Friday, January 04, 2008

Williams County Public Library

When doing genealogical research in Williams Co., OH the place to start is at the main library in Bryan, OH. They have a fantastic collection of information on genealogy and tracing your ancestors in Williams Co.

The library includes a vast collection of histories and genealogies related to the county. Family and county histories are a important starting point when researching your ancestors. Remember to not only look for the surname in the index, but check the section about the town or township that the person lived. Local histories often are overlooked and provide valuable clues to origins of our ancestors.

The collection also includes microfilm of the local newspapers that include Bryan, Edgerton, Edon and Montpelier. A obituary index is in the collection for Bryan and other parts of the county. As I have mentioned in the past on obits they are often short, but should always be consulted for clues.

Maps and historical atlases will offer clues to the location of where our ancestors lived in the county. The collection has a extensive collection.

Also in the collection are cemetery records, census records and family history files. The family history files are over 1000 Williams county families.

As I have mentioned numerous times before document, document, document. A genealogy without proof is just fiction.

The Williams County library is located at

107 East High St.
Bryan, OH 43506

The local history room is open during normal library hours. Be sure to check out this valuable resource when you have Williams Co. ancestors.

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