Local History

Online Resources

Ancestry.Com

This is a powerful genealogical research tool with access to U.S. censuses, Historical Records, Photographs and Maps and much more.

HeritageQuest Online

(remote use with Monroe County Library System library card)
A powerful and popular genealogical resource that includes:

• 20,000+ family and local history books, entirely searchable,
• U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1930, searchable by name, place of birth, age, ethnicity, and other variables,
• The PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), a subject index covering genealogy and local history periodicals written since 1800,
• Freedman’s Bank Records, of the Freedman’s Savings & Trust Company which was the primary bank for American’s freed slaves and others from 1865-1874, documenting more than 100,000 bank depositors and over 480,000 of their dependents and heirs, and,
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, recording historical and genealogical information about 80,000+ individuals who served in the Revolutionary War. 

Dictionary of American Family Names

The Dictionary of American Family Names contains more than 70,000 of the most commonly occurring surnames in the United States, giving their comparative frequencies, linguistic and historical explanations, selected associated forenames, and occasional genealogical notes.

Local Cemetery Survey Records- Henrietta, New York

A searchable database of gravestone surveys from the eight known cemeteries in Henrietta, New York.  Access to survey data is by surname, and search results include burial location and vital information. 

Local Newspaper Index - Henrietta, New York

A searchable index to newspaper articles published in the Henrietta Post (November 19, 1999 to present) and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (July 30, 1990 to present).  The content of the articles indexed may be accessed in the library via microfilm. 

Local Obituary Clippings - Henrietta, New York

A collection of clippings of obituaries taken from Henrietta and Rush, New York area newspapers from 1958-1976.

Digital Collections

A digital collection containing images and audio clips, primarily related to Henrietta’s history and culture, and organized by theme. 

Finger Lakes and Genesee Heritage

Finger Lakes/Genesee River Valley Heritage (FLGRVH) provides a glimpse at the history and culture of the Finger Lakes and Genesee River Valley areas of upstate New York.

Rochester History

Rochester History is a journal that covers the history of Rochester and western New York.  All articles are available online and searchable- from 1939 to the present day. 

Rochester Images

Rochester Images is a database that includes thousands of historical and contemporary images- photographs, maps, postcards, and the like- from Rochester and Monroe County, New York.  Images were chosen from the collections of the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County Local History Division, the City of Rochester Municipal Archives and City Hall Photo Lab, the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the Town of Brighton Historian’s Office, the Town of Perinton Historian’s Office, the Village of East Rochester Historian’s Office, and the Village of Hilton Historian’s Office.  

New York Heritage Digital Collections

New York Heritage Digital Collections is a website connecting more than 160 digital collections from around the state, contributed by libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions. It provides access to materials such as photographs, postcards, correspondence, manuscripts, oral histories, yearbooks and newspapers.