Whittier, CA - Local History
Home Local History MenuResearch Appointments
We are located at the Whittier Central Library in Uptown Whittier, on the corner of Washington Avenue and Mar Vista Street: 7344 Washington Ave., Whittier, CA 90602.
City directories and books are accessible from the Whittier History Room up to an hour before the library closes. Appointments are necessary if you require materials that may not be removed from the Whittier History Room, such as yearbooks, or need research assistance from the Local History Librarian. To make a research appointment, call the library at (562) 567-9900 and ask for the Reference Desk, or email historyroom@whittierlibrary.org.
Book collections can be searched using the "Local History Room Catalog Book Search" form on the left side of this page. A list of Vertical Files subject headings is available here, and further information on the Vertical Files and Archives can be found on the Archives page of this website.
Common research requests include information on the history of a home, help with genealogical research, and information on topics of local interest.
Items commonly requested include:
- City directories
- High school and college yearbooks
- Vertical files containing newspaper articles on buildings and notable people
- Historic maps of Whittier and the surrounding areas
- Archive boxes containing information on ranchos and missions, Los Angeles County, the San Gabriel Valley, and Whittier Books from the Whittier History, Whittier Hills, and Californiana book collections.
To support the Whittier History Room, please visit our Support the Library page.