Primary Sources for Local History

Primary sources provide first hand accounts of events, generally created by witnesses or those who lived through the events discussed.  Primary sources include diaries, autobiographies, memoirs, letters and oral histories. Newspaper accounts and pamphlets can also be used as primary sources, depending on the instructor's guidelines.

Be careful when using websites to find primary sources: many websites use both primary and secondary sources.  If you're not sure whether a specific source is primary or secondary, please ask a librarian or your instructor.