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City directories

Once you have a location for your ancestors, "City Directories" and state archives can add to your information. Janet used the library catalog and the keywords "city directories dalles" and found titles that included historic property tax values for The Dalles. The library can provide Portland city directories on microfilm going back to 1863 and print copies going back to 1895.

In addition to print and microfilm city directory information, Multnomah County Library has a genealogy collection, which has a section of Oregon genealogy links, including one to the Oregon Historical Records Index. When she searched for Fleck she found that the archives had information about her Great-grandfather's naturalization, his estate, and the guardianship of his youngest son. She learned that she can get a copy of the original documents if she writes or emails the Oregon State Archives in Salem.

The genealogy collection also links to a genealogy website called Cyndi's List, which has a section of Oregon information (over 1500 links). Janet made a mental note to use Cyndi's List when she needed to search for local information in other states.

Related Web sites

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet: http://www.CyndisList.com/

Authored by Cyndi Howells. More than 200,000 links, categorized and cross-referenced in over 150 categories. Includes a section on Oregon information with more than 1500 links.
Oregon Historical Records Index: http://genealogy.state.or.us/start.lasso?location=search

The Oregon State Archives provides this searchable surname index to public records.