Local History databases

Did you realize that you can do a lot of local history and genealogy research before coming to the library? You may want to become familiar with the numerous databases we offer to help you with your work -- and these are often the first sources for us to try when you request help.

For example, did you know that we have a listing of cemetery tombstone readings from the early days of the county up to recent times? Try our Cemeteries of Montgomery County database.

Need to find an obituary, marriage announcment, birth announcement, or any other vital statistics information from local newspapers? We have the Vital Statistics database that is an index of newspapers from the early 1830s to the present day.

These are just two of the more than one dozen databases we have for you that you can access anytime from our Local History page. To find out more, watch a short video on our database offerings:

Watch a 4-minute video on our Local History databases!

Fine Dining at the Hotel Ramsey

One of Crawfordsville's finest hotels, the Hotel Ramsey, was located on the northwest corner of Green Street and Market Street.

In 1903, Easter fell on Sunday, April 12. If you were staying at the Hotel Ramsey at that time, you made an excellent choice -- especially if you decided to have Easter dinner at this establishment. You had many tasty options! How about starting off with clam chowder before the arrival of your roast prime beef or spring lamb with mint sauce? As a vegetable, you could choose new beets in butter or asparagus tips, among other tasty delights. Apple or chocolate pie with ice cream would make a nice dessert to this meal.

You can see the entire 1903 Easter menu on our Image database by going directly to its 8MB .pdf image: http://history.cdpl.lib.in.us/images/p054-85.pdf 

The Image database (history.cdpl.lib.in.us/imagedb.html) is more than simply a collection of photographs -- its is also where you can find many different types of documents covering your Montgomery County heritage.

Crawford Hotel

This rare close-up of the front door of the Crawford Hotel, a landmark of the Crawfordsville downtown area from 1900 to 1974, was recently added to the library's image database. The original photograph, found among the library's Clark D. Jones papers, notes the identity of only one member of the group: Clark Jones. Mr. Jones is located on the right end of the front row. The group is not identified, but may be city leaders, or perhaps a business or professional organization. Recognize anyone? Know what group this is? Please contact our reference and local history department at 362-2242, ext. 117.