Dearborn Public Library
Local History ResourcesDearborn Historical Museum
In addition to exhibits and events, the Dearborn Historical Museum houses the City of Dearborn’s archives at the McFadden-Ross House, 915 S. Brady St. They have photos, documents, and reference books about local genealogy, businesses, organizations, and people in Dearborn. Additionally they house hundreds of thousands of negatives arranged by date which document late 1900s Dearborn. The museum also has a limited index of Dearborn’s local newspapers.
City of Dearborn Clerk’s Office
https://www.cityofdearborn.org/government/departments/city-clerk
Birth certificates and death certificates for people who were born or died in the City of Dearborn can be obtained through the Clerk’s office.
Benson Ford Research Center
https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/
This is the archive of The Henry Ford. It includes historical records, photographs, publications, product literature, and oral histories from Ford Motor Company; an extensive collection of trade catalogs; and more.
City Directories
The library has physical copies of Polk and Bresser’s city directories for various years and geographic areas. These can be used to look up addresses and phone numbers of residents and businesses.
Ford Collection
The Ford Collection contains books and periodicals on the topics of Henry Ford, the Ford family, Ford Motor Company, and people associated with Ford. Many items in this collection are Reference and may only be used at the library, but some may be checked out with a library card.
Local Newspapers
https://dearbornlibrary.org/magazine-newspaper/
See the Magazines and Newspapers page of our website for information about local newspapers, what years are available, and how to access them.