Welcome to our Online Collections Database!
Explore our Collections and Meet People
We have been reviewing and uploading items from our collection since April 2023. We have catalogued over 25,000 items since we started the museum in 2012, and we have many more items still to catalog. It will take us a while to get even a fraction of them online. Check back as we expect to add to this as we can.
Our People Files
The foundation of The History Center and The Museum of Us is our genealogy files which have been in development for over thirty years. Our database includes over 100,000 people with ties to our local communities, as residents, students, ancestors or descendants. Our intent is to record our local people, their roles in our communities, the scope of our businesses and institutions, and the changing appearance of our buildings and infrastructure.
Not all of our people records will appear in our online presentation although we are expanding that extensively but slowly. All people are recorded by their name at birth. Nicknames or married aliases will appear in the Other Name field. If you don't know the birth name of a married woman you are looking for, first check her husband's record and that will show it, if we know it.
Our Photo Collections
Our 13,000 photos include many hundreds of postcards we have purchased or which have been donated. We also have collected family photos from local people. Many collections have been donated intact while others we have scanned and returned to the owners. All of these enhance our insight into the changing environment of our people and places. We welcome photos of all of our local community members.
Everything Has A Story
Every item in our collection has a story. It tells us about the time and place it existed and its purpose. It also reflects the person who created it or used it. Lifestyles change over time, and objects tell the tale of life, work and play.
Tips for Searching
Keyword Search
The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for Hanley Ranch will return records associated with Hanley OR Ranch). If you want to find records where both keywords are found, type in AND between the two words. To search for a specific phrase, be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "Rocky Pine Ranch"). You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.
Advanced Search
The Advanced Search button can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. For example, searching White in the People field will bring up any records associated with a member of the White family, without having to sift through black & white photographs. You can also search People and Creator records through Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are available in Advanced Search.
Random Images
The Random Images button is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.
Catalog Searches (Archives / Photos / Libraries / Objects)
The catalog buttons can also help narrow down your search, by only searching with a selected catalog. If you only want to search for Photos, click the Photos button and type in your keyword(s) or phrase. You can also browse records within that catalog without performing a search. Phrase searching, wildcards (*) as well as AND/OR statements are available when performing catalog searches.