Regional center a top destination for research

By Stefani Evans

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight

Ancestors happen at the Las Vegas Regional Family History Center.

If you haven't visited this facility, you haven't done your ancestors justice. This branch of the Family History Library (FHL) of Salt Lake City allows all patrons easy access to the collection of 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records, in addition to 742,000 microfiche.

Patrons may borrow a microfilm from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for $5.50 and may view the film in the FHC for six weeks. If the patron is not finished with it, she may renew the rental for another six weeks for $5.50. If, at the end of the second six weeks, the patron still needs the microfilm, she may renew it a second time for $5.50; upon the second renewal the film remains at the FHC on indefinite loan, available to all patrons. You will find the FHL catalog online at www.familysearch.org, under Library, Library Catalog. Microfiche cost 15 cents per page, and are copied for indefinite loan. The FHL loans only microfilmed copies of its book collection; original volumes stay at the Family History Library.

You will find microfilmed records for nearly every U.S. county, many towns and cities and for many foreign countries, parishes, regions, etc. These include tax and civil vital records, church sacramental records, deeds, probates and published county histories. The FHL library also holds the world's largest collection of family histories, many of which are available for loan on microfilm.

Although the Las Vegas Regional Family History Center is the oldest and largest in Clark County, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates seven other Clark County Family History Centers: Black Mountain in Henderson; Boulder City; Las Vegas Nevada East on East Wyoming Street; Las Vegas Nevada Sandstone on South Lorenzi Street; Las Vegas Nevada Warm Springs on South Maryland Parkway; Logandale; and Mesquite. You may find contact information online at www.familysearch.org, under Library, Family History Centers.

The Las Vegas Regional Genealogical Library, the first in Nevada, was launched in September 1966 by the Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The facility, at 820 1⁄2 Las Vegas Blvd. North, was dedicated that month by presidents of Las Vegas area stakes and library chairmen Rulon A. Earl, Samuel Davis, Reed Whipple, James J. Gibson and Grant Bowler; John Edward Warthen served as treasurer and assistant regional chairman.

Marjorie Cummings served as librarian, assisted by Pauleen Foutz, while George Ann Simpkins and Ella Carruth were assistant treasurers. Others on the first library staff roster included Foster W. Polley, Morris Parker, Chapman Wooten, Danford B. Crane, Ann Whitney, Mallo Hirsche, Viola Jefferson, Billie Martin, Jay Nelson, Gwen Wooley and Kayle McBride.

In May 1967, Marjorie Cummings and her husband moved to California and in June 1967 Pauleen Foutz was approved by the Genealogical Society as head librarian; she maintained that position until her retirement in October 1981. The library soon outgrew its modest first quarters. When it moved to its new location, 509 S. Ninth St. (at the corner of Clark), the staff celebrated with an open house for 425 people on July 13, 1967. From the beginning, library staff members conducted genealogy classes for the public. Weekly classes continue and are now coordinated by Lee Nishimoto; the schedule is available at the desk.

In 1968, Pauleen Foutz of the Las Vegas Regional Genealogical Library and Mildred Hoen of the Las Vegas Public Library negotiated an agreement whereby the public library donated its entire genealogical collection on indefinite loan to the Regional Genealogical Library to streamline services and avoid duplication of efforts. As a result of the agreement, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District still sends its genealogical materials (other than newspapers and city directories) to the Regional Family History Center. Thus, the Las Vegas Regional Family History Center, the fifth or sixth largest in the country, maintains Clark County's largest genealogical collection. In the 1968 words of Ms. Hoen, "… one good special library is better than many small collections."

The Las Vegas Regional Family History Center, 509 S. Ninth St., houses 20 microfilm readers, two film/fiche reader/scanners, two photocopiers, 16 computers for public use, more than 6,000 books, and approximately 34,000 microfilms/microfiche on indefinite loan, including the entire 1910 U.S. census.

Clark County's 32-year-old "good special [genealogical] library" is well worth a visit.

Historical data for this column was taken from original scrapbooks held by the Las Vegas Regional Family History Center.

Stefani Evans is a board-certified genealogist and a volunteer at the Regional Family History Center. She can be reached c/o the Home News, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 or [email protected].