Subject Librarian
Local History Resources
Census and Genealogy Sources
- HeritageQuest (Richland Library card required)Provides U.S. census data from 1790-1940
- Ancestry Library Edition (Richland Library)Must be in a branch of the Richland Library or on their wifi network to access.
- South Carolina Death Indexes 1915-1967Lists death dates and counties by name based on death certificates held at the SC Department of Archives and History.
- Local History And Obituary IndexProvided by Richland Library and includes a link for searching tips and instructions.
- SC Historical SocietyScroll down to access Genealogy Charts and Finding Aids where you can search for family names.
Newspaper Sources
- Historical Newspapers of South Carolina This link opens in a new windowFree online access to historical local and regional newspapers from South Carolina covering the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Newspapers.com(Requires 7-day trial or personal subscription)
Includes the Sumter newspaper Watchman & Southron through 1930 and the Poplar Bluff Republican from 1915-1945 among many others.
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers This link opens in a new windowFreely search selected American newspapers, including South Carolina papers, from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. newspaper directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
- Georgia Historic NewspapersFreely available source for over two million Georgia newspaper pages between 1763 and 2021.
Other Sources for Primary Research
- Richland Library Local History Digital CollectionsThe collections found here include photographs, pamphlets, books, maps, and other historical materials from the Civil War to the present day.
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Sumter, June 1923Originally created for insurance underwriters, these maps are now used extensively by historians and genealogists.
- Map of Sumter, S.C (1939)Subtitle: showing location of public buildings, industries and proposed industrial sites.
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new windowDigitized collection of books and other items from major research libraries. To access member features, click LOG IN and select University of South Carolina from the dropdown list. Then enter your USC network username and password.