Skip to content
Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Dunlap Public Library

Dunlap, Iowa

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Dunlap.

Explore the Archive Institution Website
4Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1867 to 2024Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

118,012Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Dunlap, Iowa.

Explore the past of Dunlap, Iowa through newspapers in the Dunlap Public Library's digital archive. Its four titles include material from 1867 to 2024.

You can open the archive using the link below.
Partner image, not an archive preview
 Explore the Archive

Opens in a new tab.

  • Selected titles

    A selection from Dunlap Public Library: “Dunlap Pioneers and Progress Centennial” as well as “Dunlap Reporter and Herald”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    Newspaper pages connect individual accounts with a wider story, preserving how events were reported and presented to the readers of the day.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse four titles and 118,012 digitized pages, with material from 1867 to 2024. This collection is shared through Dunlap Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

A family story or a question about a familiar place can lead somewhere unexpected. Browse the titles below and see which detail draws you in.

Dunlap Pioneers and Progress Centennial

170 pages in 1867

Dunlap Reporter

108,086 pages from 1891 to 2018

Dunlap Reporter and Herald

2,362 pages from 1910 to 1913

The Dunlap Reporter

7,394 pages from 2018 to 2024

Explore the Archive (opens in a new tab)

Opens in a new tab.

About the Library

About The Dunlap Public Library

The Dunlap Public Library serves as a vital educational and cultural resource for the community of Dunlap, Iowa. Established with efforts from the Fortnightly Club in 1906 and gaining municipal support in 1911, the library has grown to offer a diverse range of materials for education, information, recreation, and social culture. The library is a shared space with the city and the school, providing comprehensive services to all residents. The library is housed in a historic building, made possible by an offer from Andrew Carnegie, reflecting the town's commitment to learning and community growth. With a wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking lot, the library ensures that all community members have equal access to its resources.

Dunlap Public Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of The Dunlap Public Library

The history of the Dunlap Public Library is deeply rooted in the community's dedication to education and accessibility. It began with the efforts of the Fortnightly Club in 1906, which recognized the need for a local library. By 1911, the community voted to provide municipal support for the library, and Andrew Carnegie's offer to build a library building further solidified this commitment. The library has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of the community, maintaining its role as a central hub for education and culture in Dunlap. Today, it offers a wide array of materials and programs, ensuring that it remains a relevant and valuable resource for all residents.

About the Community

About Dunlap, Iowa

Dunlap, Iowa, is a small yet vibrant community located in Harrison County. Known for its rich agricultural heritage and close-knit community spirit, Dunlap offers a peaceful and welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike. The town's history is closely tied to its development as a farming community, and its historical landmarks and local institutions reflect this heritage. Dunlap's commitment to education and community well-being is exemplified by the Dunlap Public Library, which has served as a cornerstone of the town's cultural and educational landscape for over a century. The library continues to play a crucial role in fostering lifelong learning and community engagement.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Dunlap Public Library was established with the help of the Fortnightly Club in 1906? This early effort by dedicated community members laid the foundation for the library's growth and success. Additionally, the library building was funded by Andrew Carnegie, whose philanthropy helped establish many libraries across the United States.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Compare accounts as you trace a story

A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Dunlap. The digital archive shared by the Dunlap Public Library offers a place to begin. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story. Use a report's date to look for earlier or later coverage where those issues are available. Compare what each account says and what it leaves out, treating a related mention as a lead rather than a complete history.

Compare each newspaper account with a nearby dated issue where available, noting what changes or stays consistent. Keep alternate versions and unresolved details visible rather than blending distinct sources into one story. Use those differences to frame a next question, not to settle the account before the sources support it.

Keep source details beside each quotation or observation. If accounts differ, preserve both references and note what remains unresolved. Let the evidence, rather than a smooth retelling, show where the sources agree and where the story is still open.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Dunlap Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
Read article
Back to top

Help local history reach more people

A link from you could start someone’s next discovery.

Know someone who would value these resources? Share what you found. If you represent a library, school, museum or community organization, add a link to your website, research guide or newsletter so more people can find this freely accessible history.

Get links & website cards
Share this archive profile by link or email
Prepare an email

Copy this public link or add your own note before sending. No sign-in needed.

Free tools. No account required. Share a link, not a paywall.