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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Elroy Public Library

Elroy, Wisconsin

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

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24Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1854 to 2014Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

246,582Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Elroy, Wisconsin.

Explore the past of Elroy, Wisconsin through newspapers and census records in the Elroy Public Library's digital archive. Its twenty-four titles include material from 1854 to 2014. The collection also includes religious organization documents and government records.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    Selected titles from Elroy Public Library include “County Line” and “Wisconsin Statesman”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • Different views of the past

    A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue. A census entry offers one dated view of a household. Its recorded details can help you explore a family connection without proving identity from a name alone.

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 twenty-four titles and 246,582 digitized pages, with material from 1854 to 2014. This collection is shared through Elroy Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

Follow a family connection or a question about the community through the titles below and the history they preserve.

County Line

16,182 pages from 1999 to 2008

County Line Connection

776 pages in 1999

East Lemonweir Lutheran Church Juneau County Records

2,490 pages in 1854

Elroy Chronicle

2,178 pages from 1890 to 1892

Elroy Head Light

762 pages from 1874 to 1876

Elroy Kendall Wilton Tribune Keystone

29,678 pages from 1965 to 1982

Elroy Leader

11,422 pages from 1898 to 1922

Elroy Leader Tribune

26,944 pages from 1922 to 1965

Elroy Tribune

25,174 pages from 1881 to 1920

Elroy Tribune And Plain Talker

672 pages from 1883 to 1884

Elroy Union

308 pages from 1873 to 1874

Juneau County Argus

856 pages from 1874 to 1876

Juneau County Chronicle

706 pages from 1892 to 1893

Juneau County Plain Talker

372 pages from 1877 to 1878

Juneau County Records

1,160 pages from 1878 to 1957

Keystone Reporter

25,990 pages from 1997 to 1999

Messenger of Juneau County

26,382 pages from 2005 to 2014

Plain Talker

4,162 pages from 1878 to 1883

Trail Communities Messenger

12,630 pages from 1999 to 2005

Tribune

1,060 pages from 1898 to 1899

Tribune Keystone

40,968 pages from 1982 to 1996

Us Census

3,336 pages from 1860 to 1880

Us Census

12,358 pages from 1870 to 1930

Wisconsin Statesman

16 pages in 1882

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About the Archive

About The Elroy Public Library’s History Archives

The Elroy Public Library in Wisconsin offers a unique opportunity to explore local papers and documents that were once only available on microfilm but are now easily accessible online. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives , users can search these records by name, date, and more, providing a valuable resource for those interested in local history.

Elroy Public Library photo 1

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Additional Resources

  • The US Census (1870-1930)
  • East Lemonweir Lutheran Church Juneau County Records (1854)
  • Juneau County Records (1878-1957)

About the Library

About The Elroy Public Library

The Elroy Public Library officially opened on March 4, 1908, funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Local contractor Harry Gordon completed construction in 1907, and much of the original woodwork can still be seen today. The library's early history was closely linked to the railroad system, with the railroad contributing to the library’s budget in exchange for club rooms from 1914 to 1924. At the turn of the century, the community rallied behind the restoration and expansion of the library building, which allowed for more space, better access, and extensive parking. The renovated Elroy Public Library was dedicated in 2001, with further basement renovations in 2005. The library continues to serve as a central hub for community learning and engagement.

Elroy Public Library photo 2

About the Community

About The City of Elroy, Wisconsin

Elroy, Wisconsin is a city with a rich history tied to the railroad industry. Known for its scenic beauty and vibrant community, Elroy has played a significant role in the development of Juneau County. The Elroy Public Library serves as a key cultural and educational institution, providing residents and visitors with access to a wealth of historical and educational resources.

Local History

Did You Know?

Elroy was once a major railroad hub, with the Chicago and North Western Railway and the Omaha Road both serving the city. The Elroy-Sparta State Trail, one of the first rail-to-trail conversions in the United States, begins in Elroy and offers beautiful scenic routes for biking and hiking. Elroy is home to several historic buildings, including the Elroy Public Library, which retains much of its original early 20th-century architecture.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Read a report in its time and place

Bring a question about Elroy, whether it begins with a family name, a neighborhood, or an event people remember. Search the newspaper titles shared by the Elroy Public Library for the details that connect a story to its time and community. The people and places in a report can make familiar local history more specific and worth exploring. Check nearby issues or another listed newspaper when available. Differences in timing and wording can add perspective to a story, while the issue date and surrounding articles help show what kind of account you are reading.

Follow a promising report into a nearby issue or another title where available. Compare dates and surrounding coverage; a single account is one perspective on a story. Use the surrounding account to shape your next question, while keeping each source's perspective distinct.

Keep the title, date, page, or item reference with each useful finding. Separate the words in a historical account from your interpretation, and note conflicting perspectives rather than choosing one too quickly. These notes help connect a local story to its evidence and show what remains uncertain.

The government records shared by the Elroy Public Library offer another research path. Note the agency or jurisdiction, date, record series, and field where the document provides them. A government record shows what that office recorded for its purpose; it may not describe every person, event, or condition in the community.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Elroy 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.
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