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Genealogy at St. Louis County Library

Collections

Scope of History & Genealogy Center Collections

The History & Genealogy Department collection consists of resources that support local history and genealogical research pertaining to St. Louis; Missouri; the colonial United States; US westward migration; and immigration to Missouri. Items selected for the Genealogy Center collection are chosen for their genealogical or historical value and their practical long-term preservation and access.

In order to conduct reasonable-exhaustive research, Genealogists need at their disposal a wide-variety of resource types.  The Emerson Genealogy Center considers for selection resources including, but not limited to the following:
  • Abstracts, Transcripts, and Indexes of Historical Records
  • Business, Community, Industry, Military, Religious, and Transportation Histories
  • Published Diaries, Memoirs, and Letters
  • Plat Maps and Atlases
  • City, County, and Farm Directories and Phone Books
  • Family Histories
  • Yearbooks and School Directories
  • International sources related to Missouri immigration.

The scope of resources is determined based on location-based needs.  Primary selection of resources for the United States emphasizes 32 states including, but not limited to: 

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

International locations are identified based on Missouri immigration needs and selection is limited to resources that are available for purchase.  Current locations of selection consideration include, but are not limited to:

Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, India, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales

United States and International selection is regularly reviewed and revised to ensure locations of collection development meet contemporary needs.

The National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection

 

The National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection (NGS Collection) features more than 27,000 books-- including more than 10,750 published family histories--dedicated to family history research,. Originally housed at NGS headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the 98-year-old collection was relocated to St. Louis County Library in St. Louis, Missouri in 2001. Although access was once limited to NGS membership, the NGS Collection is now accessible to everyone through interlibrary loan services (ILL) or by visiting History & Genealogy at St. Louis County Library. Such access to published family histories is unparalleled in the genealogical community.

Using the collection via interlibrary loan services

Interlibrary loan (ILL) allows one library to borrow items from another. Not every library participates in ILL, so contact your local library to see if the service is available. If it does participate, books in the NGS Collection can be obtained by the following procedure:

  1. View the list of NGS Collection items in the library catalog.
  2. Any item with a call number that does not begin with the letter "R" can be requested through ILL.
  3. A limit of two books at a time per borrower applies.
  4. Submit an ILL request to your local library.
Using the collection via lookup services

The History & Genealogy staff will do lookups in any source its collection, including NGS books. Please review the library's lookup policy. 

Donating books to the NGS Collection

Authors, compilers, and translators wanting to place their genealogical publications in a circulating collection might consider the NGS as a repository for their work. Newly published works donated to the NGS Collection may be considered for review in the National Genealogical Quarterly. Please see "Book and Media Reviews" on the NGS website.

Send donations to:

     NGS Collection
     St. Louis County Library
     1640 South Lindbergh Blvd.
     St. Louis, MO 63131-3598

Please include your address so an acknowledgement can be made.

For more information about the NGS Collection, contact the library at:

History & Genealogy at St. Louis County Library
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
314-994-3300, ext. 2070
genealogy@slcl.org

For more information about the National Genealogical Society, contact:

National Genealogical Society
6400 Arlington Blvd, Suite 810
Falls Church, VA 22042-2318
703-525-0050 or 800-473-0060
ngs@ngsgenealogy.org
www.ngsgenealogy.org

Named Collections

The History & Genealogy Department historically entered into a number of partnerships with genealogical organizations to expand collections. The Department has also worked with a variety of donors and genealogical collectors to expand resources through named collections. Examples of these collections include but are not limited to: 

  • National Genealogical Society Book Loan Collection
  • St. Louis Genealogical Society Collection
  • Julius K. Hunter & Friends African American Research Collection
  • Lewis Bunker Rohrbach Collection
  • Joyce A. Reisinger Collection
  • William C.E. and Bessie Becker Collection
  • Mary Berthold Collection
  • St. Louis Jewish Genealogical Society Collection

CD-ROM publications in the History & Genealogy Department

 

The following CD-ROM publications and other electronic files are located on the CD-ROM computer, a public PC in the History & Genealogy Department. Inquire with a History & Genealogy staff member.

Cape Girardeau County, Mo. Town Plat Maps, 1910

Cemetery Records
    St. Louis Burial Index
    Wesleyan Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.
    Zoar Cemetery, New Hanover, Ill.    

Church Records
    Centenary Methodist Church, St. Louis, Missouri
    Evangelical United Church of Christ, Highland, Illinois Records
    St. Peter’s Evangelical Church, St. Louis, Missouri Records, 1845-1946
    St. Elizabeth Baptism and Marriage Records, Marine, Illinois, 1861-2005
    St. Gertrude Catholic Church Records, Grant Fort, Illinois, 1875-2005
    St. James Catholic Church Records, St. Jacob, Illinois, 1895-2005
    St. Liborius Catholic Church Records, Highland, Illinois, 1856-1940
    St. Paul Catholic Church Records, Highland, Illinois

Civilian Group Burials in National Cemeteries-Headstone Pictures
    Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland
    Beaufort National Cemetery, South Carolina
    Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey

    Camp Butler National Cemetery, Illinois

    Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Texas
    Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Oklahoma
    Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas
    Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado
    Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Nebraska
    Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas
    Fort Scott National Cemetery, Kansas
    Fort Smith National Cemetery, Arkansas
    Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota

    Grafton National Cemetery, West Virginia

    Hampton National Cemetery, Virginia

    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Other
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 57
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 70
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 78
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 79
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 81
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 82
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 84
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 85
    Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri-Section B
    Jefferson City National Cemetery, Missouri-Section 2 Grave 14-15
    
    Keokuk National Cemetery, Iowa
    Knoxville National Cemetery, Tennessee
    
    Little Rock National Cemetery, Arkansas

    Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia
    Memphis National Cemetery, Tennessee (continued)
    Mill Springs National Cemetery, Kentucky
    Mound City National Cemetery, Illinois

    Nashville National Cemetery, Tennessee
    New Albany National Cemetery, Indiana

    Richmond National Cemetery, Virginia
    Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois

    Sante Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico
    Springfield National Cemetery, Missouri

    Winchester National Cemetery, Virginia
    Woodlawn National Cemetery, New York

    Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Kentucky

Colorado Marriages 1858-1939, Index

Compton County Quebec Catholic Church Marriages, 1853-1950

Confederate Hospital Patient Rosters

Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, Band 1-143 

Family Histories
    Ancestry of William John Krause
    Dalton Family of Western N.C.
    Pamunkey Davenport Papers
    Peter Hitt Genealogy
    Stewart Heather Lost
    Wrights of Southern Virginia Part 1

Founding of the Cumberland Settlements 1779-1804

Historical Sketches of Charlestown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Hungarian Village Finder

Jefferson Barracks Hospital, 1862-1865

Missouri State Archives Survey Books
    Volume 1—Ste. Genevieve and New Bourbon Lots, 1862-1863
    Volume 2—St. Charles Surveys, 1857-1862
    Volume 3—St. Louis Locations, 1835-1862
    Volume 4—Carondelet Lands, 1846-1862
    Volume 5-Portage Des Sioux Lands, 1862
    Volume 6—Towns, Villages and School Lands, 1837-1866
    Volume 7—Brown’s Surveys In & Near St. Charles, 1843-1849
    Volume A Index—Index for Volume A, New Madrid Locations, 1817-1862
    Volume A—New Madrid Locations, 1817-1862
    Volume B—Surveys, 1818-1850
    Volume C—Surveys, 1817-1856
    Volume D—Surveys, 1836-1856
    Volume E—Surveys, 1834-1856
    Volume F—Surveys, 1855-1876

Missouri Land Surveys, Township 45, Range 5, Section 24 (St. Louis County)

New Jersey Archives, 1631-1782

Newspapers
    St. Louis Luminary Newspaper
    St. Louis Star Sayings Newspaper

Ohio Records
    Belmont County, Ohio Marriage Records
    Farm Journal Directory of Ashland County, Ohio, 1915
    Monroe County, Ohio Records

Organized Family Historian

Ortsippenbücher and other German sources
    Ahlbach and Niederweyer
    Forchheim R 943.31 H879O
    Gara
    Hemfurth-Edersee (M86)
    Judenmatrikel 1813-1861, MIttelfranken
    Judenmatrikel 1824-1861, Oberfranken
    Lazarfeld im Banat
    Oldenburg OSBs
        Barßel
        Berne
        Blexen
        Brake, Elsfleth, Golzwarden, Hammelwarden
        Großenkneten
        Jade
        Rastede
        Rodenkirchen (Stadland)
        Schortens
        Varel
        Waddens
        Wiefelstede
        Zettel
    Stanischitsch
    Triebswetter (church records)
        

Scottish Memorial Inscriptions and Other Records
    Carmyllie, County of Angus, Scotland Memorial Inscriptions
    Dunbarney, County of Perth, Scotland Memorial Inscriptions
    Kelso Cemetery Publish
    Kelso Poor Law and Ragged School Record
    Maryculter Parish Registers 1696-1855
    Newington Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions 
    Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh

Southside Virginia Genealogies

Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900

St. Louis City and St. Louis County Histories, Maps, and Civil Records
    Pitzman’s Atlas for the City and County of St. Louis, 1878
    Skinker-D’Baliviere Centennial, 1908-2008
    St. Louis County Court Record Book Transcriptions, 1824-1900
    St. Louis County Plat Book 1909
    St. Louis Burials, Vol. 2
    St. Louis Burials, Vol. 3
    St. Louis Burials, Vol. 4
    St. Louis Catholic Burials (St. Louis Burials Vol. 1)
    St. Louis City Ward Maps
    St. Louis Death Registers 1850-1908
    St. Louis Marriages 1766-1880

St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly
    STLGS Quarterly 1968-1987
    STLGS Quarterly 1988-2007

Switzerland Place Name Index

US Census--Social Statistics Schedules for Missouri, 1860 & 1870

US Sub Men Lost During WWII

Vital Records of Early Connecticut (Ricker Compilation) (M60A)
Worden’s Index to NY (M47)

FamilySearch Microfilm

SLCL maintains a collection of Familysearch Microfilm which has not been made available through the FamilySearch website. This PDF provides information related to those films held at SLCL.

City directories are available in print, microfilm, and microfiche formats.

PDFs below index City Directory Holdings of St. Louis County Library