Drawing by Harry BenjaminThe Local History Research Library is open to visitors during regular Museum hours. The Museum staff is available to assist researchers Tuesday through Friday, although advance appointments are strongly encouraged to allow us to give you our best service. During weekend hours library materials are available on a self-serve basis. Photocopies and microfilm copies made are available at 25 cents per page. Currently, we are transcribing our newspaper index card file into a database. The history database will be available for public access soon, but our staff will be glad to check this source for references to a particular family or individual.
No fee is charged for the basic services described above, aside from copy fees (25 cents per page) plus postage and handling. Donations are always welcome! Become a member of the Silver City Museum Society to stay in touch with the Museum's local history activities.
What we CAN'T do
We can't do extended searches into unindexed materials, provide lookups at locations other than the Museum, do blind newspaper searches, or fill out family trees. Please allow several weeks for a response, as we receive many requests for information!
Photo Orders
Digital prints from most images in the Museum's photoarchive are available through our digital lab, starting from $8.00 for a 5x7 print. A photo use contract, which must be signed at the time the order is placed grants one-time use for specifically requested publication or other purposes; other restrictions and credit line requirements apply. Photo order fees and any applicable shipping fees are payable in advance; allow 30 days for delivery.Digital copy prints from most images in the Museum's photoarchive are available through our digital lab, starting from $8.00 for a 5x7 print. A photo use contract, which must be signed at the time the order is placed, grants one-time use for specifically requested publication or other purposes; other restrictions and credit line requirements apply. Photo order fees and any applicable shipping fees are payable in advance; allow 60 days for delivery. Contact
Jackie BeckerThe Museum has an extensive collection of photographs, mostly ranging from the 1870s-1940s, showing views from the Silver City area. These are now being cataloged into a computer indexing system. The 800-image John Harlan Collection is available for viewing in the local history research library; albums with copy prints of another 2,000+ images from the photoarchive are gradually being added. Original images from the entire 15,000-image collection may be viewed by appointment. Contact
Jackie Becker
- Mostly ranging from the 1870s-1940s
- Views from the Silver City/southwest New Mexico area
- The 800-image John Harlan Collection in the local history research library
- Approximately 250 copy prints of images showing Fort Bayard (mostly the early period as a government hospital, ca. 1900-1918)
- Tyrone, New Mexico (ca. 1915-1921)
- Approximately 2,000 images from the Percy Pogson collection (early 1900s views by a former TB sanatorium patient)
- O.L. Hinger collection of local portraits, business views and snapshots from the 1930s and 1940s (digitized as part of a grant project through the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board)
The Museum's entire 15,000-image collection is being digitized and will be made available to visitors in the research library. Currently, viewing of original photos is by advance appointment only.
Microfilmed under a grant from the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board, some of these records have been indexed:
Indexed
- Warrant, License and Fee book for Grant County
one ledger covering years from 1869 to 1871
- O.C. Hinman funeral home records
five ledgers covering period from January 1911 to June 1938
- Grant County Criminal and Civil Dockets for Precinct 22 (Tyrone)
two ledgers, July 1914 - December 1916 and January 1917 - November 1917
- Grant County Justice Court warrant book for Precinct 13 (Santa Rita)
one ledger for years 1901 to 1910
- Probate and Chancery Court records
one ledger for years 1874 to 1883
Not Indexed
- Pinos Altos Store records:
30 ledgers covering the period from January 1888 to March 1897
- Town of Silver City license books:
two ledgers covering period from August 1902 to April 1914
- Town of Silver City fine books:
two ledgers covering period from 1900 to May 1914
- Silver City Board of Education Minutes:
one ledger covering the period from January 1920 to June 1932
- Silver City tax and license collections:
one ledger covering period from March 1900 to April 1909
- Tax sales for Town of Silver City:
four pages of one ledger covering the year 1900
- Register for Hotel Owen, Santa Rita, New Mexico:
one ledger for period from May 1916 to April 1922
- Registers for Faywood Hotel, Faywood, New Mexico:
four ledgers covering years from 1896 to 1949
- Invoices and receipts of Silver City residents:
two letter boxes with documents dating from 1910 to 1914
- Silver City Block Book:
one ledger covering years 1919 to 1925
- Silver City tax rolls:
23 ledgers for consecutive years from 1895 to 1918
- Delinquent tax book for Town of Silver City:
one ledger covering years 1883 to 1895
- Post Index of Letters Received, Fort Bayard, New Mexico:
one ledger for the year 1891
- Mine payroll book (mine not identified):
one ledger for the year 1905
- Time book for the Santa Rita Mining Company:
one book for the year 1902
- Santa Rita Store Company Ledger:
one ledger for the years 1911 to 1913
- Minute book, Miner's Social Club, Fleming, New Mexico:
just a few pages in one book, dating from 1884
- Silver City Waterworks meter book:
one book for the years 1910 to 1916
- Grant County Hospital Board minutes:
two ledgers for period from April 1935 to October 1949
- Grant County Brand Book:
one book, ca. 1888
- Sheriff's daybooks and notebooks from Grant County Sheriff John E. Casey:
14 books, dating from 1919 to 1936
- One Sheriff's paybook for 1919, just a few pages
- Town of Silver City building permits:
one letter box with approximately 500 pages, permits from 1917 to 1924
- Town of Silver City building permits:
40 pages of photocopies, ca. 1940s-60s
- Letterbook from the Town of Silver City:
47 pages with letters for years 1903 to 1908
- Grant County Charity Hospital Minutes:
one ledger for years 1895 to 1921
- Record of patients for Grant County Hospital:
one ledger for years 1887 to 1925
