Card Catalog Here are materials and resources in our “card catalog”. It is nowhere near exhaustive and represents a very small part of our library resources. If you are looking for something specific you can try searching these indexes first. If you don’t get a result, don’t despair – contact our library staff. We’ll dig deeper. This list will develop over time as we continue to classify our library resources
Research requests can be made online or by mail. Instructions for making research requests are at the bottom of the page. Please be aware that the Society cannot guarantee that the requested information will be found. However, we will make every attempt to locate any and all relevant information for you. Costs Research fees for mail, phone or email requests are: $35.00 – one day’s research on a topic –
The photograph collection is divided into three categories: Individual Photographs, Boxed Collections and Photograph Albums. The collection represents all formats of photographic processes including tin types, ambrotypes, carte de visites, cabinet cards, glass plate negatives, and cyanotypes. The majority of the photographs are arranged by subject or surname; stereo views and postcards are filed separately. We have a large number of photographs representing early views of the city of Pontiac,
We have a large collection of early newspapers, primarily up through 1900. Some are on microfilm, which can be printed, and others are contained in the original, hardbound volumes, which cannot be photocopied. Our earliest paper is The Oakland Chronicle (1830-1831). We do have some volumes of Pontiac papers post 1900.
We have a large collection of maps and atlases, including: The Douglas Houghton maps of Michigan Copies of the Bela Hubbard maps of Oakland County Hinsdale’s Archeological Atlas of Michigan U.S. Geological Survey Maps Insurance maps Topographical maps Township plat maps and atlases (1857-present).
The manuscript collection contains unique hand- and typewritten letters, diaries, ledgers and account books, records of organizations, and research notes. The collection is arranged in two parts: Boxed Collections are accessed by collection name, while the Small Manuscripts are arranged by subject or surname. Items in the manuscript collection can be identified through the card catalog and several finding aids notebooks.
Some of the periodicals in our library are: Michigan History (1919-present) The Michigan Historical Review (1993-present) The Old House Journal (1973-1994) Family Trails (1967-1982) Miscellaneous issues of various publications such as Harper’s Weekly, Peterson’s Magazine, Ballou’s Magazine, Civil War Times and Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine.
The library collects family histories, township histories, gazetteers and city directories, published marriage and cemetery records, land and tax records, and census records for Oakland County for 1845 and 1860. We have some additional material relating to surrounding counties in southeastern Michigan, and have a large collection of materials on the Civil War. The library also has research method books, books on heraldry and family names, journals of
We have a large collection of sources on the townships and municipalities of Oakland County. These are arranged by township and can include published books, pamphlets and notebooks containing newspaper clippings. We also have materials relating to schools (including a collection of yearbooks), churches, women, medicine, Oakland County government, Native Americans, African Americans, and transportation (including a collection of automotive trade catalogs).
The Research Library: Your source for a relaxing, enjoyable time looking at old stuff. Hopefully it pertains to your area of interest, but the only way to know is to come take a look. We have a very casual reading room: free coffee, tea and water, occasionally cookies. It can be busy, and it’s usually not very quiet. We’re a welcoming bunch, so expect to be greeted as you come