Historical and Genealogical Resources
Library Resources and Services
Local and State Online Resources
General Genealogy Research Websites
Local Organizations
Library Books: Local History and Genealogy Research
Library Resources and Services
A research database with Census records, books, PERSI, Revolutionary War records,
and Freedman’s Bank of African Americans. (Log on using your Deschutes Public
Library card)
A list of Deschutes County newspapers with date ranges and access locations.
Obituary retrieval service by Deschutes Public Library
Submit your request for a local obituary copy by completing this form:
www.deschuteslibrary.org/forms/obits.aspx.
Alternatively, you can call us with your obituary request at 541-617-7080.
Oregon Vital Statistics, Downtown Bend Library, 2
nd floor
- Death Index, 1915-1970 (microfilm)
- Death Index, 1961-2008 (microfiche)
- Marriage Index (Bride & Groom), 1906-1970 (microfilm)
- Marriage Index (Bride), 1961-2008 (microfiche)
- Marriage Index (Groom), 1961-2008 (microfiche)
- Divorce, 1971-2008 (microfiche)
Oregon Census Rolls, 1850-1930, Downtown Bend Library, 2nd floor
(microfilm)
Local and State Online Resources
Architecture and Historic Sites
City of Bend’s Historic Preservation
http://www.bendoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=614
These 3 sections are most useful:
- A Map of Bend's Historic Resources
- List of Local Resources Designated by the City Council
- The National Register of Historic Places Nominations in Bend
The DIAL Search Form allows you to search and locate property history from the County
Assessor’s office. This page also provides a link to LAVA5, a GIS map
of current property plats in Deschutes County.
Cemeteries
Vital Records
Oregon State Archives Vital Records
http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/vital.html
A list of vital records in the Oregon State Archives including information for city,
county, state and other Pacific Northwest locations. Vital records include
birth, death, marriage, and divorce documents but availability is determined by
Oregon Health Division's Administrative Rule
333-011.
Other Resources
Oregon Historic Newspapers
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
Read full text articles from a selective list of Oregon newspapers published from
mid 1800’s to early 1900’s. Digital copies include photos, full text
searching and a printable pdf format. Created and maintained by University of Oregon
in conjunction with the Library of Congress project
Chronicling America http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
digital newspaper project.
General Genealogy Research Websites
Need a little more direction? Here are some general genealogy websites with research
tips and specialty search engines that will help you explore family histories around
the word. NOTE: Some sites may charge for their services.
Ancestry.com
http://www.ancestry.com
Ancestry.com includes a link for genealogy lessons which provides tips to help sharpen
your research skills.
Use their
Learning Center
http://learn.ancestry.com/Home/HMLND.aspx to explore the basic skills necessary
to do genealogy research. Much of their content if only available for a fee
but access it for free at the Bend LDS Family Research Center.
Cyndi's list of Genealogy sites on the Internet
http://www.cyndislist.com
One of the most comprehensive lists of genealogy websites that includes thousands
of links arranged alphabetically by category.
This site searches through the millions of patron submitted family group, pedigree
and ancestral information available through the Family History Library. Also
includes a link to their microfilm and book holdings.
RootsWeb
Affiliated with Ancestry.com This site is the oldest and largest free
genealogy site on the web and includes more than 760,000 surname entries.
Find genealogy search engines and databases, message boards, family trees, research
templates, guides for beginning your research and much more.
US GenWeb Project
http://usgenweb.org
The USGenWeb project consists of a large group of volunteers working together to
provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state
in the United States. It is a non-commercial project and access is free to
everyone.
Social Security Death Index
Bowman Museum and Historical Society of Crook County
www.bowmanmuseum.org/
246 N. Main Street
Prineville, OR 97754
(541) 447-3715
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Research Centers
Open to the public.
Bend
1260 NE Thompson Dr
Bend, Deschutes, Oregon, United States
Phone: 541-382-9947
Hours: T-Th 9am-4pm; F 9am-noon by appointment only
Prineville
333 SE Idlewood
Prineville, Crook, Oregon, United States
Phone: 541-447-1488
Hours: Tu. 10am-7pm, Wed. 1pm-7pm, Thur. 10am-2pm, call for evening appointments.
Closed: Closed Major Holidays, July and August
Redmond
450 S Rimrock Dr
Redmond, Deschutes, Oregon, United States
Phone: 541-548-2436
Hours: by appointment
Closed: Closed during Thanksgiving week and the last two weeks of December.
Genealogical Forum of Oregon, Inc.
2505 S.E. 11th Ave., Suite B-18
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 963-1932
The Forum is an all volunteer non-profit organization founded in 1946. It
maintains the largest genealogical collection between San Francisco and Seattle.
La Pine Genealogical Society
PO Box 1081
La Pine, OR 97739
Dave Tucker (541)536-1678,
k7dlt@hotmail.com
Greater Redmond Historical Society
529 SW 7th Street
Redmond, OR 97756
(541)316-1777
Local History Books
Bend: 100 Years of History
979.587 BEND (Bend Reference & Nonfiction)
Bend, in Central Oregon
979.587 HATTON (Bend Reference & Nonfiction)
Bend, Oregon Polk City Directory, 1921-2001, incomplete
series
Deschutes County Historical Sites
A History of the Deschutes Country in Oregon
Old Town Historic District: National Register Nomination for the Old Town Historic
District
979.5 OLD (Bend Reference)
A pictorial history of the Bend country
979.587 WILLIAMS ELSIE (Bend Reference & Nonfiction)
Genealogy Research Books for the Beginner
The Bare-Bones Guide to Genealogy
McGlone, Mary T.
Powell, Kimberly
Unpuzzling Your Past: The Best-Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy
Croom, Emily A.
Genealogy Research Books – Special Topics
In Search of Your British & Irish Roots: A Complete Guide
Baxter, Angus
Baxter, Angus
Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research (2 volumes)
Falley, Margaret
929.3 FALLEY(Bend Reference)
Native American Genealogical Sourcebook