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| FCHS archivist Susan Geiss knows where the good stuff is kept. |
Genealogists, especially, could find endless ways to explore the thousands of documents on hand. Did your grandfather attend a one-room schoolhouse in the 1920s? Would you care to know what grade he received in his third-grade math class? There's a good chance you could find out.
What about old pictures? Sure thing, but be prepared to narrow the scope of your search. With more than 30,000 photos on hand, it could take days (weeks? months?) to stumble over something of personal interest.
Fortunately, help is available. Staff members have access to a searchable database of every item on the shelves, from flood photos to local newspapers, school records to obituaries, cemetery listings to biographical files. To learn more, the Rural History Club recently stopped by the records center.
On a sweltering summer day, FCHS archivist Susan Geiss gave us a guided (and, most importantly, air-conditioned) tour of the facility, which is housed in a former nursing home on West 7th Street Terrace in Ottawa. Susan demonstrated the searchable database and showed us row after row of books, files, and artifacts that comprise the collection. A former social studies teacher with a master's degree in history, Susan has a wealth of knowledge and a contagious curiosity about Franklin County history.
There is so much available that a typewritten list of research materials runs to more than four single-spaced pages. Here's just a small sampling:
- Franklin County landowners, 1920
- Franklin County Genealogical Society newsletters, 1993 onward
- Membership records of the local G.A.R. chapter
- Combined Franklin County census of 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1895, and 1900
- Franklin County marriage records, 1853-1913
- Franklin County divorces, 1858-1917
- Index to county probate records, 1859-1959
- Ottawa city directories, 1873-1999 (some years missing)
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| Franklin County probate records |
Some of the records overlap with the county courthouse and the city library--both of which are excellent genealogical resources as well--but many are unique to the historical society.
The records center also houses quilts, clothing, furniture, and other items that don't have a home in the Old Depot or that have special storage needs. Many are kept in acid-free boxes, away from damaging UV rays. These items come out of storage for special exhibits or rotate out with other pieces at the museum.
The records center is open to the public, and the staff and volunteers are eager to help with research questions. Visitors are welcome Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5 p.m., and are encouraged to call ahead with information about specific areas of interest so the staff can be prepared to help. Not only do the staff have access to all the records stored on site, but the records center has online subscriptions to Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com.
Costs are minimal: admission is free. Nominal fees apply for photocopying and scanning. On-site visits are best, but researchers from far away are welcome to contact the records center for long-distance assistance. For those who can't visit in person, the staff will contribute one hour of research for free; additional research will cost $15 per hour. Contact information and more details are available at the FCHS website: http://www.olddepotmuseum.org/historical-sites/franklin-county-records-research-center/
The Franklin County Rural History Club thanks the historical society and especially Susan Geiss for sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge. We will be back to the records center!
More:
- Ottawa Public Library: http://www.ottawalibrary.org/
- Franklin County website: http://www.franklincoks.org/
- Franklin County Genealogical Society: https://www.franklincoksgensoc.org/
