See also our Genealogy & Local History Research Guides

The main locations of the Gaston County Public Library and the Lincoln County Public Library both house a North Carolina Collection. These are non-circulating reference collections of historical and cultural materials that focus primarily on Gaston and Lincoln Counties but include North Carolina as a whole, bordering areas, and general genealogical resources.

The North Carolina Collections offer the following resources:

• Books and Periodicals--Both libraries collect material focusing on the history and genealogy of their area and also contain general genealogical resources. Our holdings of city directories are listed in this guide. In addition, the Gaston County location houses an eight volume James Worthy Scrapbook created by Scott Lewis.

• The Gaston & Lincoln Biography Index online is an index to biographical material that is "buried" within books and magazines in our collections. More entries are being added to these pages as staff members have time.

• Heritage Quest Online --a database with images of all the census population schedules for the whole country from 1790 through 1930. HQ also provides indexing for some census years; full-text copies of over 25,000 books on genealogy and local history; actual images of Revolutionary War pension files from the National Archives; PERSI, an index to genealogical magazines; records of the Freedman's Bank(1865-1874); and access to a portion of the U. S. Congressional Serial Set. HQ is available at all the libraries and anyone with a current library card can use it from their home computer through NC Live. Ask your librarian for information on using NC Live at home.
For more information, see Heritage Quest FAQ's and Heritage Quest: Local History Books.

• Ancestry Library Edition --another huge collection of sources and indexes with actual images of many records. The complete census from 1790 to 1930 is available and indexed. A sampling of other resources: WWI draft registration records, city directories, passenger lists, birth and death records, and much more. Available at all the libraries. However, we can not supply home access.

• Records on Microfilm--We hold microfilm records of marriages, wills, deeds, court minutes, and land grants for Tryon, Lincoln, and Gaston Counties along with other local materials including some church records.
Census records for North and South Carolina are available for the years 1790-1930 at Gastonia. (For all other states, see Heritage Quest Online and Ancestry Library Edition above.) For more information on census records, see our guide, The United States Census for Genealogists: 1790--1930 and our list of Census Microfilm at the Jonas Library, Lincolnton.
Microfilm reader-printers are available at both libraries.

• Newspapers--The Gaston Gazette is on microfilm since its beginning in the 1880s. There is partial indexing (including obituaries) since 1980 and an obituary only index for 1880-1899. The Lincoln Times-News and other Lincolnton newspapers are available at the Lincoln County location. They are not indexed.

• Vertical File--At the Gaston County location this alphabetical file contains newspaper clippings, magazine excerpts, pamphlets, and other similar items. The files are divided into two sections--local and North Carolina. Frequently used files in both sections include the "Biographies" and "Cities and Towns." The vertical files at the Lincolnton location are primarily "family files". Click here for a list of surnames for which there are folders. At both locations we are always happy to receive more information on local families for these files.

• Cemetery Records--There is no complete cemetery survey for either county. For more information see our guides, Gaston County Cemeteries and Lincoln County Cemeteries .

• Map File--There is a map file at the Gaston County location. Historical and topographical maps are housed here.

• See News from the North Carolina Collection for lists of newly added materials.

The Gaston County location supports a librarian to monitor and assist with the North Carolina Collection, but the room itself is not staffed. The Lincoln County location employs a local historian who works part-time. Please call in advance to confirm her hours. In both libraries, the collection is available for use whenever the library is open.

Mail and email requests for SPECIFIC information are welcome. We will be glad to try to answer a particular question for those who are unable to use the collection in person. Please contact:

At Gastonia: NCC Librarian, Reference Services, Gaston County Public Library, 1555 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28054. 704-868-2164, ext. 2. Our email address for Reference Services at the Gastonia Library is refgcpl@hotmail.com.

At Lincolnton: Local Historian, Lincoln County Library, 306 W. Main St., Lincolnton, NC 28092. 704-735-8044 or email lhoyle@lincolncounty.org.

Local History Researchers--Because the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library System cannot conduct extensive research, we have available a list of researchers who will pursue larger projects for a fee. Please contact us for a copy of this list. Note: The Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library System is not able to recommend or take responsibility for any particular researcher.

For information on contacting local genealogical and historical organizations, please see our list of Gaston/Lincoln organizations and our Library Research Guides, "Finding Gaston County Ancestors" and "Finding Lincoln County Ancestors".

See our Library Research Guides for Genealogy & Local History for more detailed information on our holdings and/or search the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library catalog online from our homepage.