Civil War Museum
Jack D. Michaels Resource Center
The Jack D. Michaels Resource Center is ideally suited for casual visitors, students working on papers, and the Civil War enthusiast. Resource Center staff and volunteers are happy to assist you in Civil War research.
The resource center is a non-circulating library. A computer, printer, and photocopier are available for research. You may bring your personal laptop. Most items may be photocopied for a nominal fee. Children are welcome!
Books
Over 1,500 bound volumes are available to visitors in open stacks for browsing. Resource Center materials are for reference only and cannot be checked out.
Magazines
Our collection of periodicals includes:
- American Civil War (1988-present)
- American History Illustrated (1966-1997)
- Blue & Gray (1983-present)
- Camp Chase Gazette (2005-2008)
- Civil War Society (1987-2008)
- Civil War Times (1960-prresent)
- Confederate Veteran (bound by year, 1893-1932)
- North & South (1998-present)
Maps and Charts
We have maps of specific battlefields, the United States in the 1860s, and routes of the Underground Railroad. Our chart collection includes famous Union and Confederate generals, uniforms, and arms of the war.
Microfilm
The resource center holds 85 rolls of rare Wisconsin microfilm. This includes the Wisconsin Red and Blue books, as well as an assortment of Wisconsin newspapers from the Civil War era.
Local and Personal Stories
Enjoy stories of individuals from the Upper Middle West States. For example, we have a copy of local Kenosha resident Volney French's diary. We also hold many research binders used by museum curators to develop the Fiery Trial exhibit.
We have room for more!
If you are interested in donating any books or materials to the resource center, please contact Brett Lobello, curator of education, at blobello@kenosha.org.