History Room

The Jackson County History Room is located in the Black River Falls Public Library, 222 Fillmore Street, Black River Falls, WI.  The History Room is open, free of charge, every Monday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please call ahead to confirm hours.  Saturday appointments can be arranged. Tours and group visits are encouraged and should be arranged in advance.

Goals of the History Room:
1. To assist in the collection and preservation of written historical information concerning Jackson County and its people.
2. To disseminate that information to the public for the purpose of enjoyment, education, and research, including genealogical research

Many of the resources you use during your visit to the Jackson County History Room are acquired by monetary donations. Your donation is greatly appreciated.  Questions regarding the History Room should be directed to Mary I. Murray Woods, Historian, at m.woods@wrlsweb.org.

New to the History Room:
Swiss in Wisconsin by Frederick Hale
Welsh in Wisconsin by Phillips G. Davies
Warrens Cranberry Festival 1973-1997
Black River Falls High School 50th Class Reunion 1960-2010
Norwegians in America, their History and Record: a translated version of the 1907 and 1913 Nordmaendene i Amerika, deres Historie og Rekord written by Martin Ulvestad, translated into English by Olaf Tronsen Kringhaug and Odd-Steinar Dybvad Raneng, transcribed from Gothic script by Benjamin Keith Huntrods
Zimmerman-Buttke Connection and Associated Families by Mary J. and Louise M. Knutson
Descendants of Michael & Lois (Blodgett) Ebert, James & Jane (Everton) Annis, Leif & Susan (Stanton) Hall, and Joseph & Mary (Warner) Ware by Joanne Nash

Coming Tuesday, May 7 : “It’s Daylight in the Swamps” ~ A Musical Tribute to the Wisconsin Lumberjack!
Upper Peninsula based singer/songwriter Bill Jamerson will present an hour-long musical program about Wisconsin lumberjack history on Tuesday, May 7 at 6 p.m., at the Black River Falls Public Library.  The title of the program is “It’s Daylight in the Swamps,” a phrase shouted by cooks at lumberjack camps over a hundred years ago to wake up the men in the morning.  With guitar in hand, Jamerson sings traditional lumberjack songs, tells stories and tale tales about life in the lumber camps.

The program contains stories of strength, wit and charm.  The stories are as entertaining as they are educational; as honest as they are fun. Jamerson also presents “History Through Song” programs on Iron Miners, the Civilian Conservation Corps and Ski Jumpers. He produced eleven documentaries for public television, recorded three CD’s of songs and stories and has written a historical novel. Click here for further details, and for more information about Jamerson’s programs, contact Historian Mary I. Woods at The Black River Falls Public Library-Jackson County History Room, 715-284-4112.

The Jackson County History Room has brochures on Certificate Programs offered by the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society

• Family Reunion Certificate
• Civil War Ancestor Certificate
• Pioneer/Century Family Certificates

For details about these programs/certificates, contact Historian Mary I. Murray Woods or request a brochure by emailing her at m.woods@wrlsweb.org, or by calling 715-284-4112.

“The least people can do is to have a history
of themselves for those who come after.”
-Noah Webster