Local History & Genealogy

Visit our Muskoka Room to access the Muskoka collection, which encompasses both local history and genealogy material. A collection of historical and current material including fiction, and non-fiction works about Huntsville and the surrounding area. This collection also includes a section of works by local authors.

Note: All materials in the Muskoka Room are for use in the library only. For local history books that can be checked out, please view our Circulating Local History collection.

Muskoka Room online catalogue

Ancestry Library Edition

This genealogy resource provides access to census, birth, marriage, death, immigration, and military records, among others.

Note: Ancestry can only be accessed via the Huntsville Public Library's Wi-Fi network or on library computers.

Canadiana Online

Canadiana Online is a digitized collection of books, government publications, periodicals, annuals, and newspapers about Canada published from European contact to the early 20th century.

Digital Archive Ontario

Digital Archive Ontario offers free access to a wealth of digital materials that hold historical significance for both Ontario and Canada. This unique and extensive collection features high-quality images, including maps of Ontario, fire insurance plans, and historical views of towns and cities, sourced from the Toronto Public Library's collection and dating back to the 1880s.

Huntsville Forester Online

Explore the Huntsville Forester newspaper from 1895 to 2018. Learn more about the local area, people, events, and local merchants and businesses. Find photographs, classified ads, birth notices and obituaries.

Hosted by OCLC.

Huntsville Heritage Walking Tour

Welcome to the Huntsville Heritage Walking Tour by the Huntsville and Area Historical Society. After downloading the app, search for "Huntsville Heritage Walking Tour." The GPS alerts you to heritage stops, plays audio, and shows pictures when you arrive. Enjoy your tour!

Muskoka Digital Archives

This online collection provides insight into Muskoka's origins, development, culture, and people. While it primarily consists of indexes, over 500 images are available. The indexes link to the Online Huntsville Forester for quick and easy access to more information.

Ontario Genealogical Society Library Collection

Access books, family histories, cemetery records, and more. This resource is valuable for everyone, whether starting your journey to discover family trees or if you are an expert researcher.

Toronto Star: ProQuest Historical Newspapers

The Toronto Star: ProQuest Historical Newspapers is a fully digitized and searchable database that contains every issue of the Toronto Star from 1894 to 2022. It includes all pages, from the headlines to the classifieds. This resource is excellent for genealogists and history projects.

Additional resources

Local history & genealogy websites

Maps

Microfilm collection

Our microfilm collection can only be used in the library. The Muskoka Room has a ScanPro microfilm scanner that has the ability to scan microfilm images to a USB stick. Our collection includes:

The Huntsville Forester from 1895-2018 (also available online)
Census of Canada for Parry Sound and Muskoka from 1851-1901
Assessment Rolls Town of Huntsville from 1890-1946
Bell Phone Directory from 1906-1917
Free Grant and Homestead from 1868-1888
Minutes and Bylaws of Brunel Township from 1877-1943
Post Office Inspection Reports from 1876-1879
Marriage and Death Indices Archives of Ontario
Land Records Index
Surrogate Court Records from 1793-1858

You can also make an Interlibrary Loan request to the Archives of Ontario to bring in microfilm from their collection.

Please note: Not all interlibrary loan requests may be accepted by the Archives of Ontario.