Established in 1932, the Genealogy and Historical Room at the Washington Memorial Library now boasts more than 30,000 books.

With researchers from across the U.S., as well as some from overseas, who come to find out a bit about their ancestries, the library includes rare collections only available here in Middle Georgia.

The architectural drawings by Ellamae Ellis League are housed here among the scrapbooks of garden clubs, church records and even contracts from performers at the historic Douglass Theatre.

Muriel McDowell-Jackson, head genealogy librarian and archivist, said she had a man from England come to do a reverse search on his ancestors, who came to the U.S. to find their descendants.

“I’ve seen people come in contact with long lost family members,” said McDowell-Jackson.

She said the collection on Camp Wheeler cannot be found anywhere else in the country.

The microfilm collection holds one of the first newspapers published in 1736 in America, the Virginia Gazette.

“We have the complete run of that paper,” McDowell-Jackson said.

There are 52 newspapers on microfilm from 52 small cities in Georgia as a result of the Georgia Newspaper Project.

The complete history of the Telegraph also is housed in the microfilm section.

McDowell-Jackson said the room is one of the largest in the Southeast.

For more information about hours or to contact the library, see the following information about the Washington Memorial Library as well as other libraries in Middle Georgia.

Bibb County

http://www.co.bibb.ga.us/library/

Washington Memorial Library

1180 Washington Avenue, Macon

(478) 744-0800

Hours:

Adult Reference & Junior Room: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Genealogical & Historical Room & Middle Georgia Archives: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays

Macon Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays

Riverside Branch

Rivergate Shopping Center, 110 Holiday Drive North, Macon

(478) 757-8900

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays

Charles A. Lanford Library

6504 Houston Road, Macon

(478) 621-6970

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays

Shurling Branch

Shurlington Plaza, 1769 Shurling Drive, Macon

(478) 744-0875

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays

West Bibb Branch

Northwest Commons, 5580 Thomaston Road, Macon

(478) 744-0818

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays

Crawford County

Crawford County Public Library

340 McCrary St., Roberta

(478) 836-4478

Hours: 1-7 p.m. Mondays; and 10 a.m.-noon and 1-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays

Houston County

http://houpl.org/

Centerville Library

206 Gunn Road, Centerville

(478) 953-4500

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays-Fridays; noon-8 p.m. Tuesdays; and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays

Nola Brantley Memorial Library

721 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins

(478) 923-0128

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays

Perry Public Library

1201 Washington St., Perry

(478) 987-3050

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays-Fridays; noon-8 p.m. Tuesdays; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays

Jones County

Jones County Public Library

146 Railroad Ave., Gray

(478) 986-6626

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays

Monroe County

Monroe County Library

62 West Main St., Forsyth

(478) 994-7025

Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays

Peach County

http://www.peach.public.lib.ga.us/

Thomas Public Library

315 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Fort Valley

(478) 825-1640

Hours: Noon-8 p.m.Mondays; 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 9:30 a.m.-2:20 p.m. Saturdays

Byron Public Library

105 Church St., Byron

(478) 956-2200

Hours: Noon-8 p.m. Tuesdays; 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Twiggs County

Twiggs County Public Library

101 Ash St., Jeffersonville

(478) 945-3814

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays