01/23/2026
Collection Highlight: Sanitorium Records
Before antibiotics, the standard treatment for tuberculosis was isolation and rest in a “sanatorium.” Between 1907 and 1970 there was a network of state, county, and private sanatoriums for the treatment of tuberculosis in Wisconsin. Patients might spend weeks, months or even years in these institutions as they struggled to recover from the disease.
Unfortunately for genealogists, most of the patient records for the thousands of Wisconsin residents who were treated in sanatoriums were destroyed after the institutions were decommissioned. As always, there is a small chance that records may have survived with a county’s health or human services department. They may also have ended up in a local historical society.
The WHS does have sources of information on state and county sanatoriums. There are scattered references to patients, but most of the information relates to the management and operation of the facilities.
The WHS Library has annual reports and newsletters from some Wisconsin sanatoriums. For example, patients at the Lake View Sanatorium in Madison published a newsletter in 1938 called the “Weekly Wheeze.” The newsletter provides a fascinating view of patient life at the sanatorium and occasionally mentions patients by name.
The WHS Archives has records from the Wisconsin State Sanatorium and a handful of counties' facilities. There are some scattered patient records, but the coverage varies widely. For example, our UW-Oshkosh Area Research Center has a collection of record for patients at Sunnyview Sanatorium who died while there.
If you have an ancestor who may have been in a state or county sanatorium, it is worth checking with our Archives.
Genealogy Staff Meet & Greet
The holidays are behind us, and the Library and Archives Public Services staff are eager to see which genealogy reference questions will be coming our way in the new year. While it might be 2026 rather than 1912, as in the picture above of librarians working in the WHS Library Reading Room, we remain as dedicated as our professional forebears to preserving and sharing the materials and information you seek.
So what do we love best about our work? And what hot drinks do we turn to during the cold winter months? We asked some of the staff members who work on genealogy reference to give us their answers!
What is the most satisfying part of your work?
Jenny Barth, Reference Archivist: Helping undergraduates find out that archives are actually pretty boss.
Rebecca Hopman, Genealogy Librarian: Helping a patron break through a genealogy brick wall!
Gayle Martinson, Reference Librarian: The serendipity of learning new and unexpected things all the time.
Emily Noffke, Reference Archivist: Finding a document that a patron is looking for, aka: a successful hunt.
Lee Grady, Senior Reference Archivist: Finding something in our collections that really makes a connection with a researcher.
Jill Fuller, Reference Librarian: Finding answers to questions and helping people access information so they can have a successful research journey.
What's your favorite hot beverage?
Jenny: Spiced apple cider!
Rebecca: Chai latte
Gayle: No hot beverages for me!
Emily: Hot water with lemon and honey
Lee: Irish Breakfast Tea (as of this minute)
Jill: A cafe au lait with hazelnut
Are you working on your genealogy this year? Email us if you have questions!
Drumroll Please...
Our spring genealogy programs are here!
Sign up today. All programs are held online and recorded.
Naturalization: The Path to U.S. Citizenship
Tues, Mar 3, 7:00-8:30 pm CT
Finding naturalization records is an important part in researching our immigrant ancestors. Join genealogist Teresa Steinkamp McMillin to learn about the history of naturalization and procedural changes.
Ask Us Anything: A Genealogy Q&A With WHS Staff
Tues, Apr 7, 7:00-8:30 pm CT
Do you have a question about researching your family history? Or how WHS can help? Archivist Lee Grady and librarians Rebecca Hopman and Jill Fuller will answer questions from the audience and highlight their favorite family history tips and resources.
Chinese American Genealogy
Tues, May 12, 7:00-8:30 pm CT
Join genealogist Grant Din to learn about Chinese Americans across the United States and the information you can glean from documents like ship manifests, censuses, and death records.
Wisconsin Genealogy Day:
Spotlight On Speakers
Last month, you met Mica L. Anders and Eileen Snyder, two of our Wisconsin Genealogy Day speakers. This month, we'll introduce you to two more speakers and what they will share with attendees.
Dana Kelly serves the Norwegian American Genealogical Center as the Executive Director. She oversees the daily operation of the center and is active in outreach activities and educational programming. Dana’s passion for family history led her to a Scandinavian Studies degree from UW-Madison where she learned to speak, read and write Norwegian. She has served on the board of directors for the Koshkonong Prairie Historical Society since 2009 and on the Board for the Dane County Area Genealogical Society. Dana is a member of several Norwegian cultural and genealogical organizations including Sons of Norway, Vesterheim, Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study, Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, and International Society of Online Genetic Genealogists.
Dana will share the story of Norwegian immigration to Illinois and Wisconsin, dating back to the 1830s and 1840s, and discuss the importance of Norwegian naming traditions for genealogy research. Learn about Norwegian-American church records and how they can help point us to records in Norway.
Rebecca Hopman is the Genealogy Services Librarian at the Wisconsin Historical Society, where she leads a nationally recognized genealogy program and helps people discover their family stories. Her focus on Midwestern and women’s history is paired with a dedication for sharing overlooked stories and providing access to historical records. She serves on the board of the Augustana Historical Society and holds a BA in History, English, and German from Augustana College (IL), an MLIS in Archives & Records Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MA in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College.
Rebecca will provide an overview of Wisconsin’s history, migration patterns, and agriculture and industry, and share key records and resources as well as effective search strategies for family historians with Wisconsin roots.
Ready to discover your Midwestern roots? Sign up for free to attend Wisconsin Genealogy Day on February 21, 2026. We hope you’ll join us!
This event is sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society
and the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society.
A Closer Look: Periodical Stacks
Did you know that the Wisconsin Historical Society has one of the largest periodical and newspaper collections in the country? We actively collect newspapers, academic journals, magazines, and organization newsletters, many of which have a genealogy focus. This photo is a behind-the-scenes peek into a room in the Library that houses many of the current issues of periodicals in our Library collection. All periodicals here are shelved alphabetically by title and each title is organized chronologically by date.
Here, you can find current issues of national publications like the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. We also collect territorial, state, county, and local genealogical society and historical society newsletters, such as Generations, published by the Manitoba Genealogical Society and Nuestras Raíces, from the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America. Heritage newsletters, like Naše české dědictví: our Czech heritage from the Czech Heritage Foundation, and family history association publications, such as the Schürch Family Association newsletter, are also part of the collection.
Many more periodicals are bound and shelved on our Library shelves. While genealogical periodicals cannot be checked out, you can view them in our Library or request scans of particular pages or issues. Ready to dive in? Search our catalog for newsletters that tie in with cultures or locations connected to your ancestors.
