Sheboygan County Historical Research Center

The collection at the Historical Research Center contains more than 1,000,000 documents and more than 500,000 images. It is comprised of things like scrapbooks, research books on genealogical topics and history, school yearbooks, State of Wisconsin blue books, church histories and anniversary books, tax records, diaries and biographies, local history books written by local authors about many of Sheboygan County's villages, Garton Toy catalogs, Phoenix Chair and other furniture company catalogs and Sheboygan Press newspapers.

The basement archive portion of the collection is full of collections stored in archival boxes.

The collection grows every week.

Since 1983:

+  2000 history articles have been written for local newspapers
+  87,360+ phone queries were answered
+  2900+ volunteers have worked tirelessly to save history
+  1479 educational programs have been offered; 51 this year alone
+  150,000+ researchers have been helped
+  500,000+ images have been collected
+  1,000,000+ documents have been processed
+  451,540 volunteer hours have been logged.
+  Those 451,540 hours translate into $8.7 million in volunteer time dedicated to processing one of the finest collections of local history in the state of Wisconsin.
+  More than $4,900,000 has been raised from individuals to support the preservation of our local history.
+ 90 books and brochures about Sheboygan County have been published

The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center is Sheboygan County’s local history archive. 

It was started in 1983 by members of the Historical Society, the Sheboygan County Genealogical Society and Sheboygan County Landmarks, Ltd. It was designed to create a central location for research documents.  Donated material came from peoples’ attics and basements, from businesses and storerooms, out of boxes and closets and into the light to be shared by all.  The formation of the Research Center was considered an odd idea at the beginning. Many said it wouldn’t work. But, 30 years, 1,000,000+ documents and 500,000+ photographs later, here we are, an outstanding success, in your backyard.

The Historical Research Center is a “sister” organization to the Sheboygan County museum and historical society, but we are two entirely separate organizations. Put simply, if you file it, it comes to the Historical Research Center and if you dust it, it goes to the Historical Society and museum.

Open five days a week, the Historical Research Center serves more than 5,000 researchers each year. We also touch more than 10,000 additional individuals each year through outreach and education programs.