New Jersey Resource Spotlight: Plainfield Public Library – Local History, Genealogy and Special Collections

At April 09, 2018
By admin
In genealogy, new jersey, NJ genealogy records, Plainfield genealogy
0

The below article originally appeared in the Genealogical Society of New Jersey (GSNJ) Newsletter, Volume 25, Number 1-2, Spring/Summer 2016 and is being re-published with permission of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey.

Click the Above Image for the Full GSNJ Article.

Plainfield New Jersey Genealogy

Plainfield, New Jersey is located near the junction of Middlesex, Somerset and Union Counties. The Local History, Genealogy and Special Collections, housed in the Plainfield Room at the Plainfield Public Library (PLL), are a goldmine for researchers and family historians with roots in this region of New Jersey. The majority of the collection items may only be viewed in the Plainfield Room, but a visit to the Plainfield Room is worth the trip. For those who have researched GSNJ collections, you will find the PLL’s Family Bible records are a valuable supplement to the GSNJ Bible Records collection found at: http://www.gsnj.org/bible-records-index/.

Since the GSNJ Newsletter article was published, indexes for the A. M. Runyon and Memorial Funeral Home records, Plainfield Police Logs and Tax Receipt Ledgers were digitized and are accessible on the library website. Indexes continue to be posted as they are created. Consult the staff to view the original records and ledgers.

With new genealogy projects being initiated and digital files being added over time, DURH recommends visiting the Local History Collection website often for collection updates and news: http://www.plainfieldlibrary.info/Departments/LH/LH_main.html.

A list of resources for additional New Jersey genealogy research in the Plainfield area is provided below.

Additional Genealogy Resources:

Historical Association of Woodbridge Township: https://www.facebook.com/HAWTWP/

Historical Society of Plainfield: http://www.drakehouseplainfieldnj.org/about.html

Metuchen-Edison Historical Society: http://www.metuchen-edisonhistsoc.org/

Plainfield Revolutionary War Sites: http://www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com/

Somerset Historical Society: https://somersethistorynj.org/

South Plainfield Historical Society: https://www.facebook.com/South-Plainfield-Historical-Society-264439776909976/

Union County Historical Society of New Jersey: http://unioncountyhistoricalsocietynj.org/

Union County Genealogy Resources: https://njunion.wordpress.com/

Genealogy Research in New Jersey

Researching Your New Jersey Family

While access to genealogical information has increased exponentially with the internet, many of the clues needed to find your ancestors aren’t online. They are still waiting to be discovered in archives, historical societies, libraries and special collections.

New Jersey can offer a wealth of information for those researching their recent and more distant ancestors. The trick is knowing where to look and what to look for.

As New Jersey genealogists, our research has taken us everywhere from the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton, to county historical associations, and even to small town public libraries. Each repository offers its own unique resources that can open new research avenues and sometimes break through the hardiest of brick walls.

The main hub of genealogical research in New Jersey is, of course, the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton. Its collections of birth, deaths and marriages are an invaluable resource. Yet, the Archives offers so much more than the standard BDMs. Newspaper collections, court records, divorce records, early colonial records, and a host of county records – deeds, mortgages, naturalizations and wills – are a few of the collections we have searched through first-hand. These additional records can provide important clues and often paint a much broader picture of your ancestors’ lives.

While the Archives is one of the first stops for any researcher, New Jersey also has a network of special collections, archives and historical associations throughout the State. Researchers can access bible and family records at Rutgers’ Special Collections, search through the Archdiocese of Newark’s microfilm collections at Seton Hall, look through early Paterson family files at the Passaic County Historical Society’s Library or locate an early 19th century deed at the Monmouth County Archives in Freehold.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with these great institutions. Many of them provide finding aids and collection descriptions on their website. Knowing ahead of time what you are looking for will make your trip that much easier. Calling ahead or e-mailing the staff before your visit is a great idea too.

One of the most underutilized resources in New Jersey are local public libraries. Many have great collections of obituaries, biographies, city directories, and even high school yearbooks. The New Jersey Rooms at the Newark and Jersey City Public Libraries and the impressive collections at the Plainfield Public Library are just a few examples. There are many more libraries throughout the State with great collections for genealogists and family historians.