Wisconsin Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if…

• You're getting started tracing your ancestors in Wisconsin
• You want new ideas and resources to get past a Wisconsin brick wall
• Your genealogy search is focused mainly on Wisconsin

Trace your Wisconsin ancestors with the advice and resources in our State Research Guide! This four-page download includes:

• a how-to article detailing Wisconsin’s history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for Wisconsin research, handpicked by our editors and experts
• listings of key libraries, archives and organizations that hold the records you need
• timeline of key events in the state's history

Here's a sampling of the helpful tips you'll get in the Wisconsin guide:

• Wisconsin was once administered as part of the vast Northwest Territory. It became a territory in 1836, and initially encompassed Iowa, Minnesota and parts of the Dakotas.
• Wisconsin's population exploded in the 1830s and 1840s, bolstered by immigration from Germany, Scandinavia and Ireland. According to the 1850 census, one-third of the state's population was foreign-born.
• Counties were first required to keep vital records in 1852, but the law was not enforced until about 1880. The state itself didn't begin registration until 1907.

Plus, each guide contains active web links for one-click access to every recommended online resource. You can view this PDF on your computer and print pages for reference.