Genealogy Resources

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Genealogy Resources

Useful resources for genealogy available at the Filson.

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AncestryLibrary.com – United States Census, birth, marriage, and death records, burial and cemetery records, immigration records, family trees, and more. Ancestry Library Edition is available on the patron access computer stations in the library; the Filson cannot provide remote access.

The first Federal Census was taken in 1790 and has been taken every decade since. The 1790 and 1800 Census schedules for Kentucky were destroyed, but have been recreated using tax lists from those years. We have what has been made available for the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 1810 to 1950. Because of privacy laws, the Census is only released after 72 years. We provide access to Ancestry Library Edition, which includes indexed census records for the entire country for 1790 – 1950.

Kentucky Census schedules (1810-1930) are also on microfilm. The schedules for 1810 to 1840 list heads of household only; other family members are not listed until the 1850 schedule.

The indexes for 1810-1870 are in book form. Found in the Library, they list the heads of household, the county of residence, and the page number of the schedule on which the family is recorded. These indexes can be found in the 976.9 C396 area in the library.

The schedules for 1880-1940 are indexed by the Soundex system. The Soundex is a system that assigns a code number to surnames based on the sounds in each name. Each code contains several different but similar sounding surnames. For example, the surnames Filson and Filsinger share code number F425.

Within each code number, the cards are alphabetized by the first names of the heads of household.

Our Soundex is on microfilm, and the code book is The Soundex Reference Guide. For names not listed in the book, the code number can be constructed using the instruction on page xiii of the book.

Each Soundex card lists the names of family members, their ages, places of birth, county of residence, and the enumeration district, sheet number, and line number on which they can be found. The Census schedules contain more information than is included on the Soundex cards. For example, the 1880, 1900, and 1910 Census schedules include places of birth of both parents, and the 1900 and 1910 schedules include year of Immigration to the United States. There are no general U.S. Census records for 1890. They were mostly destroyed in a fire, but we have an index book for the 1890 Kentucky Veterans Census.

Some of Kentucky’s 120 counties have abstracted their Census records from the federal schedules. These abstracts are bound in book form in the library filed within the county histories. We do not have abstracts for every county, nor for every Census year.

(Revised 2023)

Vital Statistics Records include deaths, births, and marriages. They are filed either by county or by state. Presented below is each type of Vital Statistics Record we have available.

State of Kentucky Vital Records

Kentucky began keeping death and birth certificates in 1911. The Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort has all of the original certificates and charges a fee for copies. Their address is:

Office of Vital Statistics

275 E. Main St., 1E-A

Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 564-4212

Website

Deaths

We have an index to death certificates that covers 1911-1999; it is on microfiche and on each of the library computers. The index lists the name of the deceased, age at death, county they died in, date of death, certificate number, and the year in which the certificate is filed. We have microfilm copies of the death certificates for 1911-19–. The state waits 50 years before they release death certificates to libraries. Each certificate normally includes the name of the deceased person, date of death, county where died, date of birth, occupation, age at death, names of parents, parents’ places of birth, cause of death, and place of burial. Many of these early Kentucky Death records can also be found on Ancestry.

Births

We have the index of birth certificates for the years 1911-1999. One index is filed by the child’s name and one is filed by the maiden name of the mother. These indexes are on microfiche and on each of the library computers. The state waits 100 years before releasing birth certificates to libraries. We refer those who want actual certificates to the Office of Vital Statistics (see above).

Marriages and Divorces

We have state indexes on microfiche and on each of the library computers for marriages and divorces that cover 1974-1999. These indexes are filed by the Groom’s last name or the Bride’s maiden name.

Deaths, Births, and Marriages Before 1911

The state of Kentucky tried to have the counties maintain Vital Statistics at various times between 1852 and 1910. We have these records on microfilm. For each county included in these records, there are births, deaths, and marriages. It is important to note that these records were poorly maintained. They were hand-written in ink that has faded, and they are woefully incomplete. Many of these records have been abstracted by the counties and are included in our Kentucky County Histories. We have an index that lists which counties have records for each year. The index is in the library in the Misc. Section, and its call number is 016.312 D855. Many of these records can now be found on Ancestry.

The Library contains county records and histories for many of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The counties are arranged on the shelves geographically, and there is an alphabetical list that gives each county’s call number. If you want information on a particular county, look in this area. These records potentially include births, deaths, marriages, wills, cemetery records, deeds, and other various court records.

Louisville and Jefferson County Vital Records

The most complete sets of records we own are for the City of Louisville and Jefferson County. Louisville attempted to keep its own death and birth records before the state began its record keeping in 1911.

Deaths

Death indexes and registers for the residents of the City of Louisville are on microfilm and Ancestry and cover the years 1866-1910. However, not all deaths are recorded, and deaths of residents of Jefferson County, outside the city limits are not included. The indexes and registers are on separate reels of microfilm. The registers include the name of the deceased, date of death, address, occupation, age at death, marital status, attending physician, cause of death, place of birth, and date and place of burial.

There is a listing of death notices that appeared in the Louisville Anzeiger, a German language newspaper, from 1849 through 1863. The list is located in the Library, call number 976.9911 R371. The information includes the name of the deceased, age, date of death, and the date the notice was published. The lists are arranged by year and in alphabetical order within each year. The Louisville Anzeiger is maintained on microfilm.

Births

Birth indexes and registers for the City of Louisville are on microfilm and cover the years 1898- 1910. Births in Jefferson County, outside the city limits, are not included. The indexes and registers are on separate rolls of microfilm. The registers contain the name of the child, residence, date of birth, gender, race, father and his nativity, mother and her nativity, maiden name of mother, and the name of the physician or midwife who attended the birth.

Marriages

For Jefferson County, we have marriage licenses for the years 1784-1911:

  1. 1784-1853 are indexed in book form in the Library.
  2. 1842-1911 are indexed on microfilm. The indexes refer you to a page number in the marriage registers that immediately follow the indexes on each microfilm reel. The marriage registers include the name of the bride and groom, by whom they were married, place and date of marriage, and names of witnesses present. Copies of the licenses are on separate reels of microfilm, usually in order by the date of the license.

Other States

State websites:
▪ Pennsylvania: https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/archives-forms/Pages/Vital-Records-Request.aspx
▪ Ohio: https://ohiohistory.libguides.com/vital
▪ Illinois: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/services.html
▪ Indiana: https://www.in.gov/iara/2497.htm
▪ West Virginia: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx

(Revised 2023)

Genealogists often use cemetery and funeral home records to verify a person’s birth and death dates. Funeral home records often identify where a person is buried, the cause of death, and in some instances, the place of birth.

A list of some Jefferson County, Kentucky, cemeteries is available by clicking here. To find cemetery records in other counties in Kentucky, use in the Kentucky county books in the library (you can search for them in our online library catalog here). Many of the counties have abstracts of some of their cemetery records filed with the county books.

Jefferson County area cemeteries

Cave Hill Cemetery, 1849-1998

We have a copy of the index of people buried in Cave Hill Cemetery from 1849-1998. This list is in alphabetical order and gives the name, plot number, and date of burial for each person. It is housed in the Library. We also have Cave Hill Burial Registers for 1879-1920. The individuals in the registers are filed by date of burial. Use the index first to determine the date of burial, then you can find the correct register. The registers are held in the closed stacks; Collections staff will pull them for you.

Cave Hill hosts a digital database of burials, which is available here.

Eastern, Schardein, and Greenwood Cemeteries, 1840-1950

  • Eastern Cemetery Key Facts:
    • 28-acre cemetery at 641 Baxter Avenue in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, originally used by Methodist Episcopal congregations in the early 1840s. When Eastern Cemetery was first established in 1844, there were three acres allotted for enslaved and free Black people (two acres for public burials and one acre for lots: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd African sections). Other segregated lots were created as the cemetery expanded.
    • Starting in the 1850s, cemetery lots were resold, and the process of multiple burials in one gravesite began. The land had a 29,600-grave capacity; there are 138,000 recorded burials. This discovery was made public in 1989, and as of 2023, the cemetery is in legal limbo without an owner; it is maintained by volunteer group, Friends of Eastern Cemetery (https://friendsofeasterncemetery.com/history-of-eastern-cemetery/)
    • For more information, see Facing East: The True Story of the Most Overburied Cemetery in America (2019) [Entire documentary available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdx1PmVDud0]
    • A scan of Eastern Cemetery minutes, 1904-1925 along with a history of Eastern Cemetery, compiled by the University of Louisville CACHe with sources, is available on the Filson’s patron computers. Please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.
  • The Filson has three volumes of Eastern Cemetery records, 1843-1910, compiled for the Louisville Genealogical Society, 1994, copied from original cemetery record books (Open stacks, 976.991 L888e)
    • Volume 1: “Contains use of the vault, internments and disinternments of the deceased and the costs of the lots.”
    • Volume 2: “May contain date of burial, age at death, disease, location, and comments.”
    • Volume 3: “May contain date of burial, location, cost, funeral home, funeral number, and comments.”
  • A PDF index of Eastern Cemetery internments for 1913-1950 as compiled from Book No. 100 is available online here.
  • A listing of burials at Schardein Cemetery, created in 2006, is available online here. You can view a 2008 version of this listing, with burial information updated based on a review of actual tombstones, as well as a history of Schardein Cemetery created by the University of Louisville CACHe with sources, on the Filson’s patron computers. Please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.
  • A history of Greenwood Cemetery, compiled by the University of Louisville CACHe with sources, is available on the Filson’s patron computers. Please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.
  • The Filson has Eastern, Schardein, and Greenwood Cemetery records on 13 reels of microfilm, 1840-1950. These records list internments, public burials, lot purchases, and maps.
    • Roll 1:
      • Eastern Cemetery Burials: 1845-1873
      • Eastern Cemetery White Burials: 1856-1880
      • Eastern Cemetery White Public: 1865-1913
      • Eastern Cemetery Internments: 1893-1902
    • Roll 2:
      • Eastern Cemetery Receipt Books: 1881-1950
      • Eastern Cemetery White Public Section and Ranges, 1876-1940
    • Roll 3:
      • Eastern Cemetery Black/African American internments, 1849-1885
      • Eastern Cemetery Colored Lots, Section B
      • Eastern Cemetery Map Book, Lot Owners, Misc. Records
      • Greenwood Cemetery Burials, 1903-1926
    • Roll 4: Eastern Cemetery Lot Cards Section A & B
    • Roll 5: Eastern Cemetery Lot Cards Section B (includes Black/African American Burials)
    • Roll 6: Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards, A-G, 1840-1900
    • Roll 7: Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards, H-O, 1840-1900
    • Roll 8: Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards, P-V, 1840-1900
    • Roll 9:
      • Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards, W-Z, 1840-1900
      • Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards A-E, 1900-1949
    • Roll 10: Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards F-M, 1900-1949
    • Roll 11: Eastern Cemetery Burial Index Cards N-Z, 1900-1949
    • Roll 12: Schardein Cemetery Burial Index Cards A-Z, 18??-19??
    • Roll 13: Greenwood Cemetery Burial Index Cards A-Z, 1931-1949

Jewish Cemeteries

Herman Myer and Son maintains an online database of Louisville Jewish cemeteries. Information includes maps, names of the deceased, grave locations, and photos of headstones. Cemeteries documented are:

Adath Jeshurun

Agudath Achim Cemetery

Anshei Sfard Cemetery

Keneseth Israel Cemetery

The Temple Cemetery

Temple Shalom section of Cave Hill Cemetery

Western Cemetery

Western Cemetery records are in a database available on the patron computers. Please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.

Jefferson County funeral home records

Herman Myer and Son, Inc., 1910-

Herman Myer and Son maintains an online database of Jewish burials since 1910.

Maas Funeral Home, 1894-1965

The Maas Funeral Home was organized in 1894 by John Maas in partnership with his brother Bernard. The firm was located at 556 East Market Street, Louisville, Kentucky for twelve years and subsequently moved to 300 East Broadway where it remained for over fifty years. The Maas Funeral Home closed in the mid 1960s after the death of president Stanley H. Maas, son of John Maas, in 1965.

In the library collection, the Filson holds records from 1894-1965, all in the closed stacks. These records started in register books (16 volumes, 1894-1924, certificate numbers 1-8000) and crossed over to small envelopes stored in metal cabinets starting with certificate number 5712. After certificate 8000 (September 1924), there are only small envelopes, filed by certificate number through 17053, 30 April 1965. There is a master index that alphabetically gives the names of all the individuals and their certificate number. These materials are part of the Filson’s library collection and are kept in the Closed Stacks; please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.

McDaniel Funeral Home, 1920s-1993

The McDaniel Funeral Home was organized by Willis G. McDaniel in the 1920s. It was located at 4339 Park Boulevard and remained there until June 1993, when the McDaniel Funeral Home then became the Fairdale-McDaniel Funeral Home and moved to 411 Fairdale Road, where it remains as of 2023. The Filson has records from the 1920s through 1993. Records up to 1952 are arranged in alphabetical volumes. In 1953 forward, each volume contains a year of burials arranged alphabetically. The funeral home also maintained envelopes from 1948 through 1993, which are organized alphabetically by year. These envelopes contain various documents such as checks, miscellaneous lists, funeral records, etc.

The records generally list the deceased and their residence, age, date of death, date of burial, place of burial, as well as payment information for the funeral. These materials are part of the Filson’s library collection and are kept in the Closed Stacks; please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.

Pearson Funeral Home, 1890-1920

The Pearson Funeral Home was originally organized by Lorenzo Dow Pearson in the mid-1800s. The funeral home was passed down to his son, Edward Pearson. The funeral home stayed within the family, with Elmer Clarence Pearson, the son of Edward, inheriting the business in 1917. Our records range from January 2, 1890 through February 21, 1921, when the Pearson Funeral Home was first owned by Edward Pearson, then later Clarence Pearson. During this period, the funeral home was located between Second and Third on Jefferson until it was moved to Third and Chestnut in 1898. The Pearson Funeral Home, now located at 149 Breckenridge Lane, continues to operate in Louisville as of 2023.

The Filson’s records from Pearson’s are organized chronologically, typically listing the deceased and their residence, age, cause of death, date of death, date of burial, place of burial, as well as payment information (Casket cost, hearse cost, cemetery charges, etc.). These materials are part of the Filson’s library collection and are kept in the Closed Stacks; please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.

Schildt Funeral Home, 1903-1950s

The Schildt Funeral Home was founded in 1852 and operated until the late 1950s. The Filson holds the records from 1903 through the 1950s, during which time John C. Schildt owned the funeral home. The funeral home ceased operations shortly after his death in June 1956. The Filson has records organized alphabetically, typically listing the deceased and their residence, age, cause of death, date of death, date of burial, place of burial, as well as payment information for the funeral. These materials are part of the Filson’s library collection and are kept in the Closed Stacks; please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.

Note: The records for surnames beginning with the letters O, P, Q, and R are missing.

Manning Funeral Home, 1900-1954

John W. Manning and John W. Manning & Sons Funeral Home operated at 1828 West Chestnut, 1713 West Chestnut, 1314 West Broadway, and later 612 West Broadway from 1903 until 1954 when the business was liquidated.  John W. Manning worked as an undertaker in Morganfield, Kentucky prior to his move to Louisville in 1902. His son and daughter-in-law, John H. Manning and Mary Margaret Smith Manning, operated the funeral home until its closure in 1954.

The Filson holds John W. Manning & Sons records from 1918 to 1954 (1947 missing), filed by date of death and include information such as the date of deceased, their address, their occupation, information on their casket and embalming, and surviving relatives and funeral information. The information is not complete for each individual. These materials are part of the Filson’s library collection and are kept in the Closed Stacks; please ask a Collections staff member to help you access these on site, or email us with questions.

The Filson also has records of John W. Manning  & Sons in a manuscript collection, dating from 1903-1954. Folders 1-67 and volumes 68-69 consist of death certificates created by the funeral home for the years 1917-1943, and a very small number of certificates for the years 1949-1952.  These certificates often, but not always, list for the deceased their place of death, sex, color or race, marital status, name of spouse, age of spouse if alive, birth date, age, birthplace, employer, name and birthplace of parents, informant, address, burial or removal place, date of burial, burial permit number, date of death, cause of death, and the doctor who pronounced death. Volumes 91-93 list deaths and to whom funeral services were charged from December 1934 through March 1954.  These volumes show the name of the deceased, name and address of the person paying for funeral services, and the date of death and date of burial for the deceased for 1934-1954. Volumes 94-100 provide a chronological listing of funeral expenses for the years 1903-1926.  These ledgers show itemized billing for services such as caskets, shrouds, embalming, washing, cleaning, and shaving, flowers, opening the grave, use of a hearse, and use of a car.  Entries are arranged chronologically, and note the name of the deceased, and name and address of the person paying for the service.

The Filson also holds Manning Funeral Home records that were misidentified as Maas Funeral Home records in the manuscript collection: funeral books, 1918-1954, detail name of deceased, person purchasing service, age, physician, cause of death, date of death, date of burial, various costs associated with the funeral service (coffin, embalming etc.), and place of internment (vol. 1-5). Another funeral book, 1900-1929 is arranged roughly by surname of deceased and provides the name of the deceased, name of person paying for the service, date of death, and date of burial – this includes individuals who passed away in Morganfield, Kentucky, where John H. Manning started his work, 1900-1902. (vol. 6). This collection also includes some business records.

Barrett Funeral Home, 1919-1998

The Barrett Funeral Home was founded in 1903 by John J. and Mary T. Barrett at 838 East Main in Louisville. The funeral home moved to 1230 Bardstown Road in 1924 under the leadership of J. Raymond Barrett. In 1998, it was purchased by the Ratterman Funeral Home. The Filson has records ranging from March 1919 through February 18, 1998. Entries generally list the deceased and their residence, date of death, date of burial, place of burial, as well as payment information (Newspaper notices, church services, interment fee, etc.). Within the collection, notepads containing client information sort the records chronologically, while index cards and client information cards are organized alphabetically.

Note: Notepads spanning from 1935 November 1 – 1936 April 2 and 1953 January 23 – 1953 July 20 are missing, but index cards and client information cards should contain most, if not all, of the information contained on the missing notepads.

This collection is held as part of the Filson’s manuscripts collection and can be accessed on site; please see the online finding aid here.

Dunn Fairdale Funeral Home, 1966-1973

The Dunn Fairdale Funeral Home was owned by H. M. Dunn, Sr. and located at 411 Fairdale Road from July 1966 until June 1973. H. M. Dunn, Sr. also owned the George L. Manning Funeral Home (otherwise known as the Manning-Dunn Funeral Home and as the Dunn Memorial Funeral Home) and the Nunnelley Funeral Home during the same period. The funeral homes were sold to other parties in June 1973 (The Dunn Fairdale Funeral Home was sold to Arch L. Heady III, owner of the Arch L. Heady Funeral Homes) after the Dunn-owned Prudential Building and Loan Association was declared insolvent.

The Filson holds records of the Dunn Fairdale Funeral Home from 1966 through 1969 in the closed stacks. These records usually list details such as the name of the deceased and their residence, age, date of death, date of burial, place of burial, surviving family, as well as payment information for the funeral (casket, clothing, newspaper notice, etc.).

Ratterman Funeral Homes, 1926-1985

George and Herman Ratterman began as undertakers in 1864 at 2114 West Market Street. In 1914, George’s son, John B. Ratterman, officially established the first Ratterman Funeral Home at the same location. Throughout the following decades the Ratterman descendants split off and established multiple other funeral homes with the Ratterman name. The records at the Filson cover the locations at 2114 West Market Street, 3800 Bardstown Road, and 4832 Cane Run Road from 1926 to 1985. The records are organized in reverse chronological order by year, and entries generally list the deceased and their residence, date of death, cause of death, date of burial, and place of burial.

(Revised 2023)

The Filson has registers, admissions books, and other records of private Jefferson County, Kentucky, orphanages dating from the 19th century to the early 20th century. Our records do not include Catholic institutions.

German Protestant Orphanage Home (Louisville, Ky.) Registers, 1852-1922

The German Protestant Orphanage Home opened in 1851 with the goal of finding shelter for children in need and providing the children with their basic needs. More historical information on the German Protestant Orphanage Home can be found here. The Orphanage Home was renamed to Brooklawn Children’s Home in 1961.

The Filson has incomplete registers of the German Protestant Orphanage Home dating from 1852-1922. Up until World War I, the registers are written in German before switching to mostly English.

Other records of the orphanage include trustee minutes, superintendent reports, and financial records.

Baptist Orphan’s Home (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1873-1923

The Baptist Orphan’s Home was founded in 1869 by a group of women from the Walnut Street Baptist Church to care for children who were orphans as a result of the Civil War. The Home changed its name multiple times over the years, to Spring Meadows Children’s Home in 1947, then to Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children in 1982, and finally to Sunrise Children’s Services in 2007.

The Filson has correspondence, 1873-1910, to matron Mary A. Hollingsworth and others about the placement of orphan children, the occasional return of children to the home, recommendations for foster parents, descriptions of children, and medical treatment. An index to the correspondence is available – click here for PDF. The index lists names, dates, and summaries of letters.

The Filson also has monthly superintendent’s reports from 1908-1923 (Call number Mss. BJ B222a). Includes numerical reports on children received, readmitted, transferred, and departed; a monthly census of the number of children in the home, sometimes subdivided by sex. Notable events of the month are also recorded, including reports of illnesses circulating in the home, medical care, and vaccination; school progress reports; staffing changes among the employees; the admission of children, as well as details about transfers by apprenticeship and adoption, and return to parents or family members. An index to all children and parents mentioned by name is available – click here for PDF.

Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1835-1924

The Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum was founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1835. The institution was first located on Market Street between Ninth and Tenth Streets and its first president was William Sale. The Asylum merged with the Home of the Innocents in 1930.

The Filson has records of the Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum  that include admissions books dated from 1835-1908 (scattered) and a register of orphans received and discharged from November 22, 1897 to December 11, 1920.

Industrial School Of Reform (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1869-1908

We have three volumes of male admittance records for the Industrial School of Reform, originally known as the House of Refuge, dating between 1869-1908. The three volumes are a part of an incomplete set and each date from: 1869-1872, 1901-1903 and 1906-1908 respectively. Attached to some pages are letters of inquiry from family members looking for information several decades later regarding past residents of the school. These attached letters date between the 1940s and 1950s.

These records are for white males, the only exceptions being a few entries in Volume 3 labeled “colored boy” that have a line drawn through the page, but are still legible. Each entry includes the boy’s name, age, date and terms of admittance, parentage, family history, physical description, weight, religion, education, employment, Sunday school attendance, cause of delinquency, terms and dates of release, as well as assessments of physical and personal condition.

Some boys are listed as sent to the school by court order, while others are turned in by their guardian. Family histories are described with some detail with information such as siblings and parents’ names, addresses, employment, and past crimes.

In 1920 following a merger with the Parental Home and School Commission, the institution became known as the Louisville and Jefferson County Children’s Home and moved to a larger property in Lyndon.

Home for Friendless Women (Louisville, Ky.) Records, 1876-1919

The Home for Friendless Women took in women who were often unmarried and pregnant. The Home cared for these women and aimed to reform them to align with the moral standards of the time. The organization was renamed to the Susan Speed Davis Home in June of 1919. It later merged with the Salvation Army Home and Hospital in 1955, which ceased operations in 1974.

The Home for Friendless Women records includes information on children born at the home. A record book of admissions and discharges covers the years 1876-1892.

Records Held Elsewhere

Jefferson County Children’s Home Records, 1866-1938

Family Search provides free access to digitized microfilm reels containing records for several different institutions that merged to form the Jefferson County Children’s Home in the early 1900s. An explanation of those records can be found at the beginning of each film. Merged institutions include the Parental Home and School Commission and Industrial School of Reform (previously known as the House of Refuge). Researchers can create a free login to look at the records.

(Revised 2023)

The bulk of the military service records that the Filson has are indexes and abstracts.

Revolutionary War

We have Pension File Abstracts for the Revolutionary War. These records are in a 4-volume set in the Library. The call number is 973.34 W588. Each entry includes the name of the soldier, pension file number, when he enlisted, where he fought, and if the information is known, his wife, and children.

We have the Service Record Index for the Revolutionary War. This index lists name, rank, regiment, and state or colony in which he fought. The call number is 973.34 W488s, and it is filed in the Library.

War of 1812

A book entitled Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 lists the individuals who served, their rank, and their units. (Call Number 973.524 K37s)

Mexican-American War

A book entitled Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky, Mexican War Veterans contains names, ranks, units, and information about those who died or were wounded. (Call Number 973.624 K37)

Civil War

We have the Reports of the Kentucky Adjutant General for the Civil War. There are 2 volumes for both the Union Army and the Confederate Army. These records list the volunteers who served in Kentucky Regiments, their ranks, where and when they mustered into service, and where and when they mustered out, whether they died or were wounded, and other information. There is an alphabetical index in the back of each volume. The Union army’s call number is 973.7469 L752, and the Confederate army’s call number is 973.7469 K37c. These records are in the Library.

The Filson also has the Compiled Service Records for several Union Cavalry Regiments from Kentucky. These records are on microfilm.

There is a bound volume entitled 1890 Kentucky Veterans Census Index, call number 976.9 C396 1890. This index corresponds to several rolls of microfilm that give information about Civil War Veterans sill living in 1890, such as: regiment, rank, dates served, and any disability incurred.

We have The Roll of Honor, which lists the names of soldiers who died while serving in the Union Army, and are buried in 74 national cemeteries as well as 250 local and post cemeteries. A surname index to the first 27 volumes was published in 1995 making the series more accessible. In 1996 a volume entitled The Unpublished Roll of Honor was released. This is a compilation of thousands of names of Union soldiers who were sent home to recover from disease or injury and died while at home. Their deaths were not listed as war-related until years after the Civil War had ended. They are included in The Unpublished Roll along with the names of Union soldiers buried in two national cemeteries that were overlooked when the original Roll was published. These are Ball’s Bluff National Cemetery and Grafton National Cemetery. All these works are filed under call number 973.741 U58q.

The John Richard Spiers Scrapbook, 1887-1904 contains correspondence concerning the establishment of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Charles Sumner Post No. 61 for Black veterans in Lexington, Kentucky in 1886-1887. Includes a list of the approximately 170 charter members.

World War I

Kentucky in the World War, 1917-1919

This semi-published source came to the Filson from the library of early Filson member and president Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston. Thruston was the head of the Kentucky Council of Defense during its final two years after original chairman, Edward W. Hines, passed away in early 1921. Kentucky’s Council on Defense’s State War Historian, Fred P. Caldwell, his assistant Frances Ritchie, along with local historians, began a statewide movement in September 1918 to make a record of Kentucky’s part in World War I. The resulting 144 volumes, titled Kentucky in the World War, 1917-1919, document Kentucky’s service in World War I. Volume I recorded the work of the Kentucky Council on Defense, local Liberty Loan and War Saving Stamps campaigns, and the work of organizations such as the Red Cross, the YMCA and YHCA, Jewish Welfare Board, War Camp Community Service, and others. Each Kentucky county’s contribution to the war, in terms of people, organizations, and drives, was documented in the next 14 volumes; the final 129 volumes contain official statements of service of the men and women from Kentucky in all branches of the service, copied from documents that the Adjutant General of the United States furnished to the Adjutant General of Kentucky. These volumes provide useful information to descendants regarding the service of their family members in World War I, along with more general information on the state’s participation in the war.

William Allen Bush Medical Record Books, 1919-1921

Dr. William Allen Bush cared for wounded and/or disabled World War I veterans. A patient record book, dated 1919-1921, includes unit, rank, nature of wound or disability, age, race, occupation, and marital status.

Digital Resources

The Reckoning, Inc.’s Kentucky U.S. Colored Troops Project hosts a database on African American soldiers in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) who enlisted in Kentucky during the Civil War. Information includes their military service, pension application, vital statistics, and records of their enslavement.

Original Records Held Elsewhere

Kentucky Service Records

Records for State of Kentucky military are held by the Military Records and Research Branch, Kentucky Department of Military Affairs. They include the Kentucky Militia, Kentucky State Guard, Kentucky National Legion and Volunteer regiments from 1794 to 1912.

Military Records and Research Branch
1700 Louisville Road, Building 317
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone number: 502-607-6041
Website

United States Service Records

Official service records for United States military personnel are open to the public 62 years after they leave the military. Service records are held in St. Louis, Missouri, at the National Personnel Records Center:

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
Phone number: 314-801-0800
Military Service Records Website

A fire at the St. Louis NARA destroyed about 80% of United States Army personnel records for personnel discharged between November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960. United States Air Force personnel records from September 25, 1947, to January 1, 1964, were 75% destroyed, beginning with the surname Hubbard, James E.

(Revised 2023)

We have some passenger lists and immigration records for ports of entry throughout the United States, as well as some of the Naturalization records for Louisville, Kentucky.

Passenger Lists

The list below includes only a few of the many passenger lists we have in The Filson Library. For a more complete look at the number of passenger lists the library has, check the online catalog:

  • The set Germans to America covers the years 1840 to 1897. This set of records includes passenger name, ship, port of departure, port of entry in the United States, date of arrival, age, gender, occupation, and will frequently list the province and village in Germany, and Each volume has its own alphabetical index. These books are shelved in the Closed Stacks.
  • For people looking for Irish ancestors, we have a set called The Famine Immigrants that covers the famine years in Ireland, 1846-1851. The information includes passenger name, age, gender, occupation, date of departure, and port of departure. Each volume has its own alphabetical index. These books are shelved in the Closed Stacks.
  • The Passenger and Immigration Lists Index includes over 2 million names, their ages, ports of entry, dates of entry, and the source in which the names can be found. The sources are indicated by code numbers and the key to these codes is in the front of each. To find out if we have the books listed in the indexes, check our online library catalog. The volumes are arranged alphabetically by name. These volumes are shelved in the Closed Stacks.

Naturalization

The length of time it takes to become a citizen has varied since 1740. From 1802 to 1906, the person had to reside in the United States for three years before they could declare their intent to become a citizen, and five years before they could petition the court for naturalization. There was a requirement of one year of residency in the state in which the petition for Naturalization was filed. In 1906, the time period for declaring intent to become a citizen was reduced to two years and was waived in 1918.

Prior to 1906, many Declarations of Intent to become a citizen stated the town or village of birth, while Petitions only stated the country of birth. The Declarations of Intent are not indexed but often can be found by looking at the records for the Petition for Naturalization.

We have copies of some of the Louisville and Jefferson County Naturalization records, which verify when a person received their citizenship. While many of the older court records are missing and presumed destroyed, the Filson has much of what is still available. Naturalization records are on mostly on microfilm. You can request microfilm from Filson staff; they are not included in our catalogs.

Court Records

Any court with a clerk was allowed to naturalize people. Often, many different courts for any given county processed naturalization records. For Louisville and Jefferson County, we have Louisville Police Court records, some Jefferson County Court records, some Jefferson County Circuit Court records, and some Common Pleas Court records.

The Louisville Police Court records include the years 1836-1897. These records were filed in books that were labeled either by number or by letter. The only two letter books that still exist are C and J which are at the Filson. These books are in the Closed Stacks and staff can retrieve them. The numbered Police Court books are on microfilm. These records include date of naturalization, name, nationality, country from which emigrated, place of birth, year of Immigration, port of entry, and age at naturalization. The numbered books on microfilm are:

  • Louisville Police Court/City Court Books 2-100 (1836-1891), with many gaps, particularly in the 1850s and 1860s.
  • Louisville Police Court/City Court Books 1-14 (new series, 1892-1897).

The Jefferson County Court records include the years 1780-1906. These records contain both Intents and Petitions to become a citizen and are on microfilm, specifically reels 2, 3, and 4 of the “NB” microfilm. See index below.

The Jefferson County Circuit Court records include the years 1897-1913. These records include: the name of the person, country from which they emigrated, year they arrived, and the port in which they arrived. These records are on microfilm, specifically reels 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the “NB” microfilm. See index below.

The Jefferson County Common Pleas Court records contain Petitions for citizenship from October 31, 1893 to October 5, 1897. These records are on microfilm, specifically reel 1 of the “NB” microfilm. See index below.

Naturalization Index

We have an alphabetical index for all the early naturalizations that occurred in Louisville and Jefferson County. The index covers the years 1811-1913 and it is on seven reels of microfilm. This index is also available online via the Louisville Metro Archives, click here. The index gives the name of the person naturalized (alphabetical by lasts name), the court in which the person was naturalized, and the page and book number or letter in which the record can be found. This index includes references to many city and county record books which no longer exist, and it also includes references to books which are not in the Filson collections, but which can be found on microfilm at the Jefferson County courthouse. Abbreviations for city and county courts used in this index include CC (Jefferson County Court Order Book), NB (Jefferson County Court Naturalization Book), QC (Jefferson County Quarterly Court). Louisville Metro Archives has a document listing various naturalization records, their dates, abbreviations, and holdings. Please the online listing by clicking here.

Naturalization Book (NB) Microfilm Index:

  • Reel #1
    • Typed Index, 1851-1906. Includes Applicant’s name, Court, Book #, Page #. (This index is superseded by separate microfilm index.)
    • Written Index, 1857-1896. Includes Book # and Page #. (This index is superseded by separate microfilm index.)
    • Written Index, 1896-1906. (This index is superseded by separate microfilm index.)
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, Common Pleas Branch Book 1, pp. 1-476. Includes 31 October 1893 – 5 October 1897.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown Book 2, pp. 1-161. Includes 26 October 1897 – 16 May 1898 and 18 November 1899 – 23 February 1901.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, Criminal Branch Book 3, pp. 1-13. Includes 2 October 1900 – 19 December 1903.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 4, pp. 1-25. Includes 17 September 1900 – 29 March 1912
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 5, pp. 1-472. Includes 4 October 1897 – 25 October 1897.
  • Reel #2
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 6, pp. 1-484. Includes 6 October 1897 – 28 October 1897.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 7, pp. 1-476. Includes 11 June 1894 – 6 October 1897.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 8, MISSING
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 9, pp. 1-91. Includes 28 October 1897 – 18 April 1903.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, Chancery Branch, 1st Division. Book 10, pp. 1-44. Includes 18 September 1893 – 19 October 1903.
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 11, MISSING
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 12, pp. 1-14. Includes 25 April 1905 – 21 November 1905
    • Petitions for Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court, branch unknown. Book 13, pp. 1-7. Includes 26 April 1905 – 9 December 1905.
    • Naturalization Book 1, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-176. Includes 25 September 1896 – 20 September 1897. (Continued on Reel 3)
  • Reel #3
    • Naturalization Book 1, Jefferson County Court pp. 176-399. Includes 20 September 1897 – 2 November 1900 (continued from reel 2)
    • Naturalization Book 2, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-400. Includes 22 September 1896 – 1 October 1900
    • Naturalization Book 3, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-366. Includes 23 September 1896 – 20 July 1905 (Continued on Reel 4.)
  • Reel #4
    • Naturalization Book 3, Jefferson County Court pp. 367-398. Includes 20 July 1905 – 6 November 1905 (continued from reel 3)
    • Naturalization Book 4, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-159. Includes 1 October 1900 – 28 May 1903
    • Naturalization Book 5, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-71. Includes 3 November 1900 – 3 June 1903
    • Naturalization Book 6, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-31. Includes 20 December 1905 – 24 September 1906
    • Naturalization Book 7, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-63. Includes 5 March 1895 – 21 September 1906
    • Naturalization Book 8, Jefferson County Court pp. 1-163. Includes 13 October 1903 – 26 September 1906
    • Naturalization Book 3, Jefferson County Circuit Court pp. 1-50. Includes 26 January 1907 – 2 February 1911 (Includes declarations of intent, petitions for naturalization and other documents.)
    • Certificates of Naturalization, Jefferson County Circuit Court Includes 5 February 1910 – 11 February 1911 (These are the certificates of naturalization for the last part of naturalization Book 3, Jefferson County Circuit Court.)
    • Certificates of Naturalization, Jefferson County Circuit Court Includes 17 June 1911 – 31 December 1913. (These may correspond to persons who petitioned for citizenship in Book 11, Petitions For Citizenship, Jefferson Co. Circuit Court (Reel # 2).)
    • Naturalization and Petition Record, Jefferson County Circuit Court pp. 1-8. Includes 27 October 1910 – 14 July 1911 (Continues Naturalization Book 3, Jefferson County Circuit Court (above). Includes declarations of intent, petitions for naturalization and other documents.) (Continued on Reel 5.)
  • Reel #5 (this reel may not be included in the master index)
    • Naturalization and Petition Record, Jefferson County Circuit Court Includes 19 July 1911 – 20 January 1912 (Continues Naturalization Book 3, Jefferson County Circuit Court) Includes declarations of intent, petitions for naturalization and other documents. (Continued from reel 4)
    • Declaration of Intention Book, Jefferson County Circuit Court 1 page. 4 June 1903
    • Declaration of Intention Book, Jefferson County Circuit Court Includes 18 October 1906 – 16 June 1909.
    • Declaration of Intention Book, Jefferson County Circuit Court pp. 1-81. Includes 21 June 1909 – 26 May 1913.

(Revised 2023)

Religious institution (for example, churches, congregations, etc.) records are often a good source for the time periods between census years. We have some Louisville-based Jewish organization records and central Kentucky Christian church records, but we do not have records for every religious group in the region.

Jewish Organization Records

Jewish Community of Louisville records, 1896-2022 (bulk: 1980-2020)

The Jewish Community of Louisville records document the Jewish Community Federation of Louisville and the Jewish Community Center (JCC), two organizations in Louisville, Kentucky, that merged in 2009 to form the Jewish Community of Louisville, Inc. (JCL).

For more on the Filson’s Jewish Collections, click here.

Herman Myer and Son, Inc., 1910-

Herman Myer and Son maintains an online database of Jewish burials since 1910. The database only contains information on burials and/or deaths which occurred in the Louisville, Kentucky area and the funeral arrangements were handled by Herman Meyer & Son, Inc.

German Protestant Church Records

We have microfilm records (Microfilm 284.2 U58) for several German Protestant churches in Louisville, Kentucky:

Bethlehem United Church of Christ Christ Evangelical

Flat Rock (Pleasant Grove Baptist Church)

Salem United Church of Christ

South Louisville Reformed (Lynnhurst) United Church of Christ

St. John’s Evangelical

St. John’s, at Pond Settlement

St. Luke Evangelical United Church of Christ

St. Matthew’s United Church of Christ

St. Paul’s Evangelical United Church of Christ

St. Peter’s Evangelical United Church of Christ

Zion United Church of Christ

Other Protestant Church Records

Some records of Calvary Episcopal Church and Christ Church Cathedral of Louisville are available on microfilm.

The manuscript department has incomplete records for:

First Baptist Church of Fisherville, Jefferson County, 1977 (Mss. SB F537)

First Unitarian Church, Louisville, 1830-1986 (Mss. BA F527)

Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Louisville), 1837-1901 (Mss. BA M592)

Plymouth Congregational Church, Russell neighborhood, Louisville, circa 1916-1977 (Mss. BA P738)

St. James Episcopal Church, Pewee Valley, 1858-1980 (Mss. BA S143)

St. John United Church of Christ (formerly St. John’s Evangelical Church), Louisville, 1869-2019 (Mss. BA S143a)

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Louisville, 1839-1983 (Mss. BA S149a)

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Hickman, Kentucky, 1911-1928 (Mss. BA 3149)

Catholic Parish Records

We have transcribed Catholic sacramental records from central Kentucky counties as collected by Father John Lyons. These records are in book form and are located in the library within the corresponding county. For example, Father Lyon’s records for Marion County will be in the same area as the rest of the Marion County items.

Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, baptismal register and marriages

Gethsemani Abbey, Nelson County, registers, 1850-1954

Holy Cross Catholic Church, Marion County

Holy Mary Catholic Church, Marion County, church records, 1807-1874

Notre Dame du Port, the Church of Our Lady, Louisville, register

St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Casey County, church records, 1834-1859

St. Catharine Catholic Church, Washington County, registers

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Marion County, baptismal register

St. Clare Catholic Church, Hardin County

St. Dominic Catholic Church, Washington County, register

St. Eugene Catholic Church, Bullitt County

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Marion County, baptismal and marriage register

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Hardin County

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Nelson County, register

St. Margaret of Cortona Catholic Church, Bullitt County

St. Mary’s College Chapel, Marion County, register

St. Michael Catholic Church, Louisville, register

St. Michael Catholic Church, Nelson County, register

St. Rose Catholic Church, Washington County, registers

St. Thomas Catholic Church, Nelson County, registers, 1826-1870

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Nazareth, Nelson County, registers

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, New Hope, Nelson County

Records Held Elsewhere

Archdiocese of Cincinnati Archives – Website and FindMyPast digitization project

Archdiocese of Indianapolis Archives – https://www.archindy.org/archives/Sacramental-Records.html

Diocese of Covington Archives – https://covdio.org/archives/

Diocese of Evansville Archives – https://www.evdio.org/chancellor.html

Diocese of Owensboro Archives – online list of their sacramental records: https://owensborodiocese.org/sacramental-registers-in-the-archives/#browse

Catholic Religious Communities

Records of membership and burials for Ohio Valley area Catholic religious orders and communities of women religious tend to be held in the archives of each community. Some 19th century membership records have been microfilmed and are available at the University of Notre Dame. See the below links to learn about and get in contact with individual archives:

Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery (OSB) – https://www.stwalburg.org/contact-us/

Dominican Sisters of Peace (OP) – https://oppeace.org/who-we-are/contact-us/

Loretto Community (SL, previous known as Sisters of Loretto) – https://www.lorettocommunity.org/about/motherhouse/heritage-center-archives/  

Sisters of St. Benedict, Ferdinand, Indiana (OSB)- https://thedome.org/about/monastery-archives/

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN) – https://nazareth.org/archives/

Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky (CDP) – https://cdpkentucky.org/

Sisters of the Good Shepherd (RGS) – https://sistersofthegoodshepherd.com/request-for-archives-information/

Society of Jesus (Jesuits, SJ)

University of Notre Dame Catholic Collections – https://libguides.library.nd.edu/catholic-collections-in-the-archives/areas-of-interest

Ursuline Sisters of Louisville (OSU) – https://ursulinesisterslouisville.org/archives/

Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph (OSU) – https://ursulinesmsj.org/archives/

(Revised 2023)

School publications and records can be used to find information on and photographs of individual students and school employees.

This research guide is not all-inclusive. In addition to what is listed in this guide, there are various other school records within the Filson’s collection. A specific school can be searched for in the Manuscript Database, Library Catalog, or in PastPerfect. The manuscript database contains personal papers, diaries, and business/organization records that may be related to various schools, the library catalog contains published material, and PastPerfect contains a selection from our Photograph and Print Collections and our Museum Collections.

Yearbooks

The Filson has limited runs of Louisville area school yearbooks/annuals in the library and manuscript collections. The below yearbooks are in the closed library stacks unless otherwise noted.

Ahrens Trade High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1928-1934, 1944-1960, 1962-1972, 1974

Atherton High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1925, 1926, 1929, 1935, 1966

Central High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1933, 1936

DuPont Manual Training High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1910, 1927-1930, 1937 (1910 copy in Mss. A K79 1; 1937 copy in Mss. A W586b 29)

Durrett High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1965, 1971-1973

Eliahu Academy, 1981-1982, 1990-1992 (all in Mss. BD J J59 Jewish Community of Louisville Records)

Immanuel Lutheran High School (Louisville, Ky.)

Jesse Stuart High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1967

Kentucky Academy Day School (Louisville, Ky.), 1972

Kentucky Home School for Girls (Louisville, Ky.), 1915, 1917, 1919-1922, 1930-1931, 1945, 1948 (1945 and 1948 in Kentucky Home School for Girls records)

Louisville Baptist High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1950, 1952

Louisville Collegiate School (Louisville, Ky.), 1918-1931, 1935-1940, 1943-1946, 1948-1994

Louisville Conservatory of Music (Louisville, Ky.), 1926

Louisville Girls’ High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1908-1910, 1912-1914, 1915-1921, 1925, 1927-1929, 1931, 1933-1934, 1936-1937, 1939-1940

Louisville Male High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1910, 1912-1914, 1916-1939, 1942-1943, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1967

Louisville Normal School (Louisville, Ky.), 1926-1927

Louisville Training School for Boys (Louisville, Ky.), 1904-1905

Pleasure Ridge Park High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1960-1965

Semple Collegiate School (Louisville, Ky.), 1909, 1912

Seneca High School (Louisville, Ky.)

Shawnee High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1931-1932, 1934, 1936, 1939-1940, 1942-1944, 1947-1948, 1951-1960

Southern High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1959

St. Xavier High School (Louisville, Ky.)

Valley High School (Valley Station, Ky.), 1964

Western Junior High School (Louisville, Ky.), 1930

School Newspapers

The Filson has a limited number of school newspapers in the library and manuscript collections.

The Aquinas Advocate (Kentucky Home School for Girls), 1966

The Cynosure (Barret Junior High), 1958

The High School Records (Louisville Girls High School), 1933

The Paw Print (Pleasure Ridge Park High School), 1968

School Collections

Kentucky Home School for Girls, 1885-1972

The Kentucky Home School for Girls records include programs for commencement ceremonies (1885-1972), Pandaisia yearbooks (1945, 1948), The Nuclean student newsletter (1949-1952), registration cards listing information about students, teachers, and trustees, organized by both name and date (1951-1972), student and faculty directories  (1959-1960, 1967-1968, and undated), honor roll list (1967-1972), and Brillig student literary magazine (1967-1972).  

Kentucky Military Institute, 1926-1990

The Kentucky Home School for Girls records include records of the Kentucky Military Institute. Useful materials for genealogy are commencement programs (1926-1973), Kayemeye Anvil student newspaper (1944-1947), The Kentucadet student newspaper and alumni newspaper (1945-1990)

Louisville Collegiate School, 1916-2014

The Louisville Collegiate School records include lists of graduates (1916-1965), alumni directories (1949-1957, 1965), alumni Bulletin newsletter (1924-1925, 1952-2014), newspaper clippings about commencement and graduates for classes of 1916, 1921-2009 (scattered). Yearbooks are held in the library collection.

Louisville Country Day School, 1951-1972

The Kentucky Home School for Girls records include records of Louisville Country Day School. Useful materials for genealogy are lists of students (1951-1972, undated), graduation programs (1954-1970), student newspaper (1959-1972), student literary journals (1959-1971), alumni newsletters (1964-1972).

Louisville Female High School, 1867-1913

The Louisville Female High School records include attendance records, deportment records, and grade records for the years 1867-1913. Additionally, there are admission examination results with pupil names, ages, states of birth, ward schools, and examination grades for the years 1876-1881.

Louisville Male High School, 1856-1923

The Louisville Male High School records include matriculation books (1856-1914), graduate lists (1859-1915), academic records (1860-1912), a library record book (1870-1872), autobiographical sketches of English classes (1909-1910), subscriber lists (1907-1909), minutes of the Debating Club (1915-1918), a history of the Latin Club (1920-1923), and minutes of the Latin Club (1919-1923).

Science Hill Female Academy, 1825-1985

The Science Hill Female Academy records include attendance records (1880-1882, 1884-1939), class records books (1884-1918, 1920-1939), student lists (1879-1939), and grade records (1840, 1856-1874, 1880-1882, 1888-1969).

Records elsewhere

Lincoln Institute (Simpsonville, Ky.)

Louisville area Black students attended the Lincoln Institute in Simpsonville, Kentucky, before the creation of a segregated public school for Black students in Louisville. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives holds alumni lists (1915-1959), classification cards (1913-1935), grade sheets (1929-1954), registration cards (1946-1963), class record/attendance books (1941-1948, 1957-1965) and newsletters (1917-1966) of the school.

Jefferson County Public Schools

The Jefferson County Public Schools Archives and Records Center holds yearbooks, student records, and other school records. For more on their resources, click here.

(Revised 2023)

Family Files

The family files contain letters and ephemera that patrons have sent to the library over the years. These letters often contain questions about certain family lines or may contain information a researcher has chosen to share with the public. We have over 4,000 of these surname files. There is an alphabetical list of these files on our website for the main family file collection and the Lyons Collection (early Catholics in Kentucky).  Once you have identified the surname for the files you want to see, fill out the names on your registration sheet and a staff member will retrieve the files for you.

Family Histories

Many genealogists will publish their research in book form. We have over 5,000 published family histories. These books are shelved in the Closed Stacks. Once you have looked up the Call number and written it on your registration form, a staff member can retrieve the book for you.

While some researchers can find information on their families in these sources, most people should not count on being able to find an entire line of their family in a book on the shelf. We also strongly suggest that you check any information you do find in a book or in one of the family files. Unless photocopies of death and birth records or other primary sources document the information, you have no way of verifying that the information is correct.

Serials

The Filson Historical Society’s Serials Collection includes periodical publications such as newsletters, magazines, and literary journals relevant to life in the Ohio Valley. Serials include publications by schools, churches, county historical societies, families, organizations, and more, and can be very useful for researching family history or a certain area. View a list of serials holdings.

(Revised 2023)

City directories include various information about the city, such as a list of the inhabitants, their residence and occupation, a list of streets, businesses, and other institutions. Additionally, city directories briefly describe the state of the city for the year, including details such as the population, statistics on commerce, industry, health, education, etc. The exact details within a city directory varies depending on the year and the publisher.

The first city directory for Louisville was published in 1832. Prior to the mid-1860s, Louisville city directories were not always published yearly. There is also a gap in 1944, 1948, and 1950 during which Louisville city directories could not be located or may not have been published.

City directories marked with an asterisk (*) are in very poor condition. Other versions should be used when possible.

YearAncestry LibraryFold3 LibraryThe Filson Historical SocietyMicrofilm (Filson)University of LouisvilleLouisville Free Public Library
1832YYY
1836YYY
1838Y
1838-39YY
1841YYY
1843YY
1843-44YY
1844YY
1844-45Y
1845-46Y
1848YYY
1848-49YY
1850Y
1851Y
1851-52Y
1852Y
1855Y
1855-56YY
1858Y
1858-59YY
1859Y
1859-60YY
1861YYY (residents)
1864YYYY (business only)Y
1865YYY
1865-66YY (incl. New Albany)
1866YYY
1866-67YY
1867YY
1867-68Y
1868YY
1869YYYYY
1870YYYYY
1871YYYYY
1872YYYYY
1873YYYYY
1874YYYY
1875YYYYY
1876YYYYY
1877YYYYY
1878YYYYY
1879YYYYY
1880YYYYY
1881YYYYY
1882YYYY
1883Y (Some pages out of order)YYYY
1884YYYYY
1885YYYYY
1886YYYYY
1887YYYYY
1888YYYYY
1889YYYYY
1890YYYYY
1891YYYYY
1892YYYYY
1893YYYYYY
1894YYYYY
1895YYYYY
1896YYY*YY
1897YYY*YY
1898YYYYY
1899YYYYY
1900YYY*YY
1901YYYY
1902YYY*YY
1903YYYYY
1904YYY*YY
1905YYY*YY
1906YYY*YY
1907YYYYY
1908YYY*YY
1909YYY*YYY
1910YYY*Y
1911YYY*YY
1912YYYYY
1913YYY*YY
1914YYY*YY
1915YYYYY
1916YYYYY (incl. Telephone Directory)
1917YYYYY
1918YYYYY
1919YYYYY
1920YYYYY
1921YYYYYY
1922YYYYY
1923YYYYY
1924YYYYY
1925YYYYY
1926YYYYY
1927YYYYY
1928YYYYY
1929YYYY
1930YYYYY
1931YYYY
1932YYYY
1933YYYY
1934YYYY
1935YYYY
1936Y (Some pages out of order)YYY
1937YYYY
1938Y (Partial)YYY
1939Y (Partial)YYY
1940Y (Partial)YYY
1941Y (Partial)YYY
1942Y (Partial)Y*YY
1943Y
1944
1945Y
1946YY
1946-47YY
1948
1949YYYY
1950
1951Y (Partial)YYY
1952Y (Partial)YY
1953YY
1953-54YY
1955Y (Partial)YYY
1956YYYY
1957Y (Partial)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1958YY (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1959Y (Partial)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)
1960Y (Partial)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1961Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1962Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1963Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1964Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1965Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1966Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1967YY (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1968Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1969Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1970Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1971Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1972Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1973Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1974Y (incl. Suburban Directory 1974-75)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1975Y (incl. Suburban Directory 1974-75)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1976Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1977Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1978Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1979Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1980Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1981Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1982Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1983Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1984Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1985Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1986Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1987Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1988Y (incl. Suburban Directory)YY
1989Y (Suburban Directory only)Y
1989-90YY
1990Y (Suburban Directory only)
1991Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1992YY
1993Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1994Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1995
1995-96YY
1996
1997Y (incl. Cross-Reference Directory Louisville, Kentucky Trade Area)Y
1998Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
1999Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
2000Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
2001Y (incl. Suburban Directory)Y
2002Y
2003Y
2004Y
2005Y
2006Y
2007Y
2008Y
2009
2010Y
2011Y
2012Y
2013Y
2014Y
2015Y
2016Y
2017Y
2018Y
2019Y
2020Y
2021Y
2022Y

(Revised 2023)

Home > Research Guides > Genealogy Resources

Visit the Filson

Open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4:30 pm

The Filson will also be closed starting at noon on Friday May 3rd for Oaks Day.

The Filson is closed to the Public the 3rd Friday of every month.

1310 S. 3rd St., Louisville, KY 40208
(502) 635-5083

Plan Your Visit to the Filson!  To register or purchase tickets for our events, please visit our Events Page.

The Research Library is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4:30pm; we are closed on the third Friday of each month. Appointments are not required, but feel free to reserve a seat online – learn more here.  We also provide remote research services; please email gro.l1713999558aciro1713999558tsihn1713999558oslif1713999558@hcra1713999558eser1713999558.

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