Research Guidelines
Below, you’ll find the Research Guidelines for each of our museum locations:
Archive & Resource Center
Maritime Museum
Heritage Museum
Archive & Resource Center
Poulsbo City Hall, 200 Moe Street, 2nd Floor
The Archives hold the Poulsbo Historical Society subject files, biography files, databases for photos, and mini displays of artifacts not regularly displayed in the three main PHS museums. Researchers are welcome to explore on their own. The Archive & Resource Center is open on Tuesdays from 10AM – 1PM, Thursdays 10AM – 4PM, and by appointment. Volunteer hosts are being recruited in hopes of extending the number of days per week that the ARC is open.
GUIDE TO RESEARCH HOLDINGS IN THE ARCHIVE & RESOURCE CENTER
In general, our files are broken into three areas: People, Places, and Things/Events.
What we have in the Archives:
I. NAMES
A. Bio files – paper files with family histories
B. Computer/Family Tree Maker – Poulsbo (names, places and steamers)
C. Poulsbo History on computer:
a. NK Herald transcribed or scans
b. Census 1885-1940 [by years] not searchable except page by page, these are images. Many census records can be found on Family Tree Maker under the family’s name/facts
c. People – family searches we have compiled
d. Cemeteries
e. Oral Interviews
D. Photo Database Categorized/People on museum computer.
E. Oral Histories on museum computer.
II. HOMES
A. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo type “house” in index window
b. Photos database categorized /Homes – filed by street name
c. Poulsbo History/House Histories
B.. Maps – Flat File
a. Plat Maps 1885, 1909, ca. 1930, 1955.
b. Utility map [Sewer 1933]
III. PLACES
A. Plat Maps
B. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo – index look for the place name
b. Photo Database Categorized /Places, Front Street, town name
C. Subject files – a large list of local subjects are filed and open for perusal.
IV. BUSINESSES & INDUSTRIES
A. Maps – City of Poulsbo.
B. Computer:
a. FAMILY TREE MAKER/POULSBO – index, type in business or industry name: I.e. café, Len’s, steamer, Verona etc.
b. Photo Database Categorized/ Front Street, Area Businesses, Poulsbo Junction or by industry i.e. Fishing, Boat Building, Transportation etc.
c. Poulsbo History/Poulsbo History/Herald Combined, Herald Scans
d. Poulsbo History/Places/Front Street Project
C. Pictorial maps in hall outside museum.
D. Subject files
V. BOATS, STEAMERS, FERRIES
Most of our Maritime collection has been moved to the Maritime Museum Library. We do have the following at the Archives:
A. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo – index – Steamers, boats
b. Photo Database Categorized/ Boats/ships, Boat Building, Steamers/Ferries, Fishing , Docks, Poulsbo Waterfront
B. LIBRARY: a few duplicate maritime books. Most are at the Maritime Museum Library. Members have check out privileges.
C. SUBJECT FILES: Fishing, Boat Building, etc.
VI SCHOOLS
A. Computer: Photo Database Categorized/ School buildings, school classes
B. FAMILY TREE MAKER – index School
C. SUBJECT FILE: Schools
FEES AND CHARGES AT PHS:
We do not charge for paper copies of texts or for digital text copies [like genealogy reports etc.] on your thumb drive. We do charge a dollar for a disk if we furnish the disk. Donations are always acceptable!
- Photos are $20 each no matter whether digital or paper copies. – 50% off with a membership.
- Photos for businesses advertising or display $40 [digital or paper]
- Photos for retail books $40 [per photo digital or paper]
- All photos must carry the credit line: Poulsbo Historical Society.
- We do not charge the Herald or Kitsap Sun for photos – we have a reciprocal agreement with them.
- We do not charge schools.
Compiled June 2022
Maritime Museum
19010 Front Street
The Maritime Museum is home to the CAPT. J.E. SHIELDS MARITIME LIBRARY. The collection was a gift from the Shields’ family of their father’s extensive Maritime Collection. After its establishment, other maritime book collectors have added to the collection. Nearly all subject areas for maritime interests are included, from boat building and water transportation to the lumber and fishing industry. It also showcases a collection of novels, biographies, and historical maritime items such as ship’s logbooks, navigation charts, a media collection, and a wealth of seafaring explorations. The library focuses on Pacific Northwest and West Coast areas.
Researchers are welcome to explore on their own. The CAPT. J. E. SHIELDS MARITIME LIBRARY is open daily during regular museum hours. Volunteers are available to help with your research. Books are meant for in-house viewing. PHS members enjoy check-out privileges of specific volumes.
GUIDE TO RESEARCH IN THE CAPT. J.E. SHIELDS LIBRARY
The Poulsbo Maritime Library is organized by subject genre. Each book has been classified using the Dewey Decimal system. Items are assigned a call number based on the subject matter. For example:
- 300 – 399 = Social sciences (maritime law, ships, transportation…)
- 500 – 599 = Science (navigation, oceans, maritime biology…)
- 600 – 699 = Technology (boat building, yacht design…)
- 700 – 799 = Arts & recreation (maritime art, learning to sail…)
- 800 – 899 = Literature (maritime stories, poetry, lyrics…)
- 900 – 999 = History & Geography (seafaring, shipwrecks, exploration, local history etc..)
Genres include: Non-Fiction, Fiction, Biography, Media, Magazines, historical Charts and other Reference materials
There are several ways to explore this library:
- Browsable by genre – there are approximately 800 items on display at the Maritime Library. PHS members have privileges to checkout certain books. Volunteers are available to help with this process.
- Print catalog – there is a print version of the Maritime catalog on the library table in the Maritime library. This catalog is sorted by genre and then by title.
- Museum Past Perfect database – the catalog is viewable on the museum’s Past Perfect database. It can be accessed from the Heritage Museum or Archive computers. Volunteers are available to provide guidance on how to explore this database.
- Heritage Museum – has the following available at request:
- Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo – Index of Steamers, boats
- Photo Database – Categorized/ Boats/ships, Boat Building, Steamers/Ferries, Fishing, Docks, Poulsbo Waterfront
FEES AND CHARGES AT PHS:
We do not charge for paper copies of texts or for digital text copies on your thumb drive. We do charge a dollar for a disk if we furnish the disk. Donations are always accepted!
- Photos are $20 each whether digital or paper copies. – 50% off with a membership.
- Photos for business advertising or display $40 [digital or paper]
- Photos for retail books $40 [per photo digital or paper]
- All photos must carry the credit line: Poulsbo Historical Society.
- We do not charge the Herald or Kitsap Sun for photos – we have a reciprocal agreement with them.
- We do not charge schools.
Compiled June 2022
Heritage Museum
The Heritage Museum Library holds Poulsbo Historical Society biography files, photobase on computer, and library book collection. Researchers are welcome to explore on their own. The Heritage Museum Library is open daily during regular museum hours. Volunteers are available to help with your research.
GUIDE TO RESEARCH IN THE HERITAGE MUSEUM LIBRARY
In general, our files are classified into three areas: People, Places, and Things/Events.
Research library holdings:
NAMES
A. Bio files – paper files with family histories
B. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker – Poulsbo (names, places and steamers)
b. Photo Database Categorized/people
c. NK Herald transcribed & scans
d. Census 1885-1950 [by years] not searchable except page by page, these are images. Many census records can be found on Family Tree Maker under the family facts
e. People – family files
f. Cemeteries – North Kitsap
g. Oral Interviews
C. Library:
a. SPIRIT OF POULSBO – indexed
b. POULSBO: ITS FIRST HUNDRED YEARS – indexed.
c. Autobiographies and Biographies
d. Telephone Directories in document boxes
e. Obituaries – Binders and Computer/Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo
f. Yearbooks for NK. Surplus copies in storage available for purchase at $5 or less or depending on condition.
g. We have a limited number of early applications for Martha & Mary Children’s home.
II. HOMES
A. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo type “house” in index window
b. Photo database categorized /Homes – filed by street name
c. House Histories
d. Utility Map (sewer 1933 – computer only)
B. Library: House binders – sorted by street names
C. Maps –Plat Maps 1885, 1909, ca. 1930, 1955
III. PLACES
A. Plat Maps
B. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo – index – search place name
b. Photo Database Categorized /Places, Front Street, town name
C. Library Binders
D. Land Abstracts
BUSINESSES & INDUSTRIES
A. Computer:
a. FAMILY TREE MAKER/POULSBO – index, business or industry name: I.e. café, Len’s, steamer, Verona etc.
b. Photo Database Categorized/ Front Street, Area Businesses, Poulsbo Junction or by industry i.e. Fishing, Boat Building, Transportation etc.
c. Herald Combined, Herald Scans
d. Poulsbo History/Places/Front Street Project
B. Library:
a. Front Street East, Front Street West Binders
b. Receipts Binder – old receipts from various businesses
c. SPIRIT OF POULSBO Indexed
d. POULSBO ITS FIRST HUNDRED YEARS – Indexed
e. KITSAP COUNTY HISTORY brown edition & green edition – Indexed
f. Telephone Directories
g. Yearbooks – Collection copies in document boxes below library shelves. A good source for business ads. Surplus copies in storage are available for purchase for $5 or less depending on condition
BOATS, STEAMERS, FERRIES
Our Maritime collection has been moved to the Maritime Museum Library. We do have the following on the Heritage Museum computer:
A. Computer:
a. Family Tree Maker/Poulsbo – index – Steamers, boats
b. Photo Database Categorized/ Boats/ships, Boat Building, Steamers/Ferries, Fishing , Docks, Poulsbo Waterfront
VI SCHOOLS
A. Computer:
a. Photo Database Categorized/ School buildings, school classes
b. FAMILY TREE MAKER – index – search school
B. School attendance books – all district schools except Kingston – from 1898 to 1970. Not every year in every school. Some are digital only.
C. Yearbooks – Collection copies in document boxes below library shelves. Surplus copies in storage are available for purchase for $5 or less depending on condition.
D. Elementary School photo collection for identification purposes – on display case in library
FEES AND CHARGES AT PHS:
We do not charge for paper copies of texts or for digital text copies [like genealogy reports etc.] on your thumb drive. We do charge a dollar for a disk if we furnish the disk. Donations are always accepted!
- Photos are $20 each whether digital or paper copies. – 50% off with a membership.
- Photos for business advertising or display $40 [digital or paper]
- Photos for retail books $40 [per photo digital or paper]
- All photos must carry the credit line: Poulsbo Historical Society.
- We do not charge the Herald or Kitsap Sun for photos – we have a reciprocal agreement with them.
- We do not charge schools.
Compiled June 2022
