Museum Archive & Research System (M.A.R.S) Our Museum Archive & Research System is available to De Pere Historical Society members as well as the general public at White Pillars Museum during normal business hours or by appointment.
The system features five workstations with access to the following information:
Newspapers - featuring scanned images of most De Pere newspapers from the early-1880s through the year 2000, our M.A.R.S databases contain newspaper issues from the De Pere News, Brown County Democrat, De Pere Journal-Democrat, Twin City Index, and more!
Ledgers - Over 150,000 pages from 125 ledgers from business and civic organizations have been scanned and hand indexed. This database offers a quick search feature that sails through the data and returns a list of ledgers that may pertain to your search criteria.
Holy Cards – Also known as prayer cards, funeral cards, or mass cards, our databases feature cards in the De Pere Historical Society's collection as well as those that have been donated by members of the community for use at the Museum.
Maps – A unique collection of maps related to De Pere and Brown County are available.
Photographs – Scanned images of the De Pere Historical Society's 15,000+ photograph collection.
The Museum Archive & Research System is unique to White Pillars Museum and De Pere Historical Society. It is not available over the Internet. The system is supported by volunteers and is open to Society members and the general public during normal museum hours or by appointment. Special request times are available by appointment. To sign up for a session, (2-hour maximum, if people are waiting), or make a appointment, contact at White Pillars Museum at 920-336-3877 or email us.
Help Add to the Collection! Below is a list of photos and items the De Pere Historical Society is in search of obtaining a scanned image or donated copy. If you have something listed below and would like to donate or share it, please contact White Pillars at 336-3877 or email us. If you are hesitant to donate an original photograph, consider allowing the Historical Society to scan the image and add it to the collection. With your help, and a little luck, the Historical Society will be able to secure a few photographs and will share them with you during the monthly Historic Photo Shows and future newsletters.
Old photos of De Pere cemeteries and barbershops.
Alexander P. Schmidt Brewery
Attorney Dennison Wheelock’s Office
Baptist Church on the west side
Cook’s Opera House
De Pere Brewing Company.
De Pere Canning Company
De Pere Lumber & Fuel Co.
De Pere Terra Cotta Company
Economy Store
Family grocery & dry goods stores, prior to 1980.
First telephone switchboard in De Pere.
A copy of the Dutch newspaper De Gids published by former Mayor John Smith.
Five generation photos, prior to 1950.
Flag Park
Frontier House
German Episcopal church on the east side.
Homes prior to 1950.
Lawtontown School.
Legion Hall on Michigan St.
Lyons Boiler Works
Methodist Episcopal church on the east side.
Northwestern Hotel
Old gas stations
Old St. Boniface grade school before the addition.
Oneida Knitting Mill
Original St. Joseph Church, before it burned in 1889.
Reinhart Shoes
Sorenson Shipyard
Steinfeldt Pump Factory
The Fox Steamer
Tobey’s Beach
De Pere area business ledgers prior to 1930.
Van Beckum Shoe Store.
VandeBrand’s Bakery
VandeWalle’s Bakery
Wedding photographs, prior to 1950.
West De Pere Agricultural Works
West De Pere Depot before 1913 when it was a wooden structure.
West De Pere High School
Wilcox Laundry
Willard & Hurd Steamworks Company
Yearbooks Needed: East De Pere High: 1916, 1919-21, 1927, 1932-33, 2009-2022 West De Pere High: 1915-19, 1923, 1925-34, 1936-1940, 2019-2022 St. Norbert College: 1974, 1983, 1992-2022 St. Joseph's Academy: Any
