Researchers: Where to find the history you’re looking for
When searching for history on earlier Friends, we recommend looking in three places:
First, check the George Fox University archive page. This is a great resource for archivists beginning projects: George Fox University Archives.
Second, check the church the individual attended. Most history of individuals is kept at an individual’s church or community, making the local church archives the best place to start. If you are researching someone from a church within Northwest Yearly Meeting, contact that church for more information.
Third, look in the yearly meeting archives. Northwest Yearly Meeting’s archives are stored at the George Fox University archives. Records of our committees, events, and decisions made at the yearly meeting level are found here. If the person you are researching belonged to a different yearly meeting, check with that meeting for an archive location.
Church archivists: What to save and how to save it
We encourage all NWYM churches to retain archives locally. Research often begins at the local church, so it is helpful to maintain records within the church whenever possible. Some materials also should be kept in-house for legal or financial reasons.
- Financial/legal documents retention schedule
- If a church closes, please contact NWYM to review and store the church archives. Here is a list of “do not send to us!” materials
