. The Mero Mounds in the Diamond
Bluff area of southern Pierce County are such a site.
- The Wisconsin
Historical Society has a wealth of online information
on Native American History in Wisconsin including photographs,
historical newspaper articles, treaty and effigy mound information,
genealogy, lesson plans, and much more.
When people first came to the United States they had to go through
a formal process to become a citizen. This was known as the naturalization
process. Local, state, and federal courts were authorized to administer
the process. Essentially there were three steps. The first step was
to file a declaration of intention (first papers) to become a citizen
(view samples below). Then there would be a waiting
(residency) period, ranging usually from two to seven years. Third,
the person would petition the court for citizenship (second papers).
If the petition was accepted, then the person was admitted as a citizen.
In most cases the River Falls center has the paperwork documenting
only the declaration and petition phases, though there are sometimes
naturalization certificates and ancillary documents. The records are
arranged by county, each of which is accompanied by an index. These
indexes usually point to the petitions (second papers). Working backward
is the most efficient method because if an individual is found in
the index, their petition should indicate where and when they filed
for declaration (first papers). Sometimes the declaration is even
attached to their petition. If the individual is not listed in an
index, then consult an index to the declarations or the individual
declaration books themselves. This is an important step because people
would often file the first papers then not complete the process (the
declaration was all that was required to be a voting citizen in Wisconsin
A pivotal year to the naturalization process was in 1906 when the
Basic Naturalization Act was passed. This provided for federal supervision
of the naturalization process through the Immigration and Naturalization
Services (INS). Forms became much more detailed and standardized.
Until then each county did things a little differently.
Note: As a general rule, women
and children were considered the property of the man that they came
to the country with and did not file papers on their own until the
1920’s. They were automatically naturalized with the men.
Sometimes young males would file their own papers when they reached
- Tips: If the naturalization date is unknown,
consult the 1900, 1910, and 1920 census records. There are categories
on these censuses regarding year of immigration to the U.S. and status
of naturalization process (the abbreviation “Al” stood
for alien, meaning no papers had been filed yet; the abbreviation
“Pa” stood for papers, meaning a declaration of intention
had been filed; and the abbreviation “Na” stood for naturalization,
meaning the person had supposedly finished the process). Remember,
the data from the censuses may not be always totally accurate, but
it may provide some good clues. Another point to remember is that
an individual may have filed his naturalization with a federal district
court. If this is the case for someone from this area, then the person
would have to contact the National
Archives Great Lakes Region office in Chicago. The great majority
of people who lived in this part of the state filed their naturalization
papers through a county court, which means the River Falls center
would have the records.
- Visit the Collection pages to view
naturalization holdings at the River Falls ARC.
Robert Baird, Scottish Immigrant
Chris Jensen, Danish Immigrant
Local newspapers can be wonderful resources for biographical information,
tracing local businesses, reading about historical events, and much
more. The River Falls Area Research Center (ARC) has newspapers covering
the four-county area (Burnett, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix) from the
mid-1800’s up to the present, as well as newspapers from Washburn
County (until the late 1990’s the River Falls ARC also covered
Washburn County). The center has some scattered newspaper runs from
a few different parts of the state and from different U.S. cities,
as well as the Student Voice and other University publications. Most
of the newspapers are on microfilm. Visit the Collections
pages to view the newspaper holdings at the River Falls ARC. Newspaper
holdings are also listed in the UW-River Falls Voyager
library catalog. The River Falls center has a biographical index which
contains births, deaths, marriages, graduations, and other important
life events found primarily in newspapers but other sources as well.
This index covers roughly 1853-1910, depending on the source. (See
Biographical Index for more details or click here
to see a list of items and dates of coverage included in the biographical
December and January
issues often include summaries of the major news and events of the
past year. Anniversary or centennial issues provide detailed histories
of local businesses, organizations, and people. The editorials and
feature columns in newspapers are an excellent source for determining
the prevailing attitudes in a city at a particular time. A very
helpful source that is available in the archives reading room at
the River Falls center is Newspapers in the State Historical
Society of Wisconsin: A Bibliography with Holdings
, which lists
all of the newspapers held by the Wisconsin
Historical Society (WHS
) at Madison.
- The WHS has complied thousands of newspaper articles about citizens
and communities from across the state and made them available in a
searchable database at WI
Local History and Biography Articles.
Normal School —
This term was applied to a school that was a teacher training institution.
It was a term used across the nation in the 1800’s to early
1900’s. UW-River Falls was known as the River Falls Normal School
Online Records —
While numerous digitization projects are currently in progress at
the UW-River Falls Area Research Center (ARC) as well as the entire
Network, the composition and arrangement of archival records make
automation a slow and sometimes impossible process. The Wisconsin
Historical Society already has a number of searchable databases
and digitized collections such as the Roster
of WI Volunteers-War of the Rebellion, 1861-65. Through volunteers
at the US GenWeb Project, many historical and genealogical records
for Wisconsin and other states can be found online at sites such as
USGenWeb. As River Falls ARC
and University Archives materials are converted into digital format
they will be made available to our patrons online. In the absence
of online records, collection finding aids are a valuable resource
to identify archival materials.
Oral Histories —
Oral history came into being after World War II when the advent of
tape recording technology merged with an increase of interest in social
history (the history of the common person). Most oral histories fall
into three categories: autobiographical, biographical, or topical.
The finished product will often include not only the audio recording
itself, but also a transcription which provides greater access and
ensures the preservation of the interview. The Oral
History Association, a national organization, was established
in 1967 to provide for the exchange of ideas and information for those
in the field. Oral history interviews of local citizens can be an
excellent source of data for students, scholars, local historians,
The River Falls Area Research Center (ARC) began a large oral history
project in 1967 (River Falls Oral History Project: Interviews, RF
Mss AW). A number of people in the St. Croix Valley area were interviewed
on what they remember about their communities, their lives, their
involvement in major world events such as World War II and the Great
Depression, their reminiscences about attending school at River Falls,
and a host of other topics. A guide, Voices from the St. Croix
Valley, was published to the oral history collection in 1972
and updated in 1978. The River Falls ARC has another collection known
as the Krueger Tape Library which contains interviews with local citizens
in the 1960’s-1970’s, covering topics such as prohibition
and logging. Oral/video histories of university personnel can be found
in UWRF Series 169.
Passenger Lists —
Passenger lists record names of those arriving on ships to America.
The River Falls center has a set of books called Passenger and
Immigration Lists Index, which list names and where to obtain
further information, as well as some books listing passengers of certain
ethnic backgrounds, such as Danish and Irish. However, these books
represent only a small portion of the immigrant record. Patrons may
want to consult larger archival/genealogical repositories such as
the Immigration History Research
Center at the University of Minnesota, and repositories focusing
on specific ethnic groups to have a better chance of finding their
relatives. Online, the Ellis
Island website has a searchable database of passenger arrival
lists and ship manifests (free registration required). Also, consulting
the National Archives can be
helpful if the ship name and time period of immigration are unknown.
The River Falls center has a large collection of photographs that
document the history of Northwestern Wisconsin, including the University
of Wisconsin-River Falls. Photographs are arranged by subject and
include portraits, aerials, tintypes, daguerreotypes, and slides.
Until 1993, the Pierce
County Historical Association (PCHA) housed their photographs
at the River Falls center; these photos are now at the PCHA office
View a sampling of photographs housed at the River Falls Area Research
Center and University Archives:
Place Names —
Plat maps, railroad maps and local history books, such as A Most
Beautiful and Handy Name: Wisconsin Place Names in the St. Croix Valley,
are excellent sources for tracking township, village and city names.
Another good source is in the River Falls center’s vertical
file. The “Post Offices-Wisconsin” folder contains booklets
listing name changes at post offices throughout the state; the “Place
Names,” and “County Name-Place Names,” folders may
also be helpful. An additional source is the Earl Chapin collection
(RF Mss AU). Chapin was a feature writer for the St. Paul Pioneer
Press in the 1950’s-70’s, often writing stories on
local communities in Northwestern Wisconsin.
The Prologue began in 1956 and is the student literary magazine
at UW-River Falls. UWRF Series 95
contains a run of the publication.
See Finding Aid.
Research requests —
The River Falls Area Research Center (ARC) and University Archives
will do limited research for patrons who are unable to visit the center.
Keep in mind that if the request is too broad we may suggest that
you visit the center to view the records yourself. Please visit the
UW-River Falls ARC and University Archives Collections
pages before completing a request to determine
if we hold sources that correspond to your request. Be very
specific with the information you provide on the form for
better and faster results.
Restricted Records —
Some records are restricted as a matter of state statute or at the
request of the donor and cannot be viewed by the public. Such records
will contain a restricted usage note in the online record or on the
item itself. The vast majority of collections are not restricted.
Saint Croix Valley Genealogical Society (SCVGS) —
The SCVGS is a local
interest group for genealogists, formed in 1979. They focus on genealogy
in the counties of Pierce and St. Croix and publish a newsletter called
The Pipost (which stands for the three counties they originally
covered – Pierce, Polk, and
St. Croix) that is available at the River Falls center.
The SCVGS has done several service projects for the River Falls center
over the years, including helping to compile entries for the biographical
index; inventorying the cemeteries in the counties of Pierce, Polk,
and St. Croix; compiling an index to the History of the St. Croix
Valley; and indexing the 1876 St. Croix County plat book.
School Records —
The River Falls center houses records for several schools in the four-county
area (Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix) but the majority of the
records are from Pierce County and St. Croix County. Most fall into
two broad categories. The first category is student information: names,
grades, attendance records, and daily program of study. The other
category is administrative: minutes of school board meetings, budgets,
and teacher contracts. Many counties also published annual school
directories listing teachers and major school district officials.
For Pierce County, the River Falls center has what are known as School
Census Records for the years 1918-1957 (Pierce Series 129), listing
the names of pupils between the ages of 4 and 20 in each school district
and whether or not they attended school. Since the records also give
the birth date of each pupil and the name of a parent/guardian, they
can be used by people as one form of proof for filing a delayed birth
registration. For other counties, school census records are usually
kept by the Register of Deeds Office at the county courthouse (visit
the UWRF ARC’s Regional Contacts
page for local courthouse contact information). Enrollment information
can also be found in local newspapers, which will usually publish
enrollment data in a September issue after the district figures have
been tabulated. The River Falls center’s vertical file also
holds some compiled enrollment data for community schools. For a school
history, consult the center’s manuscript collection, vertical
file, and book collection.
Social Security Death Index (SSDI) —
The Social Security
Death Index lists the names of deceased individuals with Social
Security numbers. The SSDI generally contains names of those who died
after 1962. Prior to 1962, the reporting of deaths to the Social Security
Administration was not an automated process. The SSDI was initially
created to provide local governing agencies, banks, insurance companies,
and crediting agencies with information on deceased persons so that
they could make adjustments to their records.
The Soundex is an indexing system used with federal census records.
The Soundex system was originally developed in 1935 by sociologist
Charles Lawrence for use with Social Security matters. The Soundex
system is a coded surname index based upon the way a name sounds,
rather than the way it is spelled, enhancing the likelihood of successfully
finding a surname that may have been recorded under different spellings.
Soundexes exist for the 1880, 1900, and 1920 census records. For 1910,
either a Soundex or a Miracode exists for some states but not all.
A 1930 Soundex exists but only for 12 southern U.S. states. The River
Falls center has the Soundex for the 1880 and 1900 federal census
Source, The —
The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy is often referred
to as the bible of genealogical research. The Source contains
a wealth of genealogical information such as how to find and use a
variety of record types, strategies for tracking certain ethnic groups,
learning efficient research technique and much more. The Source
is available in the River Falls ARC reading room and many public libraries.
Student Voice —
The Student Voice
is the name of the student newspaper at UW-River Falls. It began publication
in 1916 and continues today. Copies of the publication are contained
in UWRF Series 100. Also, some
supplemental issues are kept in UWRF
- See current and archived issues of the Student Voice online.
Tax & Assessment Rolls —
Tax rolls, much like assessment rolls, record parcels of property,
who owns them, the assessed tax on the property, and who paid the
tax. Each governmental unit within a county (township, city and village)
produces a tax roll for each year. Tax rolls can be helpful in tracking
who owned land during particular time periods. Tax rolls from the
20th century include a category called “improvements”
which can be helpful in determining when a house, shed, or other structure
was built on a piece of property. Some tax rolls have a section for
personal property, which lists the value of the property owner’s
personal belongings. When using tax rolls, it is necessary to know
the property’s legal land description (eg: NE1/4 of the NE1/4
of Section 10, Township 24 North, Range 19 West). This information
can be found on a tax statement or abstract of title. Sometimes old
plat books contain maps of the cities within the county, providing
some clues as to a legal description.
The River Falls center houses tax rolls for cities
and townships within the four-county region (Burnett, Pierce, Polk
and St. Croix). Holdings vary greatly from location to location
because not every year has been saved.
University History —
As the official repository for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls,
the River Falls center holds hundreds of university records, each
identified with a “UWRF Series” number. Some series of note include the University Historical File
(UWRF Series 43); the Office of
Institutional Research (UWRF Series
32); University Catalogs (UWRF
Series 39); and University Photographs (UWRF
Series 26). Enrollment data can be found in the Registrar's Subject
Files (UWRF Series 38), the Opening
Fall Faculty Meeting records (UWRF
Series 12), and September issues of the Student
Voice or the River Falls Journal. Two excellent
sources for university information are Centennial History,
written by Walker Wyman and James King, and the River Falls State
Teachers College, 1874-1932, both available in the UW-River Falls
ARC and University Archives reading room as well as the main stacks
of the Chalmer Davee Library. Additional sources of information include
university publications such as the Student
Voice and the UWRF yearbook, the Meletean (UWRF
Series 93). The centennial editions (1974-75) of the Student
Voice contain a number of feature articles on the history of
many different programs and people.
University of Wisconsin System —
The UW System came into being in October of 1971 and includes the
doctoral granting campuses of Madison and Milwaukee; the eleven campuses
(including River Falls) that grant baccalaureate and master’s
degrees; the University of Wisconsin Centers (UWC), which consist
of thirteen two-year centers that offer associate degree level programs
and liberal arts transfer programs; and the University of Wisconsin-Extension,
which provides outreach education to people in Wisconsin’s 72
counties. Information on the UW System can be found in the Board of
Regents: WSU System Files (UWRF Series
121) and the Board of Regents: Minutes and Proceedings (UWRF
Series 117). The Registrar’s Subject Files (UWRF
Series 38) contains some good general information in the form
of promotional brochures for the UW System. Additionally, the “University
of Wisconsin System” folder in the River Falls center’s
vertical file contains some articles about the UW System.
UWRF, Athletics —
The River Falls center has several sources dealing with campus athletics.
A major source is the Sports Information Office (UWRF
Series 140) which contains guides and programs for the major
sports on campus, often providing the history of a particular sport
or information such as an historical list of coaches, season records,
etc. Some University Archives series deal with specific sports, such
as Swimming (UWRF Series 159),
basketball and baseball (UWRF Series
77), or women's soccer (UWRF
Small Series 62). Listings of letter winners can be found in UWRF
Small Series 66. Information on women's athletics can be found
in UWRF Small Series 49. A few
of the sports have compiled season results, which are filed in the
archives reading room. For historical materials on campus athletics
consult the Centennial History and Student Research Papers
396, 469, and 522. Other sources include the Student
Voice, the Meletean yearbooks (UWRF
Series 93) and a large photograph collection dedicated to campus
athletics (UWRF Series 26). For
researching athletics in area high schools consult the River Falls
center’s vertical file and community newspapers.
UWRF, Building Histories —
Printed histories of the university and building dedication programs
for many structures on campus can be found in the Historical File
(UWRF Series 43) and in the archives
reading room. A publication entitled What’s In a Name
contains histories on all of the named buildings and structures on
campus and can be found at the River Falls center or online.
Write-ups on many of the dormitories on campus can be found in the
Residence Halls collection (UWRF Series
161). The Construction and Maintenance File (UWRF
Series 24), campus maps, university photographs (UWRF
Series 26), and series dealing with specific buildings such as
North Hall (UWRF Small Series 67)
can also be useful sources.
- See all building-related
University Archives Collections.
UWRF, People —
Students and Alumni — Alumni directories
(UWRF Series 42); student and faculty
directories (UWRF Series 92); commencement
programs (UWRF Series 27); the Meletean
yearbooks (UWRF Series 93); and the
are excellent sources of information about UWRF students and alumni.
In the early decades of the school some of the students received a certificate,
and not a diploma, upon completion of their studies. These graduates
were listed in the undergraduate course catalogs (UWRF
Series 39), not in the official alumni directories. The UWRF alumni
Features, is another source for information on graduates and
is indexed in the center’s biographical index up to the current
issue. Other series deal with students in the military (UWRF
Series 44), student employment (UWRF
Small Series 98), and campus activities for students such as University
Theater (UWRF Series 59).
Faculty and Staff — To
track someone who has taught at UW-River Falls first check the biographical
index located in the archives reading room to look for citations to
area newspapers or alumni publications, such as the Falcon Features.
Additional resources include Student and Faculty Directories (UWRF
Series 92); school catalogs (UWRF
Series 39); the Meletean (UWRF
Series 93 ); and Oral/Video Histories conducted with UWRF faculty
(UWRF Series 169). For a faculty
roster from the early years of the university, consult the 1932 publication
entitled The River Falls State Teachers College, 1874-1932,
also located in the archives reading room. The center has a very small
amount of personnel files covering the 1920’s-1930’s in
UWRF Series 13. The Chancellor’s
office on campus maintains most past and present personnel files on
the faculty. These files are confidential and patrons should consult
with that office for more details on an individual.
Vertical File —
Also known as a pamphlet file or ephemera file, the River Falls Area
Research Center's vertical file contains miscellaneous materials dealing
with the history of Northwestern Wisconsin. The folders in the file
are arranged alphabetically by subject heading or place name-subject
heading. It is a good starting point to obtain quick answers to inquiries
for general histories of cities and towns, promotional (Chamber of
Commerce) materials for cities or waterways in the area, local legends,
and a host of other topics. An index to the vertical file is available
in the archives reading room.
Vital Records —
The term “vital records” refers to birth, death, marriage,
and divorce records (registrations). Finding registrations prior to
1907 can be hit or miss as it was not a law in Wisconsin until Oct.
1907 that all births, deaths, and marriages be recorded (people still
did not record all events after 1907). The River Falls Area Research
Center (ARC), along with all WI ARC’s, has a pre-1907 (1852-1907)
vital statistics index for the entire state. Each ARC holds the registrations
for their designated geographic region; the River Falls center has
registrations on microfilm for the four-county area of Burnett, Pierce,
Polk, and St. Croix. If searching for vital records after Oct. 1907,
contact either the courthouse in the county in which the event occurred
or the Wisconsin
Vital Records Office in Madison (visit the UWRF
ARC’s Regional Contacts page for local courthouse information).
Volunteers have added most of the pre-1907 vital statistics information,
as well as some post-1907 data, onto USGenWeb.
Minnesota birth and death records can be identified using the Minnesota
History Society website. The WI statewide pre-1907 vital statistics
index is now available online.
- Notes: A “D” or a “DX”
in front of the reel number in the index entry indicates a
delayed birth registration which is contained on separate
reels of microfilm from the regular collection. Several mistakes
were made when the statewide vital statistics index was compiled;
view “problems sheet” before
- Tips: Try a wide variety of spellings
when using the vital statistics index. Women may be filed
under their husband’s name (Mrs. Alfred Dunner) or even
under the M’s for Mrs. With prefix surnames, such as
Van Eck, McKinley, etc., the prefix may or may not be included
in the name. The space between the prefix and the rest of
the surname will result in the name being listed first in
the index (the Van Eck individuals will fall alphabetically
before the VanEck individuals).
Voyager Catalog —
Voyager is the online library
catalog of the Chalmer Davee Library at the University of Wisconsin-River
Falls. The majority of River Falls Area Research Center and University
Archives Collections can be identified using Voyager. For help using
Voyager to search for archival materials, click here.
- See ArCat for related information.
Wisconsin Historical Society —
The Wisconsin Historical
Society (WHS), previously known as the State Historical Society
of Wisconsin, was established in 1846, two years before Wisconsin
became a state. Located in the Wisconsin capital of Madison, the main
goal of the society is to collect materials documenting the history
of the state, including manuscripts; county and municipal materials;
books; periodicals; sound and visual materials; and artifacts. The
society has an extensive collection of genealogical materials, not
only for Wisconsin, but for the entire United States. The society
also has a national collection focus in the fields of mass communication,
labor, and social action. The River Falls Area Research Center (ARC)
is one of thirteen ARC’s affiliated with the WHS in a statewide
network. Each ARC houses collections for a designated region of
the state. Materials housed at ARC's throughout the entire statewide
network including River Falls can be identified using ArCat,
the online catalog of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Through the
ARC network, most materials owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society
or other ARC's can be transferred to and from the River Falls ARC.
Visit the Tools and Information page to read
about programs and services offered by WHS.