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U.S. Local History: A Resource Guide

Resources in Other Formats

Besides books, Library of Congress collections include a variety of other materials related to local history.

Often used in genealogy research, city directories are also great sources for local history as well. The Library of Congress holds thousands of city directories. More than 1,200 cities, towns, and counties are represented; the years of coverage are primarily 1861 through 1960. Some are available in print, such as the one below, others on microfilm or microfiche.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Wichita Eagle. (Wichita, Kan.) June 1, 1889. Chronicling America. Library of Congress Serial & Government Publications Division.

Newspapers are uniquely rich sources for local history. The Library's Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room has thousands more newspaper titles available on microfilm and in bound volumes. (There are more newspapers on the Electronic Resources page [under Digital Collections] and on the External Resources page.)

Captain Philip Pittman, contributor. Plan of New Orleans. 1770. Louisiana: European Explorations and the Louisiana Purchase. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

The Library of Congress Geography and Map Reading Room holds a wide range of maps to illuminate local history. Among others, these include a 1770 map of New Orleans (below); Sanborn fire insurance maps which detail properties down to the block level; Civil War maps, and more. (There are more maps on the Electronic Resources page [under Digital Collections].)

Historic American Buildings Survey, creator. Warren Seagraves residence. Documentation compiled after 1933. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Reading Room contains thousands of images of cities, towns, and villages, as well as individual properties. In addition, the Historical American Buildings Survey collection contains photographs and drawings of particular buildings, such as the Warren Seagraves residence in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the 1904-1906 Dayton Ohio home of poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. (There are more images on the Electronic Resources page [under Digital Collections] and on the External Resources page.)

Collections of personal and organizational papers in the Library of Congress Manuscript Reading Room also hold a trove of local history information. (There is more on the Electronic Resources page [under Digital Collections] and on the External Resources page.)

The following collection titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content, including finding aids for the collections, are included when available.

The American Folklife Center has extensive materials about local ethnic and folk cultures all across the United States.

The following collection titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content, including finding aids for the collections, are included when available.