The Cottage Grove Genealogical Society Library offers a myriad of sources to help with family research. Some highlights are listed below. Our library staff is always eager to help with research, so please ask!
Books & More
CGGS Library Catalog: Our online library catalog is now live with over 5,000 records to search. This is just about 80% of the books, periodicals, maps, family histories, and reference sources we have in the library. Our volunteers are adding new records every week, so it will continue to grow. If you’d like help searching, please reach out to the CGGS staff for assistance.
CGGS Digitized Obituaries Index: Search our index of over 9,500 digitized obituaries of people with a connection to Cottage Grove. The linked file is a spreadsheet that you can download and use to search for names. Contact us to obtain a copy of the digitized obituary. We are continually adding new records to our central index, so the file will be updated quarterly.
Family Tree Maker: Family Tree Maker is software that allows you to build family trees. CGGS has monthly user meetings so people can learn the software together. CGGS does not have an organizational subscription to Family Tree Maker, but CGGS members are eligible for a discount.
Primary Sources for Family Research
The CGGS Library offers a wealth of primary source documents and records about people and businesses in Cottage Grove and south Lane County, including:
- Obituaries clipping files
- Family name files
- Manuscript files
- Donation Land Claims
- City directories
- Local newspapers
- Maps
Population of Cottage Grove, 1873-2021
The following documents provide population numbers for Cottage Grove over time, compiled with sources by CGGS member Joanne Skelton.
Selected Periodicals in the CGGS Library
- Oregon Historical Quarterly
- More titles coming soon!
Free Online Databases
Oregon Resources
- Historic Oregon Newspapers
A free online database of digitized Oregon newspapers from 1846 to the present.
— See also: University of Oregon’s newspapers on microfilm by county. - Northwest Digital Heritage:
Northwest Digital Heritage brings together unique historical collections from over 150 libraries, archives, and museums throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Explore photographs, maps, oral histories and more from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. - Oregon Historical Records Index
An index to historical records held in the Oregon State Archives, such as birth, death, marriage, naturalization, and more. - Oregon Historic Sites Database
The Oregon Historic Sites Database includes historic places that have been inventoried by Oregon’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) or listed in the National Register of Historic Places. - Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Cottage Grove)
Historic street maps of Cottage Grove showing locations and dimensions of businesses, homes, and other structures and features. Includes maps from 1898-1921.
U.S. (and beyond) Resources
- Census records from the National Archives, 1790-1950
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
A free online database of digitized U.S. newspapers from from 1770-1963. - FamilySearch
A free site for finding family history records and documents (requires users to create a free account to access the resources).
Other Genealogy Resources Online
- Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
- Family Tree Magazine
- Joanne’s Genealogy Research — An engaging blog written by CGGS member Joanne Skelton.
