Looking for your past? We can help!

For those doing genealogy research, Dunham Public Library offers two databases. Both offer access to thousands of information sources. HeritageQuest Online is available in the library and through remote access from outside the Library.  Ancestry.com is only available for use within the library. You must use a library card issued by Dunham Public Library.

Researchers can use HeritageQuest Online to find their ancestors, trace their paths across America, and learn what life was like in the areas where they settled. HeritageQuest Online includes all of the images, and extensive indexing, from the 1790 - 1930 U.S. federal censuses. It offers more than 20,000 book titles, including nearly 8,000 family histories and over 12,000 local histories. Additionally, there are more than 250 primary-source documents such as tax lists, city directories, probate records, and more. 

Many other distinctive and invaluable sources of information can be found within HeritageQuest Online. These include Periodical Source Index (PERSI), a widely recognized resource guide, updated annually, that covers more than 6,300 genealogy and history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800. There are other valuable collections such as the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, which identifies more than 80,000 American military, naval, and marine officers and enlisted men. The Freedman’s Bank Records is a database that documents more than 70,000 bank depositors and their dependants and heirs. The Freedman’s Bank Records is considered one of the most important resources for African-American genealogical research. All of these resources are fully searchable through HeritageQuest Online’s easy-to-use Web interface.

In short HeritageQuest includes:

• US Censuses from 1790-1930.

• Over 20,000 books including 8,000 family histories and 12,000 local histories.

• Other primary source documents such as tax lists, city directories, probate records, and more.

• Periodical Source Index (PERSI), covering more than 6,300 genealogy and history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800.

• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files.

• Freedman's Bank Records.