A look back at the past.
The Shelby Area District Library proudly houses the recently updated Local History Room. This unique collection offers multiple resources for your genealogical research and viewing pleasure including family histories, obituaries, cemetery records, historical photographs, Shelby High School yearbooks, and more.
If you wish to explore the Local History Room, please call ahead to make an appointment. Contact coordinator Jeremy Gowell at (231) 861-4565 or [email protected] to arrange a time.
Local History Room Collection:
- Benona Families Genealogies–Paul and Freda Grover
- Collection of Shelby Postcards and Pictures
- Shelby and surrounding area Family Histories
- Heritage Quest and Ancestry Online
- Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society Collection–34 volumes
- Oceana County Atlases 1895 and 1913
- Oceana County Cemetery Records and Obituaries
- Oceana County Census Records 1840-1930
- Oceana County Pioneers
- Oceana Herald on Microfilm May 1888 to June 2005
- Oceana Independent on Microfilm 1880 to 1884
- Platbooks
- Rails to Trails Scrapbook
- Samuel Atherton Genealogy Collections
- Scrapbooks
- Shelby High School Yearbooks
- Surname File
Local History Committee
Mission: to preserve and make our Shelby area local history accessible to the public.
Our committee meets periodically to discuss special topics and plan programs. If you are interested in joining the committee or would like to attend a meeting, please contact us at [email protected] or (231) 861-4565.
Have artifacts to share?
Committee members are always looking for area residents interested in sharing historical documents, photographs, postcards, personal histories, and other memorabilia to be displayed in the Local History Room. Those interested should contact the library for more information.
Other Local History Resources
- Oceana Herald Journal Newspaper Archive – An archived collection of papers from 1880-2009. This is supported and maintained by the generosity of the people of Oceana County through their support of their local public libraries.
- Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society – Official website of the local Historical Society
- Oceana County Cemeteries: Database of Oceana County cemetery records
- MyHeritage: Historical records database and search (only available on-site at the library)
- Find a Grave: World’s largest gravesite database.
- Shelby, Michigan In Pictures – Facebook page with photos from Shelby past and present.
- You Know You’re From Shelby If… – Facebook page full of photos of Shelby’s past. It also contains current events happening in Shelby.
- Stony Lake Recollections – Facebook page contains photos from the Stony Lake area.