Special Collections & Area Research Center

Primary Source Material

The Belgian American Research Collection documents the Belgian ethnic community in northeastern Wisconsin. Drawn from the records of the Belgian-American Ethnic Resource Collection in the Special Collections Department of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Library, these original documents reflect the character of the Belgian Community and include legal papers, diaries, letters, and oral histories.

The Great Lakes Maritime History Project is a collaborative digital project. The Milwaukee Public Library, Wisconsin Historical Society, UW-Superior, and Special Collections, Murphy Library, UW-La Crosse contributed photographs, audio recordings, and other records to provide a history of commercial navigation on Wisconsin waters, including Lakes Superior and Michigan and the Mississippi River.

The Wisconsin Pioneer Experience  is a digital collection of diaries, letters, reminiscences, speeches and other writings of people who settled and built Wisconsin during the 19th century.  The historic papers included were drawn from the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Area Research Centers including the La Crosse ARC at Murphy Library, UW-La Crosse.

Wisconsin Historical Society - Founded in 1846, two years before statehood, and chartered in 1853, it is the oldest American historical society to receive continuous public funding. By statute, it is charged with collecting, advancing, and disseminating knowledge of Wisconsin and of the trans-Allegheny West.

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives - The Archives maintains an online catalog ArCat describing its manuscript and government records collections. ArCat is the most comprehensive tool for learning about the archival holdings of the Historical Society.

Special Collections & Area Research Center