Biography and History includes books and extensive files on many aspects of Waukesha County history. Published histories (most with name indexes): 1880, 1894, 1907, and 1984.
Birth Records include transcripts of births recorded at the Waukesha County Courthouse: 1846-1879. Some copies of courthouse birth records, not complete, 1890’s-1961. Annual Vital Records Books include birth announcements: 1973-present.
Cemetery Records include information from tombstones and cemetery records of known Waukesha County cemeteries: 1840s-present.
Census Records include Territorial censuses (1838, 1840, 1842, 1846), State censuses (1855-1895), and Federal censuses (1850-1870). Waukesha County only. All years may not be available for each township. See Census Materials: Information Sheet for a collection guide.
County Assistance Records include records of the county institutions (County Home and Hospital): 1853-1922, a few later. Not complete. Some restrictions apply.
Court Records include court calendars, civil and criminal and jail docket books, court daybooks, minute books and appearance dockets. Dates between 1847-1912.
Directories include Waukesha City, 1858 and 1890-present. Also some county farm and village directories. Some telephone books for Waukesha County, earliest Waukesha City, 1917.
Land and Agricultural Records include first recorded land ownership records and maps. Some original deeds, abstracts, patents, and mortgages.
Swamp Land Index, Waukesha County: 1855-1857. Policy registers of the Farmers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company of the Town of Waukesha: 1874-1938. Also some registers of two other insurance companies in New Berlin and Vernon.Manuscript Materials include Waukesha County related diaries, land records, letters, personal and family papers, and scrapbooks.
Maps, Historic include first land ownership maps and plat maps (1859-present) and books on Waukesha County. See Geography for Genealogists: Information Sheet for a collection guide.
Marriage Records include Index to Waukesha County, Wisconsin Marriages: 1846-1907; Index to Marriage Records of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Territory: 1836-1849; Index to Waukesha County Marriage Records: 1846-1866; Transcriptions of Marriages published in the Waukesha, Wisconsin newspapers w/index: 1859-1881; Waukesha County Marriage License Applications w/index: 1899-1935; Wedding Announcements of Waukesha County residents published in area newspapers: 1935-1955, 1973-present.
Military Records include historical information on U.S. wars and the county’s participation, especially for Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War. Special rosters, indexes, and files for Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War.
Museum/Archives Resources Collection includes books and periodicals for professional development in many aspects of museum management, curatorship, and archival studies.
Naturalization Records include Waukesha County Declarations of Intention (1847-1954), Petitions (1906-1955), and Certificates of Naturalization (1847-1906). Indexes available.
Obituaries include an extensive collection of Waukesha County related obituaries extracted, clipped, and/or indexed from area newspapers: 1859-present.
Organizational Records include archival records of Waukesha County businesses, municipalities, and other organizations that were created or accumulated in the course of daily events, and saved for continued administration or later research.
School Records include history and information on schools within the county. Some original records and photos. Waukesha County Superintendent of Schools Records: 1849-1965, incomplete. Some area high school and college yearbooks.
Subject Binders include information compiled on various Waukesha County subjects such as Artists, Authors, Businesses, Breweries, Buildings and Homes, Farms, Genealogy, Lunt and Fontanne, Medical History, Military Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Forms, People, Pioneers, Resorts, Hotels and Taverns, Springs, Vital Records.
Tax and Assessment Records include City of Waukesha real estate and personal property assessment rolls: 1896-1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, not all years. County tax sale records: 1846-1929, some later. Waukesha City Assessors files, late 1920’s-1950’s. City of Oconomowoc tax and assessment rolls: 1936-1938.
Vertical File Collection includes newspaper clippings of Waukesha County filed by subject.
Visual Images Collection includes photographs, negatives, slides, and prints of past and present Waukesha County.