Local History & Genealogy
GENEALOGY
Ancestry.com
Lester Public Library subscribes to the library edition of Ancestry.com. However, due publisher restrictions, this resource can only be accessed from within the library.
Manitowoc County Genealogy : www.2manitowoc.com
Originally created by Shari Milks, this is a treasure trove of genealogy information, all in one convenient place. This is one of the best places to start researching your Manitowoc County roots.
HeritageQuest Online
A comprehensive collection of American genealogical sources for researchers and scholars.
Manitowoc County Genealogical Society
Dedicated to guiding others in their genealogical research, promoting educational experiences, and aiding in the preservation of genealogical and historical records for use by future generations.
DIGITIZED BOOKS
TWO RIVERS HS YEARBOOKS 1916-1977
These fully digitized yearbooks offer a glimpse into life from the students’ perspective, including faculty and class photos, organizations and clubs, as well as special events and honors.
Neshotah: The Story of Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Long out of print, this book by Evan Gagnon has become the unofficial history of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The entire book is now freely available in digital format.
Digital Histories of Manitowoc County
Fully digitized editions of notable works of local history.
History of Manitowoc County by Falge Volume 1
History of Manitowoc County by Falge Volume 2
Manitowoc Local History Collections
Explore the history of Manitowoc and the surrounding communities through a wide selection of images, historical texts, and maps and plat books that date back to the mid 19th century. A complete list of works found in this collection can be located at the bottom of the page.
1878 illustrated historical atlas of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
This hand-tinted collection of maps is one of the earliest existing atlases of Manitowoc County.
Manitowoc County Historical Society Occupational Monographs
Created by the Manitowoc County Historical Society, these newsletters feature stories about prominent area industries, organizations, buildings and families.
PHOTO COLLECTIONS
Historic Two Rivers Photos
This charming glimpse into Two Rivers’ past is a unique blend of photographs selected from the collection of Hubert R. Wentorf (circa late 1800s to mid 1950s), and vintage product catalogs from the Fisher-Hamilton Company (now known as Thermo-Fisher Scientific), a major employer in Two Rivers from 1880 to 2012.
The Home Front: Manitowoc County in World War II
A digital collection of photographic images, oral histories, published sources, artifacts, and other resources which help to document the history and role of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin during World War II. It covers both the more universally shared home front experiences and activities as they played out in this specific county, and those more unique activities which especially defined the area during the War.
Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum
Hamilton Manufacturing began in Two Rivers, WI in 1880 and became the nation’s leader in the production of wood type used for newspaper headlines, posters, banners, broadsides and billboards. Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum is still home to the world’s largest collection of wood type.
NEWSPAPERS
Historic Two Rivers
newspapers
Search full-text local papers from 1872 to present.
In library use only. Use one of our public computers or login into the library’s wi-fi on your own device to search local papers from 1872-present.
Newspaper Archive (WI Edition)
Wisconsin historical newspapers archive from the 1800s–2000s containing thousands of well-known regional, state, and small local newspapers from around Wisconsin including Manitowoc County. To access from home, log into the library catalog with your card number and PIN (last four digits of your phone number).
Archive of WI newspapers
Full-text daily and weekly Wisconsin newspapers from 2005 to 90 days ago, plus newspapers from the 1800s and 1900s. For student and adult researchers.
Newspapers.com Library Edition World Collection
Historical newspapers archive from the 1700s-2000s containing thousands of well-known regional, state, and small local newspapers in the United States and other countries.
Two Rivers/Manitowoc Newspaper Index (searched through the library catalog)
Created by Lester Public Library staff and volunteers, this database contains obituaries, wedding, birth and adoption announcements from various Manitowoc and Two Rivers newspapers. Work on this project is ongoing; this is NOT a comprehensive index.
To search, select Title as the field, then type the person’s LAST name in the search box . To limit results, you can use the advanced search page and add one of the Subject terms (marriages, births or obituaries) in the Subject box.
ORAL HISTORIES
Listening to War: Wisconsin’s Wartime Oral Histories
As part of a Story Circle reminiscence program run by the library back in 2008-2009, area residents shared their stories by recording oral history interviews on various topics. These recordings ended up as part of the Listening to War collection, since most of them talked about their wartime experiences, but the full recordings are archived, which includes a great deal about daily life in Manitowoc County as recalled by these unique individuals.