Genealogy
Reference assistance is available to people researching family history.
The adult section of the library holds a variety of genealogy resources. Major
Indexes available for use include:
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Index to Church records covering 1799-1860
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Index to marriage records 1799-1860
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Index to wills 1776-1862
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Distribution of estates 1778-1835
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City directories back to 1893
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Newspaper index 1790-1862
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Obituary Locator index to local newspapers 1790 to present
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Census index for Maryland and surrounding states 1790-1870
Other records include:
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Microfilm of Washington County newspapers 1790 to present
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Microfilm of the federal census 1790 to 1930
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Washington County and Western Maryland histories
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Washington County cemetery records late 1700s to present
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Heritage Quest database
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Sanborn Maps for MD, PA and WV
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WHILBR
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Ancestry.com (within library only)
The Western Maryland Room at the library houses the main collection of
family history materials. These can be assessed through the library’s catalog.
Obituary Locator
A search for obituaries will be done for patrons who can provide an exact date
of death, or if unknown, the name can be found in the Washington County
Obituary Locator, an index of obituaries printed in the local newspapers from
1790 to present.
This research is done at no charge to the patrons but donations are accepted to
cover the cost of photocopies and postage.
Please limit your requests to no more than five (5) per month.
Research Requests
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