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Book review:
Local Histories of Ontario Municipalities, 1987-1997: A Bibliography


Originally printed in 'The Journal of the Victoria Genealogical Society, v.22, #2, June 1999

Aitken, Barbara B. Local Histories of Ontario Municipalities, 1987-1997: A Bibliography. Ontario Genealogical Society, 1999. 93 pg. ISBN 0-7779-0218-4.

Genealogists are always searching sources of information hoping to find a piece of the puzzle that will give a clearer picture of who their ancestors were, where they were and when. We scour census reports, cemetery listings, directories, voters lists, land records and send hours on the internet. However one of the best sources is often overlooked.

Local histories are that underused resource. They are very difficult to track down even if you know that they exist. Barbara Aitken has produced a bibliography that identifies over 1200 local histories, books and pamphlets, that were published or reprinted between 1987 and 1997. Represented are agricultural, educational, military, medical, transportation, political, social and biographical histories and atlases that are identified with particular places such as municipalities, townships or counties.

Entries, listed alphabetically, list the authur, title, publisher and a brief description of the book. Also there is a list of some locations where copies of the books are held which will assist you when requesting an inter-library loan.

This is the third volume in the series. Volume 1 (1978), covered the years 1951-1977 and volume 2 (1989), 1977-1987. Both are available at MacPherson Library, UVIC. Volume 1 is also in the Greater Victoria Public Library.

The authur has made a considerable effort to accumulate the information and has presented it in a clear, easy to use format. These bibliographies are a must read for those interested in Ontario.


CanGenealogy.com > Hugh Armstrong's Genealogy Site Index