A Journey Through Our Resources
Start Your Genealogy Research
Welcome! Here you’ll find a curated collection of guides and tutorials designed to help you navigate the world of genealogy research. Our resources are crafted for everyone, whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your skills. Dive in and discover tools, tips, and methods to unravel your family history.
KARA Resources
What’s Here For You At KARA
Over the course of more than twenty-five years, a remarkable collection of resources has been gathered at the KARA library. As time passes, organizations like ours naturally accumulate a wealth of materials, and KARA is no exception. Our library’s holdings have grown steadily, thanks in large part to the generosity of our members and friends. Each donation—whether it’s a rare book, a periodical, a personal memoir, or a unique artifact—has played a vital role in expanding the breadth and depth of our collection.
The KARA library is more than just a repository of books. It is a living archive, reflecting the diverse interests, histories, and passions of our community. Over the years, we have received a wide variety of contributions, ranging from scholarly works and historical documents to creative writing, photographs, and multimedia resources. Every item tells a story and adds to the rich tapestry of knowledge available to our members.
More About What’s Here For You At KARA
Parish Records:
Before Ontario began officially recording births, marriages, and deaths in 1868-69, such information was kept by local churches. Many of these churches have since closed or merged, making parish records valuable for family history research.
For Wesleyan Methodist families, a database of 100,000 baptism entries and related microfilm is available, covering 1820 to 1920.
Marriage records are found in several volumes:
- The Marriage Registers of Upper Canada and Canada West cover 1841–1857, during which Ontario was known as Upper Canada (pre-1840) and Canada West (1840–1857), with regions organized by districts and later by counties.
- The County Marriage Registers of Ontario cover 1858–1869, compiled from church records and available in both book and microfilm formats.
After 1869, the Ontario government began keeping official vital records, but churches continued their own record-keeping, so church records remain an important resource.
KARA also holds microfilm of Peterborough Roman Catholic Diocese parish records from about 1845 to 1920, covering twenty-three parishes from Lake Ontario to Parry Sound. Records after 1920 remain closed for privacy.
For Anglican ancestors, the Cavan Parish records are available on microfilm, documenting ministers and parishioners from the 1830s to the early 1900s across the region from Port Hope to Peterborough.
Newspapers:
The KARA library offers a wide range of newspaper resources for genealogical research. Key reference books include Reid’s Marriage Notices of Ontario (1813–1854), Wilson’s The Ontario Register, Reid’s Death Notices of Ontario (1810–1849), and McKenzie’s Obituaries from Ontario’s Christian Guardian (1861–1870).
KARA holds published collections of birth, marriage, and death notices from early Peterborough newspapers (1876–1893), as well as indexes to Lindsay newspapers from the 1990s and early 2000s. Volunteers have compiled extensive newspaper clippings into books, covering the Peterborough Examiner, Peterborough This Week, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, Lindsay, and Cobourg papers from 1998 to the present.
Additional resources include microfilm of the Fenelon Falls Gazette (1880–2000) and the Globe and Mail (1844–2007).
Local Area History:
The KARA library features a large collection of local histories, organized by county and township. For Peterborough County, useful separately published indexes are available to help locate information in local history books.
Family Histories:
An extensive collection of donated family histories is available, organized alphabetically by the main surname. These resources are valuable for verifying and expanding family research.
Reference:
The reference section includes books on early Canadian history, as well as histories of Scotland, Ireland, England, and America. Resources such as the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and early Canada Almanacs provide additional context and details for family research
Cemeteries:
KARA has transcribed nearly all cemeteries in Peterborough, Victoria, and Northumberland Counties, as well as many in Haliburton, Durham, and Hastings Counties since 1995. These transcripts are available at the KARA Research Centre, with many also for purchase. The collection includes additional donated transcripts from across the province. Since 2003, KARA has also photographed headstones, creating a digital collection of about 100,000 images, viewable by appointment
Census Records:
KARA holds early census microfilms for the Newcastle District, covering Peterborough, Victoria, Durham, and Northumberland Counties. Complete census microfilm is available for 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, and 1921 for Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland, Durham, and Hastings Counties.
Atlases:
The library’s collection includes over twenty historical county atlases from the 1880s, providing valuable information for locating families on their land in the late 19th century.
Computer Resources:
The KARA Family History Centre is equipped to support all your computer needs as you conduct your research. The Centre provides access to modern computers with high-speed internet, allowing you to search online databases, access digital archives, and utilize genealogy websites. Scanners and printers are available for digitizing and printing documents, photographs, and records.
