Kentucky/Genealogy Room
Your Rowan County Public Library is privileged to feature a dedicated Kentucky/Genealogy (KY/G) Room! This special collection is like a library within the library, housing selected materials on the Kentucky and Appalachia regions as well as numerous sources for genealogical research. It includes census data in print, on microfilm/microfiche, and in our digital archive. Rowan County cemetery records and obituary files compiled by the Rowan County Historical Society are also included in this collection, as are yearbooks and the compiled works of noted local historian Dr. Jack Ellis.
State-of-the-art microfilm/microfiche equipment and software is provided in the Kentucky Room. We like to think the program is easy to use, but please feel free to ask for assistance if you need it!
Specialized Assistance
Not sure where to start? Working on your own, but hitting a snag? RCPL is glad to have a full-time historian and genealogist on staff! If you need expert help planning or performing your research, you can contact us or call us at (606) 784-7137 to speak with our genealogy librarian and schedule an appointment.
Upcoming Genealogy & Local History Events
Preserving Your Heritage: A Moment in Time - Matthew Sellers and the First Airplane
Our library history and genealogy programming promotes an awareness of and interest in local heritage. Cindy's presentations are different every month, covering a wide variety of topics, and we often welcome special guests! Intended for ages 18+.
Interested in learning about the first airplane? Join us as presenter Dennis Karwatka, a retired MSU Professor in Industrial Technology, tells us about Matthew Sellers as he flew his four-winged quadraplane on December 28, 1908 in Grahn,
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have questions about accessibility or wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact us at least three (3) working days before the scheduled event.
Preserving Your Heritage: Kentucky Humanities Chautauqua Program - Charlotte Dupuy
Our library history and genealogy programming promotes an awareness of and interest in local heritage. Cindy's presentations are different every month, covering a wide variety of topics, and we often welcome special guests! Intended for ages 18+.
Welcoming the Kentucky Humanities Chautauqua Program, Elizabeth Lawson portrays Charlotte Dupuy. This program is part of Kentucky Legends, a series exploring our state's culture, history, and lore.
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have questions about accessibility or wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact us at least three (3) working days before the scheduled event.
Want to learn how to trace your roots? Join Cindy for a monthly dive into family research and discover how to trace and identify historical documents, vet your sources, locate burial sites, and more. If you've ever wondered where you come from, finding out can be a real adventure! Intended for ages 18+.
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have questions about accessibility or wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact us at least three (3) working days before the scheduled event.
Photography/Film
Patron consent to be photographed or filmed at library-sponsored events is implied by virtue of their attendance at an event. If any adult, child, or adult on behalf of a child requests not to be photographed or filmed, that request will be honored.
Photographs and film taken by library representatives in library facilities or at library-sponsored events are used solely for library educational, promotional, and publicity purposes.
Our library history and genealogy programming promotes an awareness of and interest in local heritage. Cindy's presentations are different every month, covering a wide variety of topics, and we often welcome special guests! Intended for ages 18+.
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have questions about accessibility or wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact us at least three (3) working days before the scheduled event.
Want to learn how to trace your roots? Join Cindy for a monthly dive into family research and discover how to trace and identify historical documents, vet your sources, locate burial sites, and more. If you've ever wondered where you come from, finding out can be a real adventure! Intended for ages 18+.
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have questions about accessibility or wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact us at least three (3) working days before the scheduled event.
Photography/Film
Patron consent to be photographed or filmed at library-sponsored events is implied by virtue of their attendance at an event. If any adult, child, or adult on behalf of a child requests not to be photographed or filmed, that request will be honored.
Photographs and film taken by library representatives in library facilities or at library-sponsored events are used solely for library educational, promotional, and publicity purposes.
Our library history and genealogy programming promotes an awareness of and interest in local heritage. Cindy's presentations are different every month, covering a wide variety of topics, and we often welcome special guests! Intended for ages 18+.
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
The library makes every effort to ensure our programs can be enjoyed by all. If you have questions about accessibility or wish to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact us at least three (3) working days before the scheduled event.
Unknown Persons Gallery
We're pleased (if mystified) to feature this gallery of old photographs containing unknown persons. Your Rowan County Public Library has come into these photos through donations or other means, but we have no idea who any of the folks in the pictures are!
So, help us and your community out: Take a look and see if you recognize anybody. If you have any information to share that might help identify an unknown person, feel free to contact us and let our genealogy librarian know so we can celebrate the discovery!
Genealogy & Local History Resources
Ancestry Library Edition
Find A Grave
Heritage Quest
Kentucky Digital Library
National Digital Newspaper Program
