Genealogy Resources
Genealogy Classes
Learn tips, strategies, and resources for researching family history.
View Genealogy Events & ClassesGenealogy Databases Available at Washington County Library
America's News: Read local, regional, and national news articles from thousands of U.S. newspapers and other resources. Features many Minnesota based newspapers including: Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Rochester Post-Bulletin, and Duluth News Tribune. Learn more: NewsBank Help Video
American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collections: Search thousands of American historical magazines and newspapers published between 1691 and 1876. Topics covered: science, medicine, agriculture, business, literature, women’s fashion, family life, religion, politics, and more. Great for history projects!
Ancestry Library Edition: Research your family history. Includes digitized images of the U.S. Census, passenger and immigration lists, genealogical indexes, and much more. Available only on Library workstations. Learn more: Ancestry Library Edition Research Aids
ArchiveGrid: Search through historical documents, personal papers, and family histories held in archives around the world.
Historical Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1922): Search for articles and digital reproductions of the Minneapolis Tribune from 1867-1922.
Historical New York Times: Search for digital reproductions and articles from the New York Times from 1851-2008. Learn more: Historical New York Times Help Video
Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub: Search Minnesota newspaper articles from the Minnesota Historical Society archives. Find geographically and culturally diverse newspapers published between 1856 and today.
Microfiche Access
We offer access to microfiche and microfilm machines at two locations, R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury and the Law Library at the Washington County Government Center in Stillwater.
Internet Sites
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites: Great general genealogy guide.
Danish Family Search: Danish census and parish records.
Ellis Island: Immigration records from 1892 to 1954 for New York City.
Family Search: Official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Now includes all U.S. censuses!
Find A Grave: Cemetery records entered by the public.
Fold3: Original source documents from various periods of world history, with a main emphasis on military records. Paid service, but it offers a free trial.
Google Translate: Allows you to enter text in one language and get an instant translation into another.
Minnesota People Finder: Includes Death Index, Birth Index, State Census Records and more.
Norwegian Digital Archives: Norwegian census data and parish registers.
U.S. Genweb: Directory of genealogy websites in every county and state of the United States.