Napa Valley Genealogical Society
and Library

by P. Force, 1837 to 1853, 35 volumes

What Is It? A documentary history of the American Revolution, from 1774 to 1783. Volumes include congressional correspondence, land records, commerce, foreign relations, military affairs, public lands, and more.

How Can It Support My Research? Gives historical context — the records and letters in these volumes help us understand our ancestors who lived just before and during the Revolution.

Visit our Library to explore this book set. Call Number = 328 AMER

by J. Munsell, 1900

What Is It? This book and its 1908 supplement identify published American family genealogies, as well as information that may be contained in other sources, such as local histories, biographies, historical publications, and more.

How Can It Support My Research? Helps identify potential sources of genealogical information for particular family names. Worth a look to see if families you are researching are included. Our library has many of the publications identified in this index!

Visit our Library to explore this book. Call Number = 929.1 D29m

by E. Grundset, 2011, 3 Volumes

What Is It? This book set, published by the Daughters of the American Revolution, describes what life was like for women living during the Revolutionary Era. The first volume includes biographies of specific women and describes the different aspects of women’s lives, such as their rights and legal status, politics, and their role in the war effort. The second volume dives into the lives of women in specific regions: New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the South. The third volume contains an extensive bibliography to assist with further research.

How Can It Support My Research? If you have identified a female ancestor who lived during the American Revolution, you will likely find information about her in this set. Otherwise, these volumes do a wonderful job of providing historical context and listing possible resources for further research.

Visit our Library to explore this book: Call Number = 973.3 H69g

by H.H. Bancroft, 1964

What Is It? Each entry in this index includes a brief biographical sketch and history of the inhabitant's time in California. This book is comprised of extracts from Bancroft’s seven-volume History of California.

How Can It Support My Research? Useful tool for finding information about your California pioneer ancestors, including the earliest Mexican and Spanish pioneers.

Note: Our Library also has Bancroft’s 39-volume History of the Pacific States and Native Races of the Pacific States.

Visit our Library to explore this book. Call Number = 920 D38b

1920s to 1970s, multiple volumes

What Is It? These volumes contain the original records from the F. W. Mercier & Parmelee (St. Helena, 1923-1930) and Simic (Calistoga, 1929-1971) funeral homes. The records have also been indexed by our library.

How Can It Support My Research? Each record often includes quite a bit of vital information about the deceased person(s), such as birth date and place, parent’s names and birth places, and burial information.

Visit our Library to explore these books: Call Number = Special Collections

3 volumes

What Is It? The Veterans Home of California was established at Yountville in 1884 to provide services to Civil War veterans. Information on deceased former residents is listed alphabetically by name and includes dates of birth, death, enlistment, and discharge, as well the conflict in which they served. Two of the volumes list residents and patients from 1884-1981. The third volume lists those buried in the facility’s cemetery from 1884-2001.

How Can It Support My Research? These volumes might help you confirm whether an ancestor lived at the Yountville veterans home; if so, you'll find some basic information about them and their service.

Visit our Library to explore these books: Call Number = 979.419
For more info, check our online catalog.

by Glazier and Tepper, 1983-1986, 7 volumes

What Is It? These volumes list Irish immigrants who arrived at the Port of New York between 1846 and 1851.

How Can It Support My Research? If your ancestor(s) immigrated through New York around 1850, you may be able to find a record of them in this book series.

Visit our Library to explore this book set. Call Number = 325.2 FAMI

more than 200 volumes!

What Is It? Our library holds a substantial collection of books describing the genealogies of specific families, family names, and historic figures. The collection includes many local families, as well as national and international.

How Can It Support My Research? If you are looking for a book that details the genealogy of a specific line of your family, you could find it in our collection.

Visit our Library to explore these books: Call Number = section 929.1
Search our online catalog for specific family genealogies.

by J. Newman, 1985

What Is It? Describes changes to American immigration procedures throughout the years; includes an extensive bibliography, a list of procedures and dates, and samples of documents. Long thought lost, this publication was recently re-discovered at the Indiana Historical Society and made available to the public.

How Can It Support My Research? This book can help you understand the rules in place at the time your ancestors came to America. It may also help you gain insight into the conditions, obstacles, and struggles they endured.

Visit our Library to explore this book: Call Number = 323.62 P49n

by H. Lindgren, 1996

What Is It? This indexed book records the experiences of female homesteaders in North Dakota, revealed through interviews, land records, letters, and diaries.

How Can It Support My Research? Provides historical context about women who homesteaded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the northern Great Plains. If your ancestor is one of the women featured, you may learn quite a bit about her specific experience.

Visit our Library to explore this book: Call Number = 978.4 R28l