Local History Starts With You

HistoryForge combines historic maps and photos with census records of the people who lived in Elmira, NY, creating a unique way to visualize the history of this community in the early 1900s.

People

Learn more about the people who lived in Elmira, NY, from information recorded in the U.S. Census. We have created a database of people that can be searched from the website or exported for further research in other programs.

Find a person

Places

Learn about the places they lived and worked. We have created a database of Elmira, NY buildings using the information from historic maps (Sanborn fire insurance maps and others) as well as archival information.

Find your house

Thank You!

HistoryForge is being generously supported by a two-year grant for Public Engagement with Historical Records from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives (NARA).

The grant has allowed The History Center in Tompkins County to make major improvements to this open source project - from software development, to more records from more censuses, to engaging with partners.

Are you interested in using HistoryForge for your town or city? We would like to help you. Please contact us at historyforge at thehistorycenter dot net.