The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is January 2025)
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Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.
Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:
- FamilySearch – Institution and School Records
- Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records
- Researching Ancestors in Asylums
What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?
- Poorhouse
- Poor Farm
- Orphanage
- Orphan Train
- Mental Hospital
- Workhouse
- Almshouse
- Institutional School
- Sanitarium
- Asylums
- Correctional institutions
Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.
Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Nebraska Free Online Institutional Records
- Buffalo County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Dawson County, Poor Farm Records, 1880-1900
- Douglas County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Hall County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Hamilton County, Poor Farm Residents in 1900 Census
- Lancaster County, Lincoln Regional Center Calvert Street Cemetery AKA Lincoln State Hospital Cemetery
- Lancaster County, Lincoln Regional Center Haines Branch Cemetery
- Lancaster County, Nebraska State Penitentiary Cemetery
- Madison County, Norfolk State Hospital New Cemetery
- Madison County, Norfolk State Hospital Old Cemetery
- Nance County, Genoa Indian Industrial School Cemetery
- Nebraska, Nebraska Hospital for the Insane Admissions/Discharges/Deaths, 1887-1891
- Nebraska, Riders of the Orphan Train, A-L
- Nebraska, Riders of the Orphan Train, M-Z
- Nebraska, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918
- Otoe County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Otoe County, Residents of Blind Institute, Prison and Poor House in 1880 Census
- Phelps County, Holdrege, Christian Orphans’ Home Records, 1840-1912
- Phelps County, Mother’s Pensions, 1919-1946
- Platte County, Poor House Records
- Richardson County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Sarpy County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Saunders County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Saunders County, Poor Farm Census Records
- Thayer County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Webster County, Poor Farm Cemetery
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!