Liisa Penner Research Center & Archives
Whether exploring the history of your home, looking up an ancestor from Astoria, or researching for a term paper, this is an excellent resource for casual and professional scholars alike. Led by archivist Liisa Penner and located in the Heritage Museum, the Liisa Penner Research Center & Archives contains a wealth of primary materials relating to the history of Clatsop County. Highlights of the archive include personal diaries and journals dating to the 1840s, City Directories beginning in the 1890s, Sanborn and Metsker Maps, local high school yearbooks, materials related to the local Finnish population, our Native American family history project, and over 45,000 historic photos.
We have also compiled our secondary sources into easy to access formats. These include collecting past researchers’ work for future use, assembling copious vertical files of biographical information and local subject matter, and undertaking an extensive indexing project.
The Liisa Penner Research Center and Archives is open on a limited basis and by appointment only. Current hours are Thursday and Friday 11 am-3 pm. Please call the Heritage Museum 503-338-4849 directly to make an appointment.
- Angora Hiking Club Collection
- Books
- City Directories
- House Histories
- Ledgers
- Local Genealogies
- Oregon Historical Society quarterlies
- Port of Astoria Collection
- Property records
- Scrapbooks
- Vertical Files – Biographies
- Vertical Files – Local Subjects
- Westport Collection
Other Items of Interest:
- Cemetery and Death Records
- Metsker Maps
- Police Ledgers
- Sanborn Insurance Maps
- Voter Rolls
- Astoriana
- https://archive.org/details/astoriana
- Description: Ephemera and souvenirs from Astoria’s rich past
- Astoria Regatta
- https://archive.org/details/astoriaregatta
- Description: Ephemera and souvenirs from Astoria’s Annual Regatta celebration
- Audio Recordings
- Adventures In History Radio Shows
- Oral History Interviews
- Photographs
- Photo Albums
- https://archive.org/details/clatsopcountyphotoalbums
- Description: A selection of photo albums from the Clatsop County Historical Society’s archival collection
- City Directories
- https://archive.org/details/clatsopcountycitydirectories
- Description: Name and address guides to individuals and businesses throughout Clatsop County, including the communities of Astoria, Warrenton, Flavel, Hammond, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Knappa, Svenson, Jewell, and Westport
- CUMTUX
- https://archive.org/details/cumtux
- The Cumtux is the historical quarterly publication by the Clatsop County Historical Society
- School Yearbooks
- https://archive.org/details/clatsopcountyyearbooks
- Description: Annual publications from Clatsop County schools, including those of Astoria, Warrenton, Seaside, Knappa, and Jewell
- Telephone Directories
- https://archive.org/details/clatsopcountytelephonedirectories
- Description: Name, address, and telephone number guides to individuals and businesses in Astoria and Seaside as well as surrounding communities
- School Directories
- https://archive.org/details/clatsopcountyschooldirectories
- Description: Past information about Clatsop County schools, including lists of faculty and staff as well as specific data about individual districts
- Scrapbooks
- https://archive.org/details/clatsopcountyscrapbooks
- Description: A selection of scrapbooks from the Clatsop County Historical Society’s archival collection
- Video Recordings
- Appelo Archives Center in Rosburg, WA
- Astoria Public Library
- Cannon Beach History Center and Museum
- Clatsop County Genealogical Society
- Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco, WA
- Columbia River Maritime Museum
- Internet Archive
- Pacific County Historical Society & Museum in South Bend, WA
- Oregon State Archives
- Seaside Historical Society
- Tillamook County Pioneer Museum & Historical Society
- University of Oregon Libraries Historic Oregon Newspapers