ISHS Library & Archives Collections

Information about Public Archives and Research Library (PARL) collections can be located through several on-line resources:

Columbia River Basin Ethnic Heritage Archives - A regional consortium of repositories in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. This site is specifically related to information about various ethnic groups in the region and includes materials both at PARL and the Idaho Historical Museum.

Idaho Digital Archives - A searchable database of 10 indexes from public archives holdings, including naturalization, old age and mothers' pension records; Alturas County mining claims; Idaho State Guard, Civil War and Soldiers' Home indexes; Nez Perce County district court; Washington County district court; and Owyhee County probate court.

Idaho History Online - A searchable database of images from various collections in PARL and Idaho Historical Museum holdings. Check out "Loaded: Extracting Idaho's Motherlode," an exhibit about mining in Idaho, including historic photographs, maps, newspaper clippings, oral history interviews and more!

National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections - A service of the Library of Congress, the database is particularly useful for locating oral history collections held at PARL. It also includes information about selected manuscript and public archives collections.

Northwest Digital Archives - A regional consortium of archives and special collections in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Conduct a basic search across all collections or select the advanced search option and search just those collections submitted by the Idaho State Historical Society. The database currently contains complete finding aids for 75 collections held by PARL, including manuscripts, photographs, oral histories and public archives.

OCLC WorldCat - A worldwide database of collection and services information for libraries and special collections. Includes information about book and periodical titles, maps, oral histories, manuscripts and public archives held at PARL. To search only PARL holdings, click here.

PARL staff members are always happy to assist researchers locate material in collection holdings. For information on reference and research services, click here. Staff have also prepared a number of indexes on specific topics; see links in the collection descriptions below.

Books and Periodicals

The book collection includes over 25,000 items and incorporates both historical and genealogical titles, and special collections such as the Peter Piper fly fishing collection, college and high school yearbooks, city/county/state directories, and rare, out-of-print titles.

The historical book collection includes territorial, state and local histories of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest; biographies of people prominent in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest; and books on Native Americans, the history of the West, pioneer life, mining, and many other subjects critical to understanding the historical development of Idaho and the surrounding region. There are also guides to the collections of other historical societies and archives around the country, a variety of general reference works, and a small selection of works of fiction about Idaho.

The genealogical book collection includes family and local histories, indexes to the census, military and emigration records, and guidebooks for genealogical research in all states and many foreign countries. Additional Idaho materials include vital records, cemetery records, church records, and a variety of other printed materials.

A number of periodical titles are received at PARL on a regular basis, in addition to file copies of titles which are no longer published. These include newsletters and journals from other state and local historical societies, family history and genealogical society publications, and a variety of professional publications related to history and historic preservation.

Microfilm materials include Idaho Death Index and Certificates, 1911-1937, and a substantial portion of U.S. Census records.

Maps/Architectural Drawings/Blueprints

Image of 1860 map of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and part of Montana

This collection includes some 20,000 items including original and copies of maps representing Idaho's pre-territorial, territorial and statehood days. Included are USGS topographic maps; highway maps; maps of counties and selected cities; and maps of specific areas, such as the state's various forests and mining regions.

Idaho's built environment is also well represented by blueprints and drawings from such well-known architectural firms as Tourtelotte and Hummel, Boise, and Sundberg and Sundberg, Idaho Falls.

Microfilm
Numerous materials are available on microfilm, including newspapers and selected Idaho county records (1864-1920) such as vital records, court records, and deeds. Selected Idaho material from the National Archives include the Indian Census (1884-1937), Territorial papers (1864-1890), post returns from military posts in Idaho, and Civilian Conservation Corps camp inspection reports. Other materials on microfilm include Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, theses and dissertations on a variety of Idaho topics, and diaries and correspondence from various individuals.

County Records on Microfilm

Newspapers
The Library and Archives a holds a substantial collection of Idaho newspapers on microfilm, including both daily and weekly titles, and a variety of irregularly published materials. Also available are a limited number of early titles from other western states, such as California, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Many of the Idaho titles are available for purchase; please ask for further information.

Click here to see a list of newspaper holdings:

On-line Name Indexes
Please be patient--this section is under construction

Staff, volunteers, and student interns at the PARL are working to provide on-line name indexes to many of the collections. All are works-in-progress; please check back periodically as information is added on a regular basis. If you find a name on any of the lists and would like a copy of the original record, please contact us. We do respond to U.S. mail, e-mail, and telephone requests. Please be aware that we have photocopy and research fees. Click here to review our procedures for submitting a research request.

1870 and 1880 Agricultural, Industrial, Mortality and Other Special Census Schedules for Idaho

1890 "Re-constructed" Census Records for Idaho

Ada County
Alturas County
Bear Lake County
Boise County
Cassia County
Custer County
Elmore County
Idaho County
Latah County
Logan County
Oneida County
Owyhee County
Shoshone County
Washington County

Civil War Veterans in Idaho

Idaho Biographical Index

Idaho State Penitentiary Inmate Files Index, ca 1870-1975

Naturalization Records in Idaho

Mother's Pension Records in Idaho

Old Age Pension Records in Idaho

Oral History
The Idaho Oral History Center collects the reminiscences of Idahoans who have lived through much of Idaho's history. Topics covered in the collection are as varied as frontier and pioneer life, the Civilian Conservation Corps, mining, the women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and various ethnic groups in the state. The oral history collection is held within the Idaho State Historical Society's PARL. [At the library interested individuals can listen to the tapes and read through printed material regarding each interview, such as indexes or transcripts. The library or oral history staff can make copies of tapes for people to purchase; they charge $5.00 per tape. Patrons can make copies of the printed material from the library's copy machines for .20 or .40 cents a page, depending on paper size.]

Since 1999 the IOHC's Oral Historian and Office Specialist have conducted interviews and have begun processing those interviews and interviews donated to the IOHC by interested individuals. The Idaho State Historical Society's Web master will soon add to the web site by providing information about these recent donated and in-house interviews. The IOHC has placed basic information about processed interviews--conducted between 1969 and 1998--in the collection on the web site. That information can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate link at the end of the oral history section.

Currently, the Oral Historian has finished interviews with former forest fire fighters, particularly forest service rangers, fire control officers, and smokejumpers. We also have interviewed fire support crew, including pilots and unpaid volunteers (rangers' wives), to get their stories recorded for posterity. Click on the smokejumpers hot link above to access information about this project. The Idaho Oral History Center is also an official partner and archive of the National Veterans History Project. Click here for information about this project, and for information about "Women in World War II," click here.

The oral history collection currently includes almost 3,200 interviews, on both audiotape and videotape. Nearly all have been indexed (a short description of topics discussed that has been keyed to the tape counter), and many have been fully transcribed. Interviews are available to researchers at the PARL and, with a few exceptions, through interlibrary loan services. [The IOHC will copy both tapes and transcripts and send to people outside of the southwestern Idaho area. To send copies of the tapes and transcripts, we charge $5.00 per tape and .50 cents per page of printed material (indexes, transcripts, etc.). We also charge $2.00 for shipping and handling to send any tapes or to send over 50 pages of printed material.]

Image of book cover, "A Field Notebook for Oral History"

The Center also offers information on oral history methods by means of workshops and instructional guides, such as the popular A Field Notebook for Oral History (fourth edition). The Field Notebook is available for purchase (prepayment required) - $8.00, plus 5% sales tax (Idaho residents only) and $2.00 shipping/handling for first item, $.50 each additional item. Click here (Acrobat format) to view the order form for new edition. In 1995, the Center also prepared the Directory of Oral History Collections in Idaho that lists 41 repositories holding oral history interviews pertaining to Idaho history.

Read a list of oral history narrators:

Other Resources
PARL maintains a vertical file of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and ephemera related to Idaho history. There are specialized collections of items such as postcards; card indexes on state legislators and other prominent Idahoans; and the ISHS Reference Series, brief statements on a variety of topics in Idaho history. Staff has also prepared a number of indexes and other findings aids to facilitate access to the collection.

Photographs
This collection includes over 500,000 historic and contemporary photographs, slides, and negatives of Idaho's people, communities, structures, activities, and natural features. Of particular importance are the collections of images by photographers such as Clarence Bisbee, Jane Gay, and George Tonkin.

State Archives
Contact the Public Archives staff.

The Idaho State Historical Society serves as the state archives and holds a variety of public records created by state and local governments, such as state agencies, counties, and cities. The collection includes territorial records; papers from most governors; selected vital, financial, and court records; and a variety of other materials.

Information for Records Managers in Idaho

"How to Manage Your E-mail" PowerPoint; PDF
Intro to Records Management in Idaho" PowerPoint; PDF

State of Idaho Records Management Guide
Capitol Training Program
Digital Audio Best Practices
"Here Today...Gone Tomorrow: Ensuring Access to the Future's History" slide show presentation
Guidelines for the Management of Electronic Information
Historical Repository list (Adobe format; 360 kb)
Public Records Management presentation
Conducting a Physical Inventory of Records (Chose Word document or Adobe format)
Inventory Form (Word Document )
Storage of Public Records Standards
State Archives Transfer Form: Acrobat format; Word format; Transfer Form instructions (Acrobat format)
Records of Enduring Value (Acrobat format)
A Quick Lesson on Archives and Manuscripts (Acrobat format)
Electronic Records -- ISHS Statement of Principles
Idaho Code

State Historic Records Advisory Board
The Mission of the Idaho State Historical Records Advisory Board is to be an advocate for the creation, preservation, dissemination and use of information that accurately chronicles the people and institutions of Idaho, both public and private.

The Board meets four times a year to review new NHPRC grant applications and coordinate statewide historical records concerns.