Ask yourself what people have done in the Bronx and you’ll find that the Bronx Historical Society has it on record somewhere. You can come here to learn about any topic on Bronx community, business, theater, or politics. The reference collection contains some 3,540 books on the history of the Bronx , the New York City , and New York State . And the library keeps another 1,735 books, manuscripts, documents, and clippings for research. With over 2,300 vertical files, each one covering a different subject or topic of Bronx history, plus newspapers, real estate atlases from 1860 to 1940, audio/video materials, photographs, a complete set of the Society’s journal publications, and more, you can see why you’ll want to call ahead and let the librarian pull stuff for you.

It can be really helpful to see how broader, national historic issues have played out on a local scale, and in this case, a local Bronx scale. Big issues become tangible and easier to handle when you see how they affect a small community. Curious about how marriage was enforced? The March 14, 1920 Bronx Home News reports on the annulment of Mr. and Mrs. Stern’s marriage and how “Mrs. Morgenthaler says Mrs. Bloch is trying to steal her husband” (Mrs. Bloch was fined $10.00 for the attempt). Or how about business? A three-way price war among housewives, local merchants, and encroaching large chain stores illustrates an enduring national problem. Or what if you’re studying prohibition? Check out stories like the one about the customs agent freed after shooting a longshoreman who was smuggling whiskey ashore.

Not to sound like a broken record, but if it happened in the Bronx they’ve got info on it here. And that “it” includes people. So who in the Bronx would you want to write about? You might just be surprised. The Bronx Historical Society of course has information on Jonas Bronck, the guy the Bronx is named for. But besides him: Anne Hutchinson sought religious refuge from Massachusetts and Rhode Island and found it in the Bronx . Revolutionary hero Gouverneur Morris and college founder Ezra Cornell lived there. Edgar Allan Poe wrote Annabel Lee and The Bells there (the Society has an entire collection on him), and Mark Twain wrote short stories there. The musical Fiddler on the Roof was based in part on short stories written by the Bronx Ukrainian immigrant Sholem Aleichem. George Herman Ruth (you might know him as Babe) and Lou Gehrig both lived in the Bronx , and Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia was a native. The famous movie star hunk Tony Curtis was born as Bernie Schwartz at Hunts Point. I don’t think you need to be told what Colin Powell, Calvin Klein, Stanley Kubrick, Ralph Lauren, or John Adams are famous for. It seems almost anyone who’s anyone has had their stint in the Bronx . Well, okay, not everyone, but even JFK spent a few of his formative years there.

So how do you do research at the Bronx Historical Society? Start by making an appointment with the librarian, within a week of when you would like to use the library but not for the same day. Call on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, when the library is open, with at least a general idea of what you are interested in studying so that the librarian can prepare stuff for you. Bring pen and paper because photocopies whether of text of photocopies cost 50 cents a page. Though the Society’s archives and objects collections are normally not accessible to students, your project might get you referred to archivist Peter Derrick or curator Kathy McAuley.

A person you won’t need a referral for is Lloyd Ultan. A professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Jersey , this guy knows everything about the Bronx , and he’s very willing to talk to kids like you. Look out for his events at the Society. He’s usually around on Fridays from 2 to 4.

If you have a question but aren’t sure it merits a trip up to the Bronx, or you just want to find out if the Society has enough info on your topic to justify a visit, call or send a letter to the librarian.

You might not just be referred to other people, but also to other places and events. The Society maintains two historic houses, the Valentine-Varian House and the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage. Built in 1758, only the second house built in the Bronx after the 1748 Van Cortlandt House, Valentine-Varian was the site of six American Revolution scuffles and home to Mayor Isaac Varian. The interior is used as exhibition space; be sure to ask what the current exhibit is. Be warned: the library and the Valentine-Varian House are in separate buildings a block apart, so be specific when asking for directions.

Poe Cottage doesn’t contain exhibits because it’s restored to the time when Poe lived in it (1846-1849), but you can take a guided tour and watch a video about it.

The Society also leads guided tours of many neighborhoods and local treasures, including the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, and the sculptures at the Hall of Fame. Lectures at different Bronx libraries cover a wide array of topics, including the Bronx and the NFL, Bronx public transit, and most recently, Edgar Allan Poe. (So, yes, by this point it should be indisputable that any research on Edgar Allan Poe pretty much necessitates a visit to the Bronx .) For a complete listing of current events, check out the website, or request by phone or e-mail that the latest Bronx Historian newsletter and the latest library information be mailed to you.