Uncover Your Roots & Discover Local History at Your Library!

Step back in time in the Local History Room at the Germantown Public Library! Whether you are piecing together your family tree, curious about who owned your property decades ago, or eager to explore the rich history of our surrounding communities, our specialized collections are here to help you turn back the pages of time.

What You Can Explore:

• Genealogy & Family Histories: Discover donated records and stories from local families.

• Germantown Collection: Dive deep into local heritage, church histories, military histories, Interurban histories. 

• Ohio Collection: Regional books covering Montgomery County and the State of Ohio.

• School Yearbooks: Reminisce and research through our collection of yearbooks from Germantown High School, Farmersville High School, and Valley View High School.

• Historic Property Atlases: Request historical maps and plot records to see past landowners and map out land boundaries in various Ohio counties.

• Archival Collections: Access unique historical records, including the Miami Military Institute, Valley View School District, local church histories, Germantown Union Cemetery Records, Germantown history and photographs, and the history of our library itself.

You can also check out our digitized collection in progress on Ohio Memory.

Need Help with Your Research?

Have a specific question, need someone to walk you through the collections, or have a research request? Sarah, our Local History Librarian, is here to assist!

• In-Person Consultations: Stop by the front desk to schedule a one-on-one appointment with Sarah.

• Remote Inquiries: Not in the local area? Email Sarah at sshirk@gtownlibrary.net. (Please allow time for research and response).

Collections of Germantown Public Library’s Local History Room Archives  

MS-1 Germantown Press Newspapers Collection Newspapers from Germantown Press 1954-2023 with broken incomplete issues between 

MS-2 Germantown /Farmersville Press Newspapers Newspapers from Germantown Farmersville Press 1993-1998 with broken incomplete issues between 

SC-1 Germantown Independent Newspapers from Germantown Gazette 1861-1865 with broken incomplete issues between 

MS-3 GPL Microfilm Collection Microfilm collection for genealogy items, churches, newspapers, and cemetery records. *We do not have a microfilm reader that is updated to view. 

MS- 4 Germantown Garden Club Twin Valley Garden Club records and scrapbooks from the 1950's-1980's. Newspaper clippings and photographs. 

MS- 5 Miami Military Institute MMI This collection has photographs, catalogs and memorabilia from the Miami Military Institute that was prior to that an early college in Germantown started by the Brown Family.  

MS- 6 Valley View School District Records Comprised of early school district financial records, commencement slips, photographs, composites, and school newspapers.  

MS- 7 Community Scrapbooks Germantown scrapbooks dating from 1940's to 1960's of local and national clippings. 

MS- 8 Germantown Churches Collection Variety of information on local churches through bulletins, memorabilia, and photographs. 

MS- 9 Violet Rhodes Family Papers The family papers and oral history of Violet Rhodes 

MS- 10 Germantown Cemetery Records The Germantown Union Cemetery Records of internments and financials until the 1950's. 

MS- 11 Daughters of America Twin Valley Chapter Collection DoA collection of membership records and activities in Germantown from 1900-1970's. Defunct. 

MS- 12 Germantown Building & Savings Association Early banking records of the GBSA that has early mortgages, transactions and stocks and bonds. 

MS- 13 GAR Records Grand Army of the Republic 1880's records and rolls that were from Germantown, Ohio. Military Cert. 

MS- 14 Germantown Collection Misc. collection of Germantown, not limited to telephone directories, photographs, Miami Conservancy Bulletin 

MS- 15 Germantown Public Library Collection Misc. collection of Germantown Public Library History 

Local History Donations:

Do you have donations of local genealogy or historical photographs to add to the Local History Room? Please contact Sarah at the email above to discuss what you may have and if it fits our collection guidelines.