Mike Dixon
Links to quality, online resources for local and family history research.
Historian | Research, Lectures & Writing
Delaware -- History & Genealogy
On this page, you will find links to high quality, online resources and specialized search engines, which I have found helpful when doing local and family history research in Delaware. The resources are divided into major topics such as books, maps, photographs and newspapers. The page is focused on high quality, on-demand digital content.
E-Books
Digital Libraries for E-Books
Digital Public LIbrary of America
Hathi Trust has many De;aware titles on this site, a partnership of academic & research institutions.)
Delaware Titles Online
Address on the history of the bundaries of the state, John W. Houston, 1879
The Delaware Continentals, 1776 - 1783, Christopher L. Ward, 1941
Delaware Pubic Archives ebooks -- Titles from the heritage collection.
Delaware State Directory and Gazetteer for 1874-75, Wm. H. Boyd
Dutch Explorers, Traders and Settles in the Delaware, C. A. Weslager
Dutch and Swedish Place-Names in Delaware by A. R. Dunlap
Geographical Description of the Staes of Maryland and Delaware; Joseph Scott, 1807
History of Delaware, 1843 - 1898, J. Thomas Scharf, 1888
History of the State of Delaware, by Francis Vincent, 1870
History of Education in Delaware, Lyman P. Powell, A.B
Little Known History of Newark, Delaware and its Environs, Francis Allyn Cooch, 1936
The Majestic Delaware, the nation's foremost historic river, Francis Burke Brandt, 1929
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Guide; Charles P. Dare, 1856
Thomson's Mercantile and Professional Director for Delaware, Maryland, Virginia . . ., 1851-52; William Thomson
Wilmington, .Delaware Three Centuries Under Four Flag, 1609 - 1937
Newspapers
Online Free Digital Papers
DE Newspapers at Chronicling American from the Library of Congress -- Includes the Middletown Transcript (1868-1884), the Wilmington Daily Gazette (1872-1883), and more.
Historical Eastern Shore Newspapers from the Nabb Center -- Includes Delaware Advertiser & Farmers Journal, Delaware Weekly and Delaware Weekly Advertiser & Farmer's Journal - 1828 - 1831
Middletown Transcript, from the Library of Congress, 1868-1922
Newark Post from the Library of Congress, 1912-1924
Newark Post - Digitized copies from the U of DE from 1913 to 2011
The Review, the student paper at the U of DE, from 1970 to 2o12
Sunday Morning Star (Wilmington) - 1880s to 1950 -- (This is a Google
newspapers product, which is text searcable. It's an excellent Delaware resource
Subscription Databases
Wilmington Newspapers Online, Including Evening Journal and Morning News, 1870s to present
Genealogy
Delaware Birth Records, 1800 - 1908
Delaware Death Records, 1811 - 1933
Delaware Marriage Records, 1744 - 1912
Delaware Marriage Records, 1806 - 1933
Genealogy Guide from the Delaware Division of Libraries - Links to many resources.
Kent County Probate Records, 1680 - 1800
New Castle County Wills, 1682 - 1800
Sussex County Probate Records, 1680 - 1800
Wilmington, Catholic Diocese Cemeteries Index, 1876 - 2012
Maps
General High Quality Map Search Engines
Coast Survey - Historical Map & Chart Collection
Library of Congress - Map Division
Old Maps Online (excellent map search engine for any needs interfacing with major map repositories.)
USGS Topographic Map Explorer (many high qualtiy USGS maps for Harford county spanning over 100 years.
Delaware Maps
Atlas of the State of Delaware, Pomeroy & Beers, 1868
Delaware Aerial Maps - From the 1930s forward, this site contains aerial maps of the states and much more.
Map of Kent County, Delaware, J. H. French, 1859
Map of New Castle County, Delaware, G. M. Hopkins & Co., 1881
New Castle County, Samuel M. Rea, 1849, from the Library of Congress
New Castle County Map. Rae & Price, 1849 - (high quality zoomable version)
Sketches/Special Maps
Birds Eye View - Clayton, O. H. Bailey & Co. 1885
Birds Eye View - Dover, O H. Bailey & Co., 1885
Birds Eye View, Georgetown, O H. Bailey & Co., 1885
Birds Eye View, Harrington, O. H. Bailey & Co., 1885
Birds Eye View, Middletown, O H. Bailey & Co., 1885
Birds Eye View, Milford, O H. Bailey & Co., 1885
Birds Eye View - Smyrna, O H. Bailey & Co, 1885
Birds Eye View - Wilmington, H. H. Bailey & Co., 1874
Hexamer General Survey Maps -- fire insurance maps for industries in Cecil County -- From the Philadelphia Free Library
Official County Maps for Property Research
DE -- New Castle County GIS Map Viewer -- You may look up a variety of map layers including aerial photos and property transactions
Photos
Delaware Digital Collections at the U of DE - A diversfied collection of resources, including photographs, pstcards, oral histories, Civil War era diaries and letters, newspapers and much more.
Delaware Heritage Collection -- Photos, audio/video and other important items documetning Delaware's history and culture.
Delaware Public Archives - Digital Collections of photographs and much more.
Misc.
Dover, DE Municipal Records - Full text, including city minutes, committees, and commissions, beginning in the 1920s.
House Research Guide by New Castle County Dept of Planing