Browse or search the collection to discover all kinds of interesting facts about historic Oshkosh as well as sketches of prominent people, local businesses and their advertisements, and views of Oshkosh. Each directory has been divided into sections: surnames, businesses, street directories, and more. Some directories include Menasha, Neenah, Omro, and Winneconne. Funding for the project was obtained from a grant from the Alberta Kimball Foundation.
State and Local History
Oshkosh Local History Books
Books documenting the history of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, published between 1887 and 1919.
Oshkosh, Omro, and Winnebago County, Wisconsin – Atlases and Histories
Resources concerning Winnebago County, Wisconsin and the communities of Oshkosh and Omro in the 19th century, including county histories, local histories, atlases, maps and photographs.
Ozaukee County Local History Collection
Personal reminiscences of growing up in Ozaukee County, reflections of local residents who served during wartime, histories of various local communities, and histories of public services and groups in those communities, including fire departments and women’s clubs.
Pauline Haass Public Library Historic Digital Collection
This collection includes memorabilia from Sussex, Wisconsin’s schools, highlighting the everyday lives and special moments of students in Sussex from the beginning of the 20th century to the 21st century. Included are yearbooks from Hamilton High School spanning 1964-2010s, newsletters published by students of the Sussex School from 1920s to the 1940s, and photos of local students and teachers from the 1890s through the 1950s. Through these materials, we are able to catch a glimpse of what life was like for children growing up in the Sussex area.
Phyllis Miller Collection
This collection of postcards and other ephermal material is part of the Phyllis Miller Collection. Phyllis Miller (1941-2024) was an avid local historian and collector. In 2003, she published the book “Reedsburg in Vintage Postcards.” Her children donated her local history collections to the Reedsburg Public Library and the Reedsburg Historic Preservation Commission.
Plat Maps of Racine and Kenosha Counties
The State of Wisconsin was surveyed by the federal government between 1833 and 1866 in order to divide the vast public domain into properly-sized lots that could be sold or otherwise divested to raise funds for the federal government and to encourage settlement. The work was done using the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), which divides land into six-mile square townships and one-mile square sections. Plat books and maps make use of the Public Land Survey System to represent land ownership patterns on a county-by-county basis. They are a great resource for tracing property owners and borders. The plat map for each year depicts the most updated information for the property at the time the County Register of Deeds’ records were consulted. Such information includes the land owner, number of acres, placement of a house and sometimes other features.
Plymouth Public Library
The Plymouth Public Library’s digitization project is a growing selection of materials collected since the library was founded in 1871. Initially, this digital collection will include access to photographs and letters sent or received from the library. Check back with us periodically, as we will continue to add materials.
Portage Historic Homes
Turn-of-the-century photographs of historic Portage residences from the collection of the Portage Public Library.
Postcards of Oshkosh
Postcard views of businesses, churches, parks, city streets, country roads and other structures throughout the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
