GENEALOGY

The North Manchester Public Library offers limited research assistance for local history and genealogy requests. There is a 30 minute search limit for staff members assisting with genealogical research. Requests are researched on a first-come, first-served basis and are completed as staff time permits.

Due to the uncertain nature of available records, the outcome of any research project cannot be guaranteed. Patrons are also welcome to visit the library to conduct research in these materials independently during normal library hours.

Submit a search request for the following types of records:

• Obituary, marriage, and birth announcements
• North Manchester News Journal articles (collection dates back to 1872)
• Limited North Manchester High School yearbook records

Guidelines :

• It is preferable to have exact dates for requests for obituary, marriage, or birth announcements, however, month and year are acceptable.
• News Journal article requests must include the exact month and year.
• Yearbook requests must include the exact year.

Use this form to make a genealogy request. Please include as much information as possible including full names, dates, and locations.  

THE INDIANA ROOM

The library provides materials within the library for researchers of genealogy or local history. We have a new and easy-to-use Microfilm machine, available for all patrons to access. Inside our Indiana Room, NMPL has over 2,000 items on genealogy, local history, and Indiana history. These materials include:

• Cemetery record books for Wabash County
• Family genealogies
• Local area census records on microfilm
• Local newspapers on microfilm
• Bound North Manchester News-Journal - 1882 to current
• Manchester Monitor, 2001- 2007
• Obituary indexes for Wabash County
• Vertical files
• Yearbooks for local schools, including Manchester College
• Microfilm reader/printers allow viewing of microfilm copies of newspapers and census records.
• Books by Indiana Authors
• Indiana Culture and History
• Indiana Environment
• Indiana Health
• Manchester University
• Native American History in Indiana
• North Manchester History
• Religion in Indiana
• Wabash County History

ANCESTORY

The library provides access to in-house use of Ancestry.com for all library patrons. The Ancestry.com database can be used on the library computers. Patrons can also contact the library for Ancestry.com learning opportunities.  

Ancestry.com is the world’s largest subscription collection of genealogy databases. It encompasses some 31,000 databases with more than 9 billion historical records.
Records include:

• Military records, including databases of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, Civil War and both world wars
• Vital records that cover many US states, Canada and the United Kingdom
• Immigration records that range from passenger lists for most American ports to border-crossing file
• 20,000 digitized family and local history books,
• City directories and yearbooks and scanned and searchable newspapers dating back to the 18th century