Search the Online Local History Archive

The on-line information represents only a small but significant selection of the Archive's in-house collections. This Keyword search is a complete site search for all of the Local History databases and web pages including those in Topics, Tours, Links, and the Museum Time Line. The Keyword search also includes the Collections web pages, but it cannot search the scanned images of the "Telephone and Rural Directories" on the Collections web pages. You must search these directories as you would the original phone directory, page by page.

For more advanced search options, select a search from the left frame.

Search by Keyword:
Enter a name, place, object, or subject. Multiple words are searched as one phrase. Use "and" between words to narrow the search. Use "or" between words to broaden the search. Use "not" to exclude words from the search. Use "*" to truncate. For example:
  • mayor
  • franklin and avery
  • skat* and city park
  • loomis not n and not s
  • 101 and college
  • flood not big thompson
  • streetcar or trolley
  • under and horsetooth
It is not necessary to capitalize. If you do not find anything when searching a full name, try searching by the person's surname (last name). Many historical documents list names differently, as initials or partial names. George Avery may be also listed as George Portner Avery, G.P. Avery, Geo. Avery, or Avery, George.

Sometimes you may come across a page with a lot of text, such as the Museum Time Line pages, and wish to find the keyword or phrase you searched.

In Microsoft Internet Explorer, click Edit, Find (on this page) to bring up the Search dialog box. You can enter either a word or phrase here, and then IE will search the page, showing one by one all of its finds.

The steps are almost identical in Netscape Navigator. Click Edit, Find in Page to bring up the Netscape Find Dialog box.