History & Genealogy

To make a Research Request, see below.

U.S. History
Search balanced coverage of events in U.S. history. Best for novice historians and academic researchers. Updated daily.

U.S. History in Context
Uncover information on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in U.S. history from a variety of sources.

World History
Access balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field.

Gale eBooks (Virtual Reference Library)
Explore this database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform. For multidisciplinary research.

Cyndi’s List
A categorized and cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.

Find A Grave for Hood River County
A limited list of the cemeteries and internments for Hood River County.

History Museum of Hood River County
Avid collectors of local stories, the 1907 Pioneer Society later morphed into The History Museum of Hood River County, built in 1978. An active participant in this vibrant multi-cultural community, the non-profit History Museum brings the region’s past and present alive through permanent displays, temporary exhibitions, and programs.

Also see: Historic Hood River, a photoblog of digitized photographs from the History Museum.

Historic Oregon Newspapers
Digitized newspapers from the University of Oregon’s Oregon Digital Newspaper Program. Includes The Dalles Chronicle up through 1922, several Portland-area newspapers, and several Hood River County newspapers.

Hood River County GenWeb
A collection of online resources for people researching relatives in Hood River County, including an active community of family historians who can assist in your research.

Vitals from the Hood River Glacier
Various vital information appearing in the Hood River Glacier from 1889 through 1903. The newspaper published through 1933.

Research requests & additional resources:

Library staff are happy to help genealogists and other historians with their research projects. This includes finding obituaries, news articles, and other articles. We also provide access to several print and online genealogy resources.

Costs for services

Research requests from Hood River County residents: Free
Research requests from out-of county residents: First 15 minutes are free; $30/hour thereafter, charged in 15-minute increments.
Digital copies/scans: Free
Print copies: $0.15/page
Mailing fee: $1.00 (waived if a self-addressed stamped envelope is received)

Obituary requests

Obituary requests can be sent to info@hoodriverlibrary.org (preferred), called in at 541-386-2535, or mailed to 502 State St., Hood River, OR 97031. Requests should include the following:

Full name of decedent, exact date of death, place of death
Your name and e-mail and/or phone number
Whether you want digital or print copies

Our patrons keep us busy, so library staff unfortunately will not search for obituaries without an exact death date.

Newspapers, yearbooks, and other materials

The Library District has access to the following resources:

Hood River Glacier, 1889-1933 (print and microfilm)
Hood River News, 1909-present (print and microfilm)
Cascade Locks/Bonneville Dam Chronicle, 1934-1939 (print and microfilm)
Hood River County (Daily) Sun, 1936-1952 (print and microfilm)
Mosier Bulletin
Whistlepunk
Miscellaneous yearbooks from the following schools: Cascade Locks High School, Hood River (Valley) High School, and Wy’East High School
Miscellaneous Polk City Directories for The Dalles/Hood River from 1992-present
Internment records for the following Hood River County cemeteries: Cascade Locks, County, Frankton, Jackson, Mt. Hood, Parkdale, Pine Grove Butte, Shelley, and Wyeth. Records may not be current.
Miscellaneous other Hood River County, Columbia Gorge, and Oregon books, periodicals, and other materials. Search our library catalog.

Requests for copies of newspaper articles can be sent to info@hoodriverlibrary.org (preferred), called in at 541-386-2535, or mailed to 502 State St., Hood River, OR 97031. Requests should include the following:

Approximate date of article, names of persons involved, subject, and/or location of event
Your name and e-mail and/or phone number
Whether you want digital or print copies

Our patrons keep us busy, so library staff unfortunately will not search for newspaper articles without an approximate date.

Other genealogy organizations in Hood River County

In addition to Hood River County Library District, there are several other organizations with an interest in genealogy in the area.

Cascade Locks Historical Museum
Inside Cascade Locks Marine Park. Open May-September. 541-374-8535
Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society
Check out their their blog, too.
Mid-Columbia Family History Center (541-386-3539)
Available at 18th and May Street, Hood River (inside the LDS Church). Open Tuesday & Thursday 10.00a-5.00p, Wednesday 10.00a-7.30p, and Saturday 3.00-6.00p. In addition to a rich collection of print materials, the family history center has subscriptions to Ancestry.com, Fold3, and HeritageQuest Online, and WorldVitalRecords.com. One-on-one help available.