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Local history from our microfilm and vertical file collections

Charlie Halleck Day, Sept. 1962, Rensselaer, Ind.

Coverage from the Rensselaer Republican newspaper of the visit of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower to give a political endorsement of his friend Charles A. Halleck. Halleck was running for re-election to the U.S. Congress.

What's a Vertical File?

In each library we keep records about important local places and people, usually hanging vertically in file folders. These files might contain news clippings, program fliers, photographs, hand-written notes and other items. These are valuable original-source documents that patrons can use to learn about local history. Check with a librarian to see if these records might help you with a research project.

Help with research

Ancestry - Library

Included in Ancestry Library are the digitized images of the U.S. Federal Census from 1790 forward, Passenger and Immigration Lists index, and much more. This database can only be accessed while inside the library.

Heritage Quest

A resource for census data, family records and local histories, this collection contains U.S. federal census, banking and military records, genealogies, primary source materials, and more.

For other history and research databases, check out our online resources collection.