Research Resources
Are you researching a person from or a topic in Marion County, Oregon? In addition to materials you might find here at the Willamette Heritage Center, here is a list of online and community resources for researching community history in Marion County. Also, don’t forget to check out our FAQ page here.
Incorporated Communities
Unincorporated Areas
Willamette Heritage Center Collections
Check out the WHC’s Master Collections Indexes for names and places you are interested in.
Other Archives, Local Genealogical Societies and Organizations
Family History Centers
Salem Family History Center
4550 Lone Oak SE, Salem, Oregon
Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave Portland, OR 97205, 503.222.1741
View Website – Click HERE
The Oregon Historical Society’s collections span the entire state. You can look through their catalog here.
Oregon State Archives
800 Summer St. NE Salem OR 97310
503-373-0701
View Website – Click HERE
The Oregon State Archives is the repository for all government records within the State of Oregon. You can find state records and some county records here. See a list of Marion County holdings here. Or search for a specific name here.
Polk County Historical Society
560 S Pacific HWY West Rickreall, Oregon
View Website – Click HERE
Polk County is the county directly west of Marion County. Part of the City of Salem is actually in Polk County.
Willamette Valley Genealogical Society (WVGS)
The society has trained volunteers that can help with your genealogy research. You can visit them in person during their operating hours at the Salem Public Library. They also can respond to some requests for research remotely. Check out their website for more information about hours, resources, policies, and fees.
Oregon State Police Virtual Museum
Online collections of historical materials held by the Oregon State Police. Searchable collections database
Free Digital Resources
Marion County Pioneer Cemeteries
Marion County Records on FamilySearch
FamilySearch.org has digitized a ton of Marion County, Oregon records and indexes. You can access this for free.
Oregon Historic Newspapers Database
Searchable newspaper database for Oregon papers. Marion County papers include the Aurora Observer and the Capital Journal (Salem). It should be noted that many big news stories were syndicated and sometimes will appear in other local papers of the time. Due to copyright restrictions, most of the papers will go up only through the 1920s. The papers are keyword searchable and you get to see the actual papers digitized!
Marion County (Oregon) Census Records
- 1900 US Census records for Marion County (digitized microfilm from Internet Archive)
Grow Your Research Skills
Couch Historian Web Courses
Have a computer? Stuck at home? Our Research Library and Archives mascot Maude A. Spider will teach you how to navigate the interwebs and learn more about your local history from the comfort of your own home. Hone your online research skills, learn about free web resources and learn how to spin your own histories in her weekly web episodes. Test your new skills with a skills test worksheet! Learn more about researching Mid-Willamette Valley History and the Willamette Heritage Center at www.willametteheritage.org/research.
Episodes:
Property Research
Interested in learning more about your home or property? Get started with our property history worksheets.
Religious Archives
Archdiocese of Portland Archives
2838 E Burnside St Portland, Oregon
Oregon-Idaho United Methodist Church Archives
The Oregon Missions Collection (University of Puget Sound, Washington)
Queen of Angels Monastary (Mt. Angel, Oregon) History
840 S Main St Mt. Angel, Oregon
Religious Archives
Pacific Northwest Mennonite Historical Society
6030 S Whiskey Hill Rd Hubbard, Oregon