Research

A train arriving at Jenkintown station, c. 1910's. The Library holdings contain over thirty thousand titles including books, pamphlets, newspapers and archival materials. When coming to do research, please be familiar with what to expect by reading the Guide to the Library. Admission is charged to use the library and make copies. For more information read over our Library Fees. To submit a research request, please review the posted Guidelines for Research Requests.
Newspapers Family Files
Microfilm copies of the Ambler Gazette, Norristown Register, Norristown Herald and the Norristown Times Heraldare available. Unique holdings of the National Defender, Bauern Freund and the National Anti-Slavery Standard are also part of the collection. Additional local papers are available for research in various date ranges.
 Comprising over 1800 individual names, these papers have been collected over the years by researchers, staff and family members. They supply a wealth of information for any genealogist.
Archival Collections Federal Census
The Society has collected primary resource materials from countless citizens from Montgomery County. Diaries and recollections, correspondence and account books are all items that document the lives of people from this area such as Fornance, Holstein, Matthews and Bean.
 The Society has microfilms of every Montgomery County census available to the public from 1790 to 1930 (except for 1890), with indexes. Additionally, the 1850 US Census for Montgomery County was reprinted in the Historical Society's Bulletin. To find out more, follow this link.
County Records Scrapbooks
The Society houses county records of various types. Deeds (1784 - 1890), births (1893 - 1915), deaths (1893 - 1915), naturalizations (1817 - 1968), marriage licenses (1885 - 1943), taxes by township (1784 - 1935), sheriff dockets, and miscellaneous deed books are several of our more commonly used county resources. Collected from the local newspapers, clippings of a wide diversity from obituaries to important court cases, from family happenings to politics and industry have been preserved. These newspaper scrapbooks have been indexed and are available to researchers.
Photographic Collection Maps, Atlases, and Property Surveys
Local photographs and postcards grouped by collection and topic are available to researchers. Photographs are available for reproduction. Inquiries should be made in person.
 When conducting research, it is helpful to take a look at maps from the time period to better understand your topic. The maps the collection cover many areas of the county. Particularly helpful are the Atlases of Montgomery County from 1871, 1877 and 1893. These are complimented by many railroad atlases.
Borough Directories Church Records
Pre-dating phonebooks, these directories provide information regarding where people lived and information on their occupation. The Directories range in date from 1860-1970. Most cover Norristown and Bridgeport. A few cover Conshohocken and Pottstown. If you are interested in early information on Norristown, click here to view of chapters from the 1860 Borough Directory of Norristown. The Historical Society perserves many records from Montgomery County's church records, from baptisms, to burials. Click here to view the church records we have at the library.