This website uses cookies to enhance usability and provide you with a more personal experience. By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies as explained in our Privacy Policy.
We're excited to share our new look. Help us improve your experience—if you find any missing information, please let our team know via the Contact Us Page.
We’re excited to see what you find!
All research materials that you requested while making your appointment will be delivered to the Reading Room at the beginning of your scheduled visit. Please see our Research With Us page to learn how to book an appointment.
To better assist you with your research, please take a look at the Finding Aids, Research Guides, and Digitized Collections below.
Finding aids and research guides assist in identifying resources helpful for your research.
They include information such as:
Finding Aids are available in the R. T. Orr Reading Room, and a select number are also available online. See the list below.
Archives' Reference Library Catalogue
Stratford-Perth Archives has a large reference library of publications relating to the area's history, including many genealogies of local families.
You can check for books that may have the information that you need in the Archives' Reference Library Catalogue - part of the Perth County Information Network (PCIN) system for all County libraries.
Please note that Archives' books cannot be signed out. Researchers must visit the Archives to access them.
Beacon Herald Subject Files List
The subject files were created by the Stratford Beacon Herald newspaper and contain clippings and photos relating to local events, people, businesses, and other various topics ranging from A to Z.
Canadian Federation of University Women Stratford Club fonds
The CFUW Stratford Club is a non-for-profit club founded in 1954. Through membership in the Canadian Federation of University Women (est. 1919) they enable women graduates to participate locally in advocacy issues. The CFUW Stratford Club regularly donates its records to the Archives.
Heritage Stratford Designated House Files
During the the Historic Property designation process for homes in the City of Stratford, files were with created for each property. The files listed in this finding aid contain the research that was compiled.
LACAC Streets and Houses Reference Files
This list contains research files that were compiled by the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee on various properties within the City of Stratford. They consist of tax assessment transcriptions, architectural analysis forms and more historic research relating to subject properties.
Stratford-Perth Archives Street and House Reference Files
This lists contains files on house histories that were researched and complied by Archives Staff. It is organized in alphabetical order by street name and then by number.
This lists the subject files that were compiled by former Managing Editor of the Stratford Beacon Herald, T.J. Dolan. The general subjects include: Buildings, Churches, Societies, Business and Industry, Parks Board, City, Miscellaneous, Military, Places, Sport, Knights of Columbus, Dolan's Personal Papers, Country Club, Rotary Club, and the Buscher Family.
Orr Family Fonds Finding Aid – Boxes
This finding aid lists the contents of the Orr Family fonds. The fonds consists of personal and professional records of R. T. Orr and his family. These records relate to important developments in the City of Stratford.
Orr Family Fonds – Sarah E. Orr Personal Papers
Sarah Orr (1868-1932) was the sixth child of Thomas Orr Sr. and Frances Noble Orr and the older sister of R. Thomas Orr. Her personal papers are kept within the Orr Family Collection at the Stratford-Perth Archives.
Orr Family Fonds Finding Aid – Scrapbooks
The Stratford-Perth Archives scrapbook collection is mainly clippings and articles collected and organized by R. Thomas Orr, a local historian. In most cases, the material has been clipped from local newspapers, especially the Stratford Beacon Herald. As well as newspapers, special editions and publications are also included in the scrapbooks.
Stratford-Perth Archives Clipping Files
The Stratford-Perth Archives keeps clippings of local newspapers sorted by subjects such as: person, business, clubs/organizations, schools, churches, sports, events, and other various subjects. This is an ongoing project with current Perth County newspapers.
Stratford-Perth Archives Photograph Collection Index
Previously housed as three separate collections in the former Listowel, Mitchell and Stratford branches of the Archives, this collection includes photographs of people, streets and subjects related to Perth County. Please contact the Archives to access the actual photographs listed here and for information about the many other photograph collections in our holdings.
Archeion is Ontario's Archival Information Network. This free online database includes descriptions of material from many different Archives across Ontario, including a number of collections from the Stratford-Perth Archives.
Check Archeion out for a larger selection of Finding Aids from the Stratford-Perth Archives.
Aerial Photographs
Atlases
Fire Insurances Plans
Genealogy
Newspapers
Streets of Stratford
Toronto Public Library
Please note that these are external links that lead off the County website to other pages which are not facilitated, owned, or hosted by the County of Perth.
Stratford-Perth Archives Digitized Newspaper Database
Using this database you will be able to browse and keyword search over 8,000 issues of 17 different Perth County newspapers. To keep within copyright, only newspapers pre-1950 will be available on the public site (12 publications). Post-1949 issues will be available to browse and search in the same way via public computers in the Archives Reading Room (5 publications).
City Directories were a popular form of publication from the mid-1870’s until the mid-2010’s. Each directory typically contained both an alphabetical listing of all residents by last name and a listing of residents by street. It also included a business index as well as various advertisements for local businesses on each page.
The first two City of Stratford directories, 1876 and 1880-1881, were compiled and published by William W. Evans. The third, 1896, was published by Union Publishing Company. From 1898 and onward the directories were published by Vernon’s City Directories. Vernon began publishing directories for various Counties, municipalities, and cities in 1897 and finally ceased publication in 2014. The last directory published for the City of Stratford was 2013.
Permission to make Vernon’s City Directories available online has been granted by the past President of Vernon’s Publishing, Stuart Seldon.
Please note that this is not a complete collection of Vernon Directories for the City of Stratford. The Archives has only scanned and uploaded what is available in the Stratford-Perth Archives Collection. Some of the directories are keyword searchable, please click Ctrl + F on your keyboard to bring up the search bar in the document once it has opened in a new window.
Click buttons below to open the corresponding directory.
| 1876-1909 | 1910-1919 | 1920-1929 | 1930-1939 | 1940-1959 | 1961-1979 | 1981-1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1879 Historic Atlas of Perth County
The 1879 Historical Atlas of Perth County can be a wealth of knowledge for researchers. The atlas contains biographical sketches of prominent residents and families, maps of towns and townships, sketches of various scenery, portraits, and a patrons' directory. One of the most important features of the atlas is on the townships maps as the names of the residents were marked on each lot. The townships were divided into Concessions and Lots.
Concessions are a strip of land 1 and 1/4-mile-wide (2.01km) and can run in any direction for various distances and are usually separated by a road. Concessions are numbered with Roman Numerals (I, II, III, IV, V…etc.). When concessions do not run the length or width of the township because of water courses, they are usually labelled with letters (A, B…etc.). A gore is a part of a township that does not fit into the regular shape. Concessions are then divided into Lots, which run parallel to the road, and numerically numbered (1, 2, 3…etc.). Initially, lots were parcelled out in 200 acres, many owners split their lots into 100 acres parcels which they sold off. Over time, some owners subdivided their lots even further.
Below you will find scanned copies of towns and townships from the 1879 Historical Atlas scanned, plus the Patrons Directory. Click each township or town to open the corresponding map. The full map of Perth County from 1879 can be found here.
Click here to access the Patrons Directory for towns and townships.
Note: Only townships lists landowners, not towns (i.e. Mitchell, Stratford, Listowel, and St. Marys).
Townships
Towns
| Listowel | Mitchell | St. Marys (North Part) | St. Marys (South Part) | Stratford |
|---|
The Campbell Collection is collection of photos from the Mitchell area that spans generations. This collection covers major events, landmarks and the people from Mitchell and the surrounding area.
You can also access the captions for all the photos in one document.
Box In the Attic Photograph Collection
The Box In the Attic project aims to locate, preserve, and share photographs and associated documents related to the lives of early Perth County families. This project is the work of Robert McEwan who is a descendant of these early Perth County families. Robert has spent countless hours scanning and identifying photographs, and researching family connections. This collection includes 30 families and counting.
The collection consists of about 4,000 photographs, many of which were taken around Perth County in places such as Stratford, St. Marys, Listowel, Mitchell, Milverton, and Monkton by both professional and amateur photographers. In addition to photographs, several families also preserved important documents including wills, notes, funeral cards, postcards, newspaper clippings, and letters...etc. which are also included in this collection. In some cases, vital statistics (birth, death, and marriage), and various census pages have been added for context.
Each family is organized into a file that contain two sections, the first is a family tree, and the second section contains a chart that lists the family photographs and archival documents which are also included in the document. Most family trees are incomplete as they only list members for which there is a photo or related document; sometimes friends are also included.
Note: This project is a work in progress and new families will be added as they are completed.
Click the last names below to view records for each family:
If you are able to identify any unknown family members in the photographs, or can offer any corrections to the material we ask that you email us.
Contact Us
Perth County
1 Huron Street, Stratford
ON N5A 5S4
Phone: 519-271-0531
Toll Free: 800-463-8275
Fax: 519-271-6265
