Ancestry Magazine

You’ve done the work—but what will become of it? When no one in the family decides to pick up where you’re leaving off, consider donating it instead.

“The first, best step is to identify the local historical society in the area where the artifacts are from,” says Curt Witcher, manager of the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library. Local libraries can help you find historical societies anywhere in North America and beyond. Print and online directories can be useful, too. More specialized historical societies that focus on local railroad history, canal and river history, mining, or other topics may also be interested in your artifacts. And don’t forget state historical societies and state museums.

Most institutions will take “published family works, including family histories, transcribed diaries, and histories of a family as part of a church or local community,” Witcher says. Other sought-after items include letters, diaries, photographs, tools, and uniforms and other period clothing.

“Any item that is authentic can be considered for donation,” Witcher notes. The more information you can provide about the item, the better. Written histories detailing who owned the item, date of creation, and any other data that puts it in its historical context are appreciated.