Biographical Card File. This indexes many of the more-useful record groups -- including provisional and territorial censuses, some marriage indexes, state supreme-court cases, donation land claims, and miscellaneous provisional records.

Censuses. This collection includes the original provisional, territorial, and state-government enumerations of Oregon, some of which have been microfilmed and are available for purchase. It also includes filmed copies of all extant population schedules of the Oregon decennial federal censuses, as well as those conducted under the auspices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. For a full listing, go to http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/census.html

Provisional and Territorial Government Records. Dating prior to 1859, these include a variety of materials of genealogical value -- principally military, probate, land, and marriage records. They cover both county-level and provisional-and territorial-level resources, including those of counties cut away to create Washington Territory in 1853. The archives staff has compiled and printed a Guide to Oregon Provisional and Territorial Government Records. This is also online. Most of the documents have been microfilmed in an eighty-reel set that is available for public purchase.

Military Records. This collection, dating back to 1847, offers a wealth of Oregon-related military records. Significant among them are indexes and papers of the Indian Wars and World War I. An annotated guide to the records itemizes the available materials, online at http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/milit.html.

Vital Records. The archives holds a copy of the microfilmed Oregon Vital Records Indexes, covering marriages for the periods 1906-24, 1946-60 and 1966-99; death registrations from 1903 to 1999; and divorce registrations for 1956-60 and 1966-99. Oregon Death Certificates that are older than 50-years are held by the Archives. An indexing project for delayed birth certificates is underway. For a complete list of holdings, go to http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/vital.html.

Biography Card File. This helpful finding aid indexes pioneers and provides brief biographical information. Among the materials covered are the Indian-Wars Pension Papers, a scrapbook collection of newspaper clippings, and vital-statistics cards for many events prior to 1900 that were mentioned in Oregon newspapers.

DAR Collection. These collected genealogical materials of the Oregon Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, include records of pioneers, cemeteries, and churches as well as Bibles, genealogies, probate extracts, mortuary lists, and vital statistics. The Oregon Historical Society has microfilmed most of the collection, and it is available through the Family History Library system of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Historical Society Library's staff prepared a name index (The DAR Index) to many of the volumes; and a guide to the DAR microfilm collection is available to those who personally visit the library.

Microfilm Collection. Over sixteen thousand rolls of this collection constitute the second-largest newspaper file in the state. Census holdings include all available federal population schedules for the state and all provisional and territorial censuses; an index to pre-statehood enumerations is interfiled in the manuscript-room card file. Various churches also have submitted records and histories for filming.

Manuscript Collection. Here the researcher will find more than twelve thousand linear feet of rare books, wagon-train diaries, correspondence, letter books, speeches, business records, church registers, etc. -- together with a card catalog by name and subject. A small percentage of the collection is included in the online catalog. Published guides exist, [2] and selected items are covered in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC). [3] For access to the online NUCMC catalog, go to http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmc.html.

Map Collection. Over twenty-five thousand maps in the library focus on Western exploration; many treat Oregon exclusively. Other useful map series include the Metsker Atlases that show land ownership since 1928 and the Sanborn Insurance Company maps that depict buildings in various Oregon cities since 1884.

The Overland Journeys Card Index. This portion of the society's card catalog refers researchers to published materials and manuscripts owned by the society -- exclusive of the wagon-train diaries. Among the collections covered by this card index are the Oregon Pioneer Association records (bound volumes), which give much information on the early pioneers.

Pioneer Card File. A collection of 5 x 8 cards. It consists mainly of information on people who were members of the Oregon Pioneer Association.

Index of County Historical Publications. Card index to a number of local historical journals.

Censuses and Census Indexes. The population schedules of all available federal censuses for Oregon are provided here for researchers, as well as all Oregon printed censuses and census indexes. The Forum indexed the 1910 Oregon census, and a copy of the soundex is in the holdings. For a complete list of Oregon census holdings, go to the society's website and follow the links under "Research Guides."

Oregon Pioneer Card File. Pre-1900 settlers are the subject of this file, which offers extracts from Oregon's donation land claims, as well as vital and family information filled out by descendants of these pioneers. The cards have been microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and appear in their library catalog.

Oregon Donation Land Claim Records. The library has a set of the Oregon Donation Land Claim case files on microfilm. The Oregon Bureau of Land Management has donated to the library a microfilm copy of all Oregon tract books and plat maps and a microfiche set of field-survey notes. The collection is valuable not only for local historians who wish to identify the first owners of certain tracts of land but also for biographers documenting the activities of particular landowners.

Manuscript Collection. One set of material in this collection is of particular value: the Spencer Leonard Civil War File. This is a card index (with biographical and vital information) to Civil War veterans who lived in Oregon. The collection has been gmicrofilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and appears in their library catalog.