SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
The Huron County Library’s Special Collections are available to the public to assist with local history and genealogical research. Learn more about these collections and research services below. Collections are available online or in person, with many materials held at branches located in Clinton, Exeter, Goderich, Seaforth and Wingham. If you are unable to visit the library in person, fill out the Request for Research Form and staff will respond to your inquiry as time and resources permit.
Huron Historic Newspapers
The digitization of historical Huron County newspapers from microfilm and hard copy holdings is an on-going, long-term project undertaken by the Huron County Library and the Huron County Museum. Currently more than 700,000 newspaper pages are available spanning from 1846 to 2019 with more being added all the time!
Newspapers on microfilm are still available at Huron County Library branches, including more recent issues of local weeklies. Note: Missing issues reflect gaps in the original microfilm or newsprint collections scanned.
For quick tips and search suggestions, visit the Huron County Museum’s Digitized Newspapers page for more information.
** Please be advised that the online collection is currently undergoing maintenance and may not look and behave like it used to. We are working quickly as we can to roll out improvements to the search and browse features, and we appreciate your patience with the temporary site.
1842 Huron District Assessment Roll
This transcribed and alphabetized version of the 1842 Huron District Assessment Rolls provides an electronic access to the earliest official population and land assessment record for this area. It has been designed to make finding information about Huron County’s rich history and past citizens easy and convenient for students, genealogists, and local history enthusiasts.
Ancestry Library Edition
Ancestry provides access to collections that include census information, immigration, travel records, birth, marriage and death certificates, and historical newspaper articles, all relating to your ancestry. Accessible only from any branch during regular hours of operation.
Local History, Records and Indexes
The Huron County Library holds an extensive collection of local history books from Huron’s municipalities and local families. Visit our online catalogue to explore the collection, or visit your local branch for more details about available resources.
Local Interest
The Huron County Library is pleased and proud to offer an extensive selection of books by Huron County authors and of Huron County interest. Visit our online catalogue to explore the full collection.
Local Resources
The Huron County Archives & Reading Room: Located at the Huron County Museum, in-person or virtual services can be accessed by the public by appointment only for research purposes.
Huron County Branch – Ontario Ancestors: Access this local chapter of Ontario Ancestors, formerly the Ontario Genealogical Society. Visit their site to learn more about upcoming events.
Genealogy Links - Archives
Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid: This searchable database contains the surnames, cemetery name and locations of over 2 million interments from approximately 2000 distinct cemeteries, cairns, memorials and cenotaphs throughout Ontario. Links to other Canadian Genealogical sites including the British Columbia Cemetery Finding Aid are included.
Huron County Cemetery Transcriptions
Huron County Cemeteries: Find the locations of Huron County Cemeteries.
Google Map of Huron County Cemeteries
Wingham Cemetery Index: A searchable database of grave sites plus history of the cemetery of Wingham, ON.
Genealogy Links - General Sites
Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet: One of the richest online resources for genealogy studies, this collection of more than 282,000 links is organized and cross-referenced in over 180 categories.
Family Search Internet Genealogy Service: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ (aka Mormon or LDS) genealogical site has a search engine that looks through records of over 957 million names in its Ancestral File, International Genealogical Index (Britain, North America & Finland), and Family History Library Catalogue. The available SourceGuide leads to all the information you will ever need to conduct genealogical searches. The 1881 Canadian Census can be searched online from this source.
GENUKI: The UK and Ireland Genealogical Information Service: This “virtual reference library” of genealogical related information relevant to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man includes instructions for researching UK and Irish genealogy from abroad. The world genealogy section also contains a vast number of pointers to information about genealogy, listings of newsgroups and bulletin boards, plus other genealogical services available globally.
Genealogy Links - Provincial Resources
Ontario Ancestors (Ontario Genealogical Society): Contains general information about the organization, its branches and publications; an events calendar; and links to an extensive listing of genealogical societies and resources for Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland, plus Europe and Australia. Includes an online guide, How to Start Your Family History.
Genealogy Links - Specific Interest
Virtual Reference Library Genealogy: Provides detailed access to Canadian genealogical information on the World Wide Web. Maintained by the Toronto Reference Library.
Index to the 1871 Census of Ontario: Provides access to an index of 770,000 names of the heads of households in the Province of Ontario, as they were recorded in April 1871, in the official enumeration of the population of Canada.