Local History and Genealogy Department

Downtown Library (423) 757-5317	Support Your Library
This department provides materials about the history of the city, county, and surrounding area and serves as a depository and research center. The genealogy and local history collections are strongest for Tennessee; but we also have extensive holdings for the rest of the southeast.	Upcoming Programs? Check our programs page.

The collection includes:

• HeritageQuest Online
• Footnote - Remote searching; printing is permited inside library buildings
• Ancestry Library Edition- Access allowed only inside library buildings
• Sanborn Maps
• New England Ancestors
• 30,000 books
• 349 manuscript collections
• 150 journals
• over 23,000 microforms
• microfilm reels of the local newspapers
• microfilm reels of county records
• extensive photo database

We have all existing U.S. census records from 1790 to 1930 for the southeastern states from West Virginia to Texas.

We have an index to obituaries appearing in the Chattanooga newspapers from 1897 to 2001. More recent papers are indexed in the Local History Department.

The Chattanooga Photo Database is an ongoing digitization project with the goal of preserving three valuable historic collections available to the public only at our library.

Our librarians maintain the Local Associations database which can help you find local associations, organizations and clubs by keyword or name. If you would like your organization to be listed, mail this completed form to:

Local History Department
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library
1001 Broad Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402

Please see also

A Brief Guide to Genealogical Materials

The staff will do limited research by mail. Please see Mail services under our Library Services link on the main page.

Please see also

Genealogy and Local History Website Resources