Researching a local historic building? Searching for your Grant County ancestors? We may be able to help. Search the physical and digital resources in our collection below. Skilled volunteer local history researchers and library staff members are available if you need further assistance. Contact us at 575-538-3672 or ref@silvercitypubliclibrary.org to get started on more complex research questions.
Library local history research collection
The collection at the Silver City Public Library includes the following:
- Digitized historical newspapers including the Silver City Enterprise, Silver City Independent, and Silver City Daily Press. To see the full list of newspapers, download the newspapers finding aid here: Newspapers Finding Aid (PDF, 745KB)
- Ancestry.com genealogy research databases available on the library’s network (on your own device if you connect to the library’s wireless internet, and on library computers)
- Digital searchable biographical indexes of local citizens (look up a person from Grant County’s past and see where they appeared in newspapers or other materials)
- Historical photographs
- History vertical files (look up a person, place, or topic and explore a file of articles and other materials on the topic). Download the vertical file finding aid here: Vertical File Finding Aid 2024 (PDF, 289KB)
- Oral histories
- Telephone and City Directories. To see the full list, download the finding aid here: Telephone and City Directories Finding Aid (PDF, 556KB)
- Obituary notices 1900-1911, 1986 to the present (database—ask for library staff assistance)
- Death, funeral, and cemetery records
- Student papers written on a variety of topics for history courses at Western New Mexico University (WNMU). Some of these papers were on local or regional history, and a few of them are available in digital format. This finding aid lists all the papers including ones that are not on local or regional history: WNMU Local History Papers Aid (PDF, 967KB)
- U.S. Census, Territorial Census, and other government documents/records on microfilm. To see a full list, download the finding aid here: Local History Materials Finding Aid (PDF, 299KB) NOTE: Much of the library’s microfilm collection has been digitized. Please contact the library about microfilmed resources. We may be able to give you access to a digital file. If the resource has not been digitized, we will need advance notice in order to set up the microfilm reader.
Please be aware that many of the resources are rare or fragile, so researchers will need to need to check in at the library information desk to use the items.
Other local organizations:
- WNMU Miller Library, top floors of the Student Memorial Building at 1000 W. College Avenue, 575-538-6359, millerlibrary.wnmu.edu/historical-resources
- Grant County Clerk’s Office, 1400 Highway 180 East, 575-574-0042
- Family History Center, 3755 North Swan Street, 575-388-1068
- Silver City Museum, 312 W. Broadway, 575-538-5921, info@silvercitymuseum.org
- WNMU Museum, Fleming Hall at 1000 W. College Avenue, 575-538-6386, info@wnmumuseum.org
- Sixth Judicial District Court, Grant County Courthouse, first floor 201 N. Cooper Street, 575-538-3250 Extension 2. Clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Open during the lunch hour.
- Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society, contact information at fortbayard.org/contact
Online resources:
Stories from Our Streets: discoversilvercitystories.org
Histories of Silver City downtown buildings
New Mexico Digital Collections: econtent.unm.edu
View a large selection of digital images including photographs, documents, maps, sound recordings, and more from 18 library and museum collections statewide, including the Silver City Museum (www.silvercitymuseum.org).
New Mexico Archives Online: nmarchives.unm.edu
From their site: “New Mexico Archives Online (NMAO) provides access to finding aids for archival collections from 19 repositories across the state of New Mexico. The finding aids include information on the contents, historical context, creation, and organization of materials in the collections. Use the NMAO site to browse, explore and discover the exceptional collections of primary resources available in the state.” List of participating institutions: https://nmarchives.unm.edu/repositories
FamilySearch: familysearch.org
Free site for searching censuses and other vital records, building family trees, and connecting with other genealogists.
Forebears: forebears.io
This portal includes a directory of genealogy sources and a dictionary of surname meanings, organized geographically.
History Hub: historyhub.history.gov
Create an account to ask questions and contribute answers about how to find historical information. This is a supportive research community for everyone, including genealogists, historians, and citizen archivists.