| The Oregon State Archives is a division of the Office of Secretary
of State. It preserves and provides access
to Oregon's permanently valuable documentary heritage.
The Archives was established in 1946 when
David Duniway, the first State Archivist,
was hired. The records held by the Archives
include all levels and periods of Oregon
government. From the provisional and territorial
periods to today's government, the State
Archives holds state, county, and municipal
records. The earliest document, the agreement
establishing the Willamette Cattle Company,
dates from 1837. Holdings now include records
from the Legislative Assembly, the offices
of the Governor and Secretary of State, state
agencies such as the departments of Forestry,
Corrections, Human Resources, Military, and
Water Resources. In addition, the Archives
holds a significant number of historical
county records.
The Archives are open for research Monday
through Friday from 8 am to 12 noon and 1
pm to 5 pm and is closed during state holidays.
It is located at 800 Summer St., NE, Salem, OR 97310. Phone
(503) 373-0701. The Archives maintains a Genealogical Database that can be searched on line. Also of interest
to researchers is the Oregon Historical County Records Guide that is on-line. There is a very overlooked
card catalog in the Western Alcove at the
North end of the research room which contains
a surname index of many early records with
references to locate the original records
if you would like to see them. The archives
has records for all Counties in Oregon.
When going to the Archives to do research,
you will need to stop at the reception desk
and check in, you will be asked for ID or
your Oregon Researcher ID card which they
issue on request. You will be given a key
for a locker to store materials and coats
etc. Any copies will cost $0.25 each which
you pay for as you leave the research room.
The Oregon State Library located at Summer and Court Sts., NE in Salem, Oregon
97310, Phone: 503-378-4277 is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm.
and on the second Saturday of the month from
10 am to 4 pm. Please note that the library is going to
be remodeled and there maybe some closures
from time to time. I will post the information
as it becomes available, but if you are traveling
to the library you may want to call ahead
to be sure it will be open.
The Oregon State Library will be closed from
time to time while it is being remodeled.
Please call to see if it is open before traveling
to use it.
The Oregon State Library was established
as the Oregon Library Commission in 1905.
Be sure to check out the Library's home page. It has a large genealogical collection covering
all states and many countries. Of particular
interest to those doing Oregon research is
a large Biographical Index located in the second floor alcove. Many
Oregon records are referenced in this card
catalog and have been indexed and filed by
surname with all the information to find
the original documents etc. This is an excellent
starting place for Marion County research,
although the entries are not limited Marion
County. Another wonderful resource is the
LAPP Index which is on microfiche located in the gray
file cabinet at the West end of the genealogy
room. This index covers newspapers, books
and other Oregon sources. It also is a good
starting point.
The Willamette Valley Genealogical Society
and the Oregon State Library work closely
together. The WVGS provides volunteers for
the Genealogy Room on the second floor to
help all researchers.
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