Research Tools

HCS updated 12/14/2018

Book Index
Our TDHS research staff has painstakingly compiled a list of books, publications, and pamphlets that may assist the researcher in commencing their investigation of relevant materials.  This Book Index is fully searchable and is compiled in groups of subjects, listed by publication.  An example:  if you are looking for a book about lumbering in the Truckee area, search on that word and you will be directed to several on point publications that refer to lumbering.  This Book Index (pdf format) is current as of June 23, 2018.  Our Book Collection Index refers to books that can be found in our Joseph Research Library for public use at the library only.  No check-out services available.  Subjects presently include:  Ag State of Nevada, California Indians, California History, Chinese, Donner Party and Emigrant Trails, Ghost Towns, Lake Tahoe, Railroad or Trains, Truckee, and Winter Sports. 
We hope this provides you with at least a starting point in your search.

Map Index
TDHS research staff has prepared a DRAFT index of maps (as of February 2016) available to our research staff members.  Map Index in pdf format.

Audio Recordings - Oral Histories, Presentations
TDHS recently reformatted an April 14, 1987 audio recording of long time Truckee resident Nelson Stone.  Nelson's presentation (recording #10) is available at this link.  (A brief synopsis of the audio recording.)
TDHS research staff has also been busy locating and transcribing various oral interviews and histories.  We have the pleasure of presenting one such interview in 1970 of Moke (Karl L.) Kielhofer by then TDHS President Roy Baker and another interviewer we are trying to determine. The audio recording may be easily played through iTunes or on any device which plays an MPEG audio file.  It runs just shy of one hour and is 
81 mb.  A written transcript may be available at a future time.  Mr. Kielhofer's interview is full of wonderful information about Truckee in the early decades of the 1900s.  Mr. Kielhofer was born in 1897 and he talks about his early life working on motion pictures with Charlie Chaplin here in the Truckee area for sixteen years, including Call of the Wild (1923 and 1935), Iron Horse (1924), and Gold Rush (1925). Mr. Kielhofer's fascinating recollection of Truckee in its beginning years is animated and remarkable in detail.  Take an hour to sit and listen to a bygone era. We're sure you'll enjoy it as much as we have.  Link to Monument Inscription.
We are also pleased to be able to provide access to several other audio recordings.   Dog Sled Races (#1 below), Lions Club, Ed McMills | Meiss School (#2 recording below) |   Truckee's Ice Age (David Lawlor speaking about the ice harvesting industry in Truckee, February 12, 1985 at a general TDHS meeting) 
Courtesy of our new TDHS President, Katie Holley, additional audio recordings are available in the
Audio Recordings Folder available at this link.  The individual audio recordings are in mp3 format and include:
1.  Dog Sled Races Lions Club Ed McMills
2. Meiss School May 10, 1988
3. Bunkhouse Preservation effort June 14, 1988
4. 1990 Old Timers Picnic
5. Methodist Church Norma McMillan
6. Truckee's Ice Age
7.  Bunkhouse Preservation effort June 14, 1988
8. Stollery Tales of Tahoe October 8, 1986
9. Jibboom Street Dedication 1985
10. Nelson Stone and Old Truckee
11. Indian Circle of Stones R. Schwartz
12. Law Enforcement - C. Maynard August 18, 1984
13. Nelson Stone Truckee Days March 12, 1985
14. Jewel Dumas recollections February 18, 2018
15.1. DP rescue site Johnson's Ranch
15.2. Jack Steed author DP Rescue Site discussing artifacts
16. Floriston Wesley Craig August 15, 1986
17. Stephanie Erber January 12, 1988
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20. Macaulay Ice Industry May 12, 1987
21. Guy Coates Nona McGlashan July 18, 1987
22. Nona McGlashan July 11, 1989
23. Donner Summit - Elmo Moriano April 12, 1999

Newsletters 
See the Newsletter Search Tools page link.
References to recent TDHS events  

Other Research Tools
​Index of Squaw Valley Items in TDHS Collection
Biography and source information about a noted Truckee physician in the late 1800s, Dr. William Curless, provided by an interested reader.