History & Genealogy Resources
History and Genealogy information for the consumer and researcher.
Library Resources
- 15 Minute Histories
- 43 digitized fifteen minute interviews of early Central Oregon pioneers originally recorded by Kessler Cannon with KBND in 1953.
- Ancestry Library Edition
- (In-library use only) Answers await everyone—whether professional or hobbyist, expert or novice, genealogist or historian—inside the more than 7,000 available databases. Here, you can unlock the story of you with sources like censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more.
- Biography in Context
- A comprehensive database of biographical information on more than 180,000 people from throughout history, around the world,
and across all disciplines and subject areas.
- Gale Courses
- Sign up for Genealogy
Basics to learn where to look, who to contact, and how to use research tools to begin an exciting and fascinating exploration
of your roots.
- HeritageQuest Online
- Discover the amazing history of you with HeritageQuest Online. With more than 4.4 billion records, it delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s—that can help you find your ancestors and discover a place’s past.
- My Heritage
- One of the largest, most internationally diverse genealogy databases of its kind in the world. It includes billions of historical
documents from over 48 countries, millions of historical photos, public records, indexes and additional resources. Includes
the Social Security Death Index.
- U.S. History in Context
- A complete overview of U.S. history that covers the most-studied events, issues, and current information.
- America’s News
- Features full text of The Bulletin (Bend) (2005 – present) and The Oregonian (Portland) (1987 – present).
- Microfilm
- The Downtown Bend library holds microfilm of The Bulletin from 1903 – 2014. The Redmond library holds microfilm of The Redmond Spokesman from 1910 – 2014. After 2014, the University of Oregon stopped microfilming The Bulletin and The Redmond Spokesman. To access The Bulletin articles from 2015 – present, visit America’s News. To access The Redmond Spokesman articles from 2015 – present, contact the Redmond Library.
- Oregon Historic Newspapers
- Read full text articles from a selective list of Oregon newspapers. Digital copies include photos, full text searching and printable pdf format. Created and maintained by University of Oregon in conjunction with the Library of Congress project Chronicling America digital newspaper project. Local newspapers include The Bulletin (Bend) (1903-1931), The Redmond Spokesman (Redmond), 1910-1914), The Nugget (Sisters), (1994-present), The La Pine Inter-Mountain, (1911-1934), The Deschutes Echo (Bend) (1902 - ?), and The Abbot Engineer (Camp Abbot / Sunriver) (1943-1944).
- The Bulletin (Bend) Indexes
- Searchable indexes in Adobe Acrobat, Excel, and plain text formats.
Index for 1903 – 1970
Index for 1971 – 1972
Index for 1984 – 1994
- Oregon Vital Statistics
- Downtown Bend Library, 2nd 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)
- City of Bend’s Historic Preservation
- 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
- Deschutes County Property Search Tool, D.I.A.L.
- 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.
- Find-a-Grave: Deschutes County
- From the Find-a-Grave web site.
- Online Oregon Death Records & Indexes
- A privately created and maintained site that attempts to list essential online resources for each state in one location.
- Oregon Historical Sites Database
- A statewide database of historical sites and buildings, including National Register sites. Search by city or county and limit search by using such criteria as architectural style, builder, year, common property name, etc.
- Oregon State Archives Vital Records
- 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.
- Tombstone Transcription: Deschutes County, Oregon
- From the USGenWeb research project.
- Ancestry.com
- Ancestry.com includes a link for genealogy lessons which provides tips to help sharpen your research skills. Use their Learning Center to explore the basic skills necessary to do genealogy research. Much of their content is 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
- One of the most comprehensive lists of genealogy websites that includes thousands of links arranged alphabetically by category.
- Family Search
- This free site searches through millions of digitized records from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The site also offers extensive genealogical help for beginners, with many useful videos and tips. FamilySearch is also a great place to build your own family tree after you create a free account.
- Find My Past
- This free site has millions of US records, as well as extensive records from the United Kingdom and Ireland. FindMyPast also includes PERSI.
- US GenWeb Project
- 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.
- Bend Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
- Bend Genealogical Society and Library
-
PO Box 8254
Bend, OR 97708-8254
P:
(541) 317-9553
Email: bgs@bendbroadband.com
BGS offers free genealogy mentoring to help beginners get started in their family history quest. Mentoring sessions are available by appointment.
- Bowman Museum and Historical Society of Crook County
-
246 N. Main Street
Prineville, OR 97754
P:
(541) 447-3715
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Research Centers
-
Bend
1260 NE Thompson Dr
Bend, Deschutes, Oregon, United States
P:
541-382-9947
Hours: T-Th 9am-4pm; F 9am-noon by appointment only
Prineville
333 SE Idlewood
Prineville, Crook, Oregon, United States
P:
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
P:
541-548-2436
Hours: by appointment
Closed: Closed during Thanksgiving week and the last two weeks of December.
- Deschutes County Historical Society
-
129 NW Idaho Ave
Bend, OR 97701
P:
(541) 389-1813
- Genealogical Forum of Oregon, Inc.
-
2505 S.E. 11th Ave., Suite B-18
Portland, OR 97202
P:
(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.
Greater Redmond Historical Society
529 SW 7th Street
Redmond, OR 97756
P:
(541)316-1777
Library Services
- Obituary Requests
- Submit your request for a copy of a local obituary request.
- Book-a-librarian
- Get help with your history and genealogy research.
- Interlibrary Loan
- Request materials from libraries outside of Central Oregon.
Chat with a Librarian
Page Last Modified Monday, March 11, 2019