The Western Reserve Historical Society

10825 East Blvd.
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Tel.: 721·5722

The History Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society, which was founded in 1867, maintains an extensive collection of published, manuscript and iconographic sources relating to the history of Cleveland and northeastern Ohio. These materials pertain to a wide variety of local topics and span the entire history of Greater Cleveland, including the founding and settlement of the city, its political structure, religious communities, neighborhoods, ethnic and racial groups, sports, social life, labor unions and industry.

Especially noteworthy are the library’s manuscript collections consisting of the original records of many area institutions and organizations and the papers of local individuals. These include the records of social service agencies, such as Hiram House, Alta House, Goodrich House and other social settlements. These records are particularly important for the study of neighborhood life. The library also holds extensive records from the city’s black community and its nationality groups which provide additional insight into the processes of community development and change.

The manuscript collections are supported by the library’s published holdings, among which are copies of the published histories of the city, theses and dissertations concerning specific aspects of community history, pamphlets and brochures, and a substantial collection of local newspapers. In addition to extensive runs of the local English-language press, the library holds runs of Bohemian, Slovenian, Slovak, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian and German newspapers.

Photographs, including views of the city dating from the late 1850s, are also available for study in the Society’s library. These include views of specific structures, streets, events and neighborhoods, as well as portraits of many Clevelanders and members of various organizations in the city.

In addition to its resources for the study of community history, the library maintains one of the finest genealogical collections in the nation. Its resources in this area include a complete microfilm set of the Federal population census schedules for the entire nation through 1900, and for Ohio through 1910; a complete set of Cleveland city directories; numerous indexes to sets of vital statistics; transcriptions of local cemetary [sic] records; and an extensive collection of published and manuscript family histories.

The library’s collections are described in several published guides. These are: A Guide to the Manuscripts and Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society (1972), A Guide to Shaker Manuscripts in the Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society (1974), and A Guide to Jewish History Sources in the History Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society (1983). These are available through the Society’s Publications Department and at its sales desk. Several specialized listings relating to the Society’s ethnic, labor and genealogical holdings are also available upon request. The Library is open Tuesday—Saturday, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. A nominal admission fee is charged to non-members. All collections must be used in the library.