Alaska State Library > Library Publications > Genealogy
Alaska Genealogy
This Guide offers a basic list of Alaska related genealogy resources available to researchers. The list is not intended to be comprehensive in its coverage. Sources listed may be available in other Alaska libraries or through interlibrary loan at your local library. Additional sources are housed in the Historical Collections of the State Library, open 11:00am to 4:30pm weekdays. If you cannot visit the library or if you require in-depth research, a list of private researchers is available upon request.
- General Sources
- Anchorage Sources
- Fairbanks Sources
- Juneau Sources
- Other Alaska Towns
- Internet Sources
- Places To Find Information
General Sources
WorldCat list of Alaska Genealogy Resources
Alaska Historical Collections Manuscript List. Alaska
Historical Collection.
This is a list of manuscripts held by the Alaska State Library
Historical Collection.
DeArmond, R.N. Alaska Weekly (Seattle). Anchorage, AK:
Alaska Historical Library, 1979.
A collection of names included in the Alaska Weekly between the
years if 1923 and 1948, this index is listed by name, place, and
subject.
Alaska: Who's Here, What's Doing, Who's Doing It, 1955.
Anchorage: Jeffery Publishing Co., 1955.
"Although this book lists five hundred people prominent in the
Territory, it makes no pretense at setting up a caste system. Some of
their names were selected because of contributions to civic welfare,
some because of business achievement, some for their recognized
standing in their community . . . "
The Alaska-Yukon Gold Book: A Roster of the Progressive Men and
Women who were Argonauts of the Klondike Gold Stampede...Seattle:
Sourdough Stampede Association, Inc., 1930.
"The Gold Book is compiled and published in the interest of all
Sourdoughs who are living and in commemoration of those who have gone
beyond the Last Pass. It has been developed from a suggestion of
pioneers of the Yukon-Klondike days."
Atwood, Evangeline and Robert N. DeArmond. Who's Who in Alaskan
Politics: A Biographical Dictionary of Alaskan Political Personalities,
1884-1974. Portland, OR: Binford & Mort and Alaska Historical
Commission, 1977.
"Compilations of biographical information in this volume are drawn
from thirty years of research by the authors. The major portion has
been gleaned from old newspapers, magazines and government documents.
In addition, hundreds of telephone calls have provided information on
present-day political figures."
Bradbury, Connie, David A. Hales, and Nancy Lesh. Alaska People
Index. (vol 1 & 2, 1935-1985) Anchorage: Alaska Historical
Commission, 1986.
"The Alaska People Index was compiled to assist genealogists,
librarians, historians and other researchers in finding biographical
information about Alaskans and individuals in the adjacent Canadian
communities. The index includes over 20,000 names. Volume one is an
index to names found in the Alaska Sportsman and its successor, Alaska
Magazine, 1935-1985. Volume two is an index to the names of individuals
that appear in 23 unique Alaskan resources covering the territorial
years."
Dynes, W. M. Dynes’ Tours of Alaska and Directory of
Southeastern Alaska. Juneau, Alaska: Dynes’ Alaska Directory
Co, 1921.
This guide contains a table of contents and brief description of
Alaska tours, alphabetized by cities, as well as an index to
advertisers around the state.
Ehrlich, Lea, Alaska Journal Index, 1976-1985. Alaska: L.
Ehrlich, 1986.
"Contains approximately 5,000 citations. The index includes personal
and corporate names, geographic locations and subjects, which are
alphabetically interfiled."
Ferrell, Ed. Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850-1950,
Vol. 1- 4. Heritage Books 1994-1997.
"The majority of these early Alaskans came to the Territory between
1880 and 1910. The primary sources used for this compilation were
newspaper obituaries and magazine articles. The sources are cited in
each biographical entry."
Five Year Index, The Alaska Journal, 1971-1975. Anchorage:
Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, c. 1977.
"This subject index is a key to material which has appeared in The
Alaska Journal from Volume 1, Number 1, Winter 1971 through Volume V,
Number 4, Autumn 1975."
Guide to Probate Records for Alaska, 1885-1960. Juneau,
Alaska:Alaska State Archives, 2000.
"The list presented here is a compilation of docket entries, journal
indexes, case files and fee collection reports."
Hales, David A., Margaret H. Heath, and Gretchen L. Lake. An
Index to the Dawson City, Yukon Territory and Alaska Directory and
Gazetteer, Alaska-Yukon Directory and Gazetteer, and Polk's
Alaska-Yukon Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1901-1912.
(microfiche)
"This is an index to over 105,000 personal names included in the
Dawson City, Yukon Territory and Alaska Directory and Gazetteer,
Alaska-Yukon Directory and Gazetteer and Polk's Alaska-Yukon Gazetteer
and Business Directory for the years 1901-1912." Lists all information
found in source: name, occupation, company, address, location and
country.
Merrell, Bruce. Alaska Territorial Telephone Books, 1906-1958: A
Collection on Microfiche. Anchorage, AK: Anchorage Municipal
Libraries, 1989.
"In the course of this project 287 telephone directories were
located and copied. Many more still exist, and we will add them to this
compilation as they are found." Note: the microfiche only goes to 1958.
Nicolson, Mary C. and Mary Anne Slemmons. Alaska Newspapers on
Microfilm, 1866-1998. Fairbanks: [Juneau]: University of Alaska
Fairbanks; Alaska State Library, 1998.
"This is a guide to Alaskan newspapers available on microfilm
located in Alaskan libraries. It includes newspapers listed by title
and by place of publication."
Orth, Donald J. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names. Washington
D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967.
"This work is an alphabetical list of the geographic names that are
now applied and have been applied to places and features of the Alaska
landscape. Principal names, compiled from modern maps and charts and
printed in boldface type, generally reflect present-day local usage."
Parham, Bruce, compiler. How to find your Gold Rush Relative: sources on the Klondike and Alaska gold rushes (1896-1914). Juneau, Alaska: Alaska Gold Rush Centennial Task Force, [1997]. "This guide is intended to provide a basic list of Alaska and Yukon genealogical resources for individuals who were in the north during the Klondike and Alaska gold rushes (1896-1914)."
Pierce, Richard A. Russian America: A Biographical Dictionary.
Kingston, Ontario; Fairbanks, Alaska: Limestone Press, 1990.
"The 675 lives described here include anyone who influenced
developments in Alaska in that period, not only Russians who were
there, but sovereigns and high court officials in St. Petersburg;
British, French, Spanish and American seafarers; Finlanders, Americans
and people of other nationalities who were employed by the company; and
Native Americans. Under Russian supervision, Russian America was truly
an international enterprise involving the efforts and sacrifices of
many peoples."
Roppel, Patricia. An index of obituaries of Alaskans and those
active in Alaska. Wrangell, Alaska: P. Roppel, 1997.
"This index was compiled from various sources including newspapers,
magazines, books, and, in a few cases, grave markers. The earliest
obituary is 4/16/1899 and the latest in 2/10/1995. Publications used
for this index are listed on the following page. The Alaska Sportsman
magazine is covered through 1965 although some of the announcements
were not published until 1966."
Subject Index to Alaska Magazine, 1935-1972. (formerly Alaska
Sportsman) Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., 1973.
"This subject index is a key to signed articles and stories which
have appeared in Alaska Magazine from its beginning as the Alaska
Sportsman in January, 1935, through the December, 1972, issue of
Alaska. Each article indexed appears under the main subject heading
with which it is concerned."
Subject Index to Alaska Magazine, 1973-1977. (formerly Alaska
Sportsman) Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., 1989.
"This subject index is a guide to articles and stories that have
appeared in Alaska from January 1973 through December 1977. A previous
subject index lists material published from 1935 through 1972."
Tewkesbury's Who's Who in Alaska and Alaska Business Index.
Juneau: Tewkesbury Publishers, 1947.
"Containing a biographical index of personal sketches of prominent
living Alaskans, an alphabetical directory of business concerns and
their owners, complete directory of the fur trade and of the fishing,
mining, and lumber industries, a list of Federal and Territorial
government agencies and welfare institutions, and much information of a
miscellaneous character."
Tillotson, Marjorie. A Guide to the Eskimo, A Quarterly Magazine
Devoted to the Interests of Eskimos of Alaska, 1916-1918 and 1936-1947.
"This guide is an index to people, places and other subjects
mentioned in The Eskimo, a quarterly magazine devoted to the interests
of Alaskan Eskimos. The periodical was first published in 1916 under
the auspices of the U.S. Bureau of Education by Walter C. Shields, the
superintendent of the Northern District of Alaska at Nome."
Tillotson, Marjorie. A Guide to the Pathfinder, A Monthly
Journal of the Pioneers of Alaska, 1919-1926.
"This guide is an index to people, places and other subjects
discussed in The Pathfinder, a monthly journal published in Valdez,
Alaska, 1919-1926. It is the official organ of the Pioneers of Alaska
and contains information and portraits for many of these early
settlers."
1900 U.S. Alaska Census; with Soundex index [microfilm].
1910 U.S. Alaska Census; no index [microfilm]
1920 U.S. Alaska Census; with Soundex index [microfilm]
U.S. Census data for Alaska from the National Archives. A separate Soundex filing system for names is available for the 1900 and 1920 census, but not for the 1910. Each census is arranged by enumeration district within the Southern and Northern Districts for 1900 and within the four Judicial Districts for 1910 and 1920. The census data is confidential for 72 years; thus the 1940 census will be not be released until April 2012.
For more information on the census, see the Internet Sources section.
Anchorage Sources
Chang, Tohksook P., ed. The Anchorage Times Obituaries Index,
v.1 (1915-1965), suppl. [vol. 2] (1966-1980). Anchorage: University of
Alaska Library, 1980 (vol. 2 on microfiche).
"All obituaries of persons who at the time of death were in Alaska,
or who had once lived in Alaska, are included from the Times. Many
persons have multiple entries because it was common, especially in the
early days, to list a person in three or more editions of the paper.
Each entry is important because the information varies from one to
another. Spellings of names especially vary. The names are listed as
they were found."
Samuels, Barbara. The Anchorage Times Obituaries Index,
1981-1990. Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Collection, Anchorage
Municipal Libraries, 1991.
"Continuation of two earlier indexes produced jointly by the
Anchorage Municipal Libraries and the University of Alaska Anchorage
Library."
The Anchorage Obituary Index, 1991-1995. Anchorage, Alaska:
Anchorage Municipal Libraries, 1996.
"Continuation of three earlier indexes. The title of this index has
been changed to reflect that the Anchorage Times ceased publication in
June, 1992. After that date all obituary citations are drawn from the
Anchorage Daily News. An added field, 'Source', indicates whether the
citation is from the Anchorage Daily News (ADN) or the Anchorage Times
(AT)."
The Anchorage Obituary Index, 1996-2000. Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Municipal Libraries, 2000. "Continuation of four earlier indexes produced jointly by the Anchorage Municipal Libraries and the University of Alaska Anchorage Library.
Fairbanks Sources
Births, Marriages, Divorces and Deaths Reported in the Fairbanks
Daily News-Miner Fairbanks, Alaska 1940-1949. Fairbanks
Genealogical Society, Fairbanks.
This is an index to births, marriages, divorces and deaths reported
in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. "Even the deceased person named in
the classifieds, "Notice to Creditors," was extracted thin in the
editing process, eliminated if an obituary or any mention of the
individual's death was printed."
Hales, David A., ed. An Index to the Early History of Alaska as
Reported in the 1903-1907 Fairbanks Newspapers. University of
Alaska, Fairbanks.
"This is an index to the Fairbanks News, Fairbanks Evening News and
the Fairbanks Daily News covering the years 1903-1907."
Index of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces in Fairbanks,
Alaska Newspapers, 1903-1930. State of Alaska, Alaska Historical
Commission.
"This is an index to births, deaths, marriages and divorces as
recorded in early Fairbanks, Alaska newspapers (1903-1930) for
individuals who were affiliated in some way with Alaska or bordering
communities in Canada."
Index of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces in Fairbanks,
Alaska Newspapers, 191950-1955. State of Alaska, Alaska Historical
Commission.
This is an indes to births, marriages, divorces, and deaths reported
in the Fiarbanks Daily News-miner. "Even the deceased person named in
the classifieds,"Notice to Creditors," was extracted then in the
editing process, elimintating if an obituary or any mention of the
individual's death was printed."
Name Authority File for Fairbanks, Alaska Newspapers, 1908-Feb.
1914. State of Alaska, Alaska Historical Commission, 1986.
"This index includes over 2,500 names of individuals (Alaskan and
people in neighboring Canadian communities) whose names appeared in the
Fairbanks newspapers from 1908 to February 19, 1914."
Juneau Sources
Bayers, Lloyd H. "Kinky." Juneau People and Subject Indexes,
1890's-1950's.
Eclectic mix of Juneau subjects and people as collected by Mr.
Bayers. The binders contain photocopies of index cards containing
annotations and references to newspapers, usually the Juneau Empire.
DeArmond, R.N. The Founding of Juneau. Gastineau Channel
Centennial Association, 1980. Biographies about Juneau pioneers,
1880-1895.
"The discovery of gold in Silver Bow Basin in 1880 was not by any
means the first made in Alaska, but it was the first discovery of gold
in Alaska that resulted in the founding of a town." Includes
biographies of Juneau founders.
DeArmond, R.N. Some Names Around Juneau. Sitka Print Co.
1957.
"Listed alphabetically in the following study are 123 names for 142
places or geographic features in Juneau and its immediate vicinity,
from Point Bishop on the south to Eagle River on the north and
including the eastern side of Douglas Island."
Eppenbach, Sarah, ed. The Centennial Gazetteer: A Guide to
Juneau, Alaska Place Names. Juneau Centennial Edition, 1880-1980.
Gastineau Channel Centennial Assoc.
"Most of the information in this booklet appears with the permission
of R.N. DeArmond, who first compiled and published it in a volume
entitled Some Names Around Juneau."
Evergreen Cemetery Burial Records. Compiled by City and
Borough of Juneau, Parks and Recreation, 1996. Juneau, Alaska.
"Lists names, death dates, location of plots at the Evergreen
Cemetery in Juneau, Alaska."
Funeral Records, Master Index Juneau, AK 1898-1964 Parts I &
II.
Indexed by the Gastineau Genealogical Society, 1987. Juneau, Alaska.
"This manuscript collection contains the records of Juneau's
mortuaries, the C.W. Young Co., the Juneau-Young Co., and the C.W.
Carter Mortuary, from January 2, 1898 through March 20, 1964.
Leahy, Marilyn. Women of Juneau [includes men]. Alaska
Historical Commission Studies in History, no. 119.
"This is an index of items relating to the history of women in the
Juneau area. Two newspapers were indexed; the Alaska Free Press, of
which scattered issues are extant, 1887 to 1891; and the Juneau City
Mining Register, April 1888 through 1891."
Miller, Betty J. 1898-1922 Vital Records of Alaska & Yukon
(Marriage, Death, Birth, Divorce, Anniversary & Christening): as
Reported in the Weekly Douglas Island Newspaper. Juneau, Alaska:
Gastineau Genealogical Society, 1991.
"This book is designed to be a tool in addition to the microfilm [of
the Douglas Island Weekly]. There is an alphabetical index to expedite
your research. The index will show the year and page number within this
book that you can find an article about the person. When you find this
year and page that it appears, it will show you the exact date of the
newspaper article, page and column number, the specific event (birth,
death etc.) in some cases the location of the events and the date of
the event."
Miller, Betty J. Vital Records from the Alaska Daily Empire,
1916-1920. Juneau, Alaska: Juneau-Douglas City Museum, 1994.
"Most of the records abstracted in this book include marriages,
divorces, deaths, births, adoptions, christenings, and anniversaries.
For reference purposes, each entry contains a citation which identified
the publication and issue date, page and column, what the occasion was
and the names of the individuals involved. When known the location and
date of the event was recorded."
Miller, Betty J. Vital Records from the Alaska Daily Empire,
1921-1925. Juneau, Alaska: Betty J. Miller, 1996.
"This reference book covers vital statistical records abstracted
from the Juneau Daily Empire from 1921 through 1925."
Miller, Betty J. Vital Records from the Alaska Daily Empire,
1926-1930. Juneau, Alaska: Betty J. Miller, 1998.
"This reference book covers vital statistical records abstracted
from the Juneau Daily Empire from 1926 through 1930."
Redman, Earl. An Index to Mines and Prospects in the Juneau Gold
Belt from Juneau Area Newspapers, 1885-1944.
"In an attempt to find out more about the little-known prospects,
many hours were spent scanning microfilm of the old newspapers from
Juneau, Douglas, and Sitka in the Alaska State Library in Juneau. The
amount of information unearthed in the old newspapers was tremendous."
Redman, Earl. History of the Mines and Miners in the Juneau Gold
Belt: a collection of stories telling about the mines, the miners,
their golden dreams and how they tried to achieve them. Juneau:
5984 North Street, Juneau, AK: E. Redman, c. 1988.
"Based on Juneau-area newspaper stories, U.S. Geological Survey and
Bureau of Mines publications, State of Alaska reports, private company
reports and personal visits to many of the mines."
Other Alaska Towns
Alaska's Kenai Peninsula Death Records and Cemetery Inscriptions.
Kenai Totem Tracers, 1983.
"[The] Kenai Totem Tracers Genealogy Club decided to record and
catalog the existing cemeteries of the Kenai Peninsula Borough. This
book is the result." Includes Homer Recording District, Kenai Recording
District, Seward Recording District and Anchor Point Cemetery.
DeArmond, R.N. A Sitka Chronology 1867-1987. Indexed by
Robert N. DeArmond, 1993.
"Much of the information for this compilation came from newspapers,
and some of it from unexpected ones. The Skagway Alaskan, for example.
For about ten years after The Alaskan in Sitka ceased publication, the
Skagway paper published more Sitka news than did the Juneau daily
papers."
DeArmond, R.N. Subject Index to the Alaskan, 1885-1907, A Sitka
Newspaper. Indexed by Robert N. DeArmond. Gastineau Channel
Centennial Assoc., 1974.
"The Alaskan, a Sitka newspaper published from 1885-1907, was an
important voice for Alaska. The newspaper has been indexed
alphabetically arranged under the following categories: General
subjects, People, Sitka and Vessels."
Forrest, Celia. Index to the Petersburg Newspapers, 1913-1916.
[Anchorage]: Alaska Historical Commission, Dept. of Education, State of
Alaska.
"This index covers 1913-1916, the first three years Petersburg had
newspapers. It is intended to help researchers interested in the
history of the community of Petersburg and in the growth of industries
in the region."
Lethcoe, Jim and Nancy. Valdez Gold Rush Trails of 1898-99.
Valdez: Prince William Sound Books, c1996.
Gold Rush era documentary on the founding and development of Valdez,
Alaska's gold rush trail. Includes a "Roll Call" of people in Valdez,
Alaska in 1898-99.
Redman, Earl. An Index to Mining-Related Articles in Ketchikan
Newspapers, 1901-1936: Ketchikan District (including George and Carroll
Inlets, Thorne Bay, Gravina and Annette Island) and Hyder, Helm Bay,
Prince of Wales Island, and Southeast Alaska. Juneau: Alaska State
Library, Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums, Dept. of
Education, 1996.
"Between 1990 and 1994, the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a study
of the Ketchikan mining district, including the Ketchikan (Ketchikan,
George and Carroll Inlets, Thorne Bay, Gravina and Annette Island),
Helm Bay, Hyder. and Prince of Wales island areas. During an earlier
study of the Juneau mining district, the principal author discovered
that the old Juneau-area newspapers contained a wealth of information
on the history and location of mines and prospects in that area and the
miners who worked them. In the Juneau study, over 4,000 references were
found in the Juneau newspapers and these were ultimately put together
in an index published by the Alaska Historical Collections, Alaska
State Library."
Stallings, Mike. Index to the Seward Gateway, A newspaper,
1904-1910. Seward Community Library, 1983.
Internet Sources
AlaskaGenWeb. Eds. Ligon, Sarah and Capt. Pat Smith. USGenWeb
Project. Date accessed: June 24, 2004
http://www.akgenweb.org/
AlaskaGenWeb is an affiliate of the USGenWeb Project, a group of
volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for
genealogical research in every county and every state of the United
States. They include a list of Alaska vital records and research links
and a listing of people in Alaska willing to do personal research
lookups.
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. Ed. Cyndi
Howells. Sierra Home and Generations Family Tree Software. Date
accessed: June 24, 2004.
http://www.cyndislist.com
A comprehensive genealogical reference site containing more than
63,150 links. 232,000 links catagorized & cross-referenced in over
150 categories including categories for Alaska and the Yukon.
Yukon Genealogy and Pan for Gold Database. Accessed June 28,
2004
http://www.yukongenealogy.com
"The Pan for Gold Databases contain information on individuals who
were in the Yukon during the Gold Rush years." Material for the Pan for
Gold database was assembled by the Dawson City Museum and Historical
Society. There are 28 seperate databases that names are searched
against.
Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Search Page. Ancestry.com.
Date accessed: Junea 24, 2004.
http://www.ancestry.com/ssdi/advanced.htm
Ancestry.com's Social Security Death Index is generated from the
U.S. Social Security Administrations Death Master File. It contains the
records of deceased persons who possessed Social Security numbers and
whose death had been reported to the SSA. In most cases a report of
death was made in connection with Social Security death benefits. Only
covers individuals who had a social security number. Includes birth and
death dates and birthplace and death location (if known). (Note: the
Social Security program was enacted in 1935, so people did not have a
social security number prior to that date.)
Yukon & Alaska Genealogy Centre. Pathfinder Publications,
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Date accessed: June 24, 2004.
http://www.yukonalaska.com/pathfinder/gen/
A site created to allow access to information that Pathfinder
Publications, and others, have assembled. Sample databases include: an
index to proprietors and managers of historic Alaska and Yukon hotels,
wayhouses, saloons & cafes, a list of the 203 families who
comprised the Matanuska Colony, and more. Pathfinder Publications also
offers contract research services.
Places to find information
Alaska State Archives
141 Willoughby Ave.
Juneau, AK 99801
http://www.archives.state.ak.us/
Official state of Alaska records, probate, court records.
Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics
5441 Commercial Blvd, Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 465-3391
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/bvs/
Birth, death and marriage records after 1913. Divorce records after
1950.
Alaska Historical Society
PO 100299
Anchorage, Alaska 99510-0299
(907) 276-1596 Voice mail only
http://www.alaskahistoricalsociety.org/
Anchorage Genealogy Society
PO 212265 Anchorage AK 99521
http://anchoragegenealogy.org/
Anchorage Municipal Library
3600 Denali
Anchorage, AK 99503-6093
(907) 261-2975
http://lexicon.ci.anchorage.ak.us/guides/subject.asp?Family
Fairbanks Genealogical Society
PO 60534
Fairbanks, AK 99706-0534
http://www.ptialaska.net/~fgs/
Gastineau Historical Society
PO021264
Juneau, AK 99802-1264
Gastineau Genealogy Society
3270 Nowell Ave.
Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 586-3695 please, no collect calls
http://www.ggsalaska.org/
This organization is not for hire and provides limited research and
general consultation.
National Archives, Pacific Alaska Region
654 W. 3rd Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 271-2441
alaska.archives@nara.gov
http://www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/
University of Alaska-Fairbanks Elmer E. Rasmuson Library
Alaska and Polar Regions Department
PO 756811
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6811
(907) 474-7261
http://www.uaf.edu/library/apr/index.html
University of Washington
M-171 Suzzallo Library FM-25
Seattle, WA 98195-0001
(206) 543-1760
http://www.lib.washington.edu/Suzzallo/
Family and Genealogy Guide: http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/history/tm/geneal.html
Yukon Archives
PO 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, Y1A 2C6
(867) 667-5321
http://www.btc.gov.yk.ca/archives/index.html
Last updated June 27, 2007