Skip to content
Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Fayette Community Library

Fayette, Iowa

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

Explore the Archive Institution Website
16Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1865 to 2024Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

158,612Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

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

Get to know Fayette, Iowa in earlier years through newspapers as well as maps and atlases shared in the Fayette Community Library's digital archive. Its sixteen titles include material from 1865 to 2024. The collection also includes registers, rosters, and listings.

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

    In the collection shared by Fayette Community Library, you will find “Atlas of Fayette County” and “Upper Iowa Press”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • Different views of the past

    Maps and atlases offer a different view of a familiar place through the labels, boundaries and features their makers recorded. An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.

Historical newspapers can connect a family name with the events and everyday concerns of an earlier time, offering more than a date or a name on its own. Bring a family connection, a question about a familiar place or an interest in local history, and see where the sources lead. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse sixteen titles and 158,612 digitized pages, with material from 1865 to 2024. A partnership between Fayette Community Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

If you are tracing a family connection or exploring local history, the titles below offer a place to begin and a thread to follow.

Atlas of Fayette County

96 pages in 1896

Fayette County GAR

2,856 pages in 1901

Fayette County Leader

32,644 pages from 1914 to 1970

Fayette County Union

16 pages in 1910

Fayette Leader

71,568 pages from 1914 to 2020

Fayette Reporter

1,914 pages from 1910 to 1912

Iowa Postal Card

19,118 pages from 1882 to 1910

Leader Press

3,190 pages from 1972 to 1974

Roster of Iowa Soldiers War of Rebellion Vol 1

2,458 pages in 1865

Roster of Iowa Soldiers War of Rebellion Vol 2

2,420 pages in 1865

Roster of Iowa Soldiers War of Rebellion Vol 3

3,364 pages in 1865

Roster of Iowa Soldiers War of Rebellion Vol 4

3,600 pages in 1865

Roster of Iowa Soldiers War of Rebellion Vol 5

3,590 pages in 1865

Roster of Iowa Soldiers War of Rebellion Vol 6

2,322 pages in 1865

Union Echo Leader

8,772 pages from 2021 to 2024

Upper Iowa Press

684 pages from 1974 to 1975

Explore the Archive (opens in a new tab)

Opens in a new tab.

About the Library

About The Fayette Community Library

The Fayette Community Library, located in Fayette, Iowa, represents a collaborative effort by numerous organizations and individuals, predominantly women and women's groups. The concept of a community library originated with the Shakespeare Club in 1934. The library officially opened in 1936 under the control of the town council, with financial support coming from local taxation, clubs, and individuals. Over the years, the library has expanded and adapted to meet the needs of the community, including significant renovations and the addition of a new building in 1951. Today, the library offers a wide range of resources and services to individuals of all ages, continuing its mission to provide free access to information and support lifelong learning.

Fayette Community Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of The Fayette Community Library

The Fayette Community Library's origins trace back to 1934 when the Shakespeare Club, a member of the Federated Women's Organization, initiated the idea of establishing a public library in Fayette. By 1936, the library came under the town council's control, receiving some financial support from local taxes. The first Library Board was established in 1943. Despite a setback in 1943 when the library was destroyed by fire, the community rallied to rebuild it. In 1951, with contributions from Wilbur and Dorothy Bell and Paul and Icel Templemen, a new building was constructed and formally opened in 1952. In 1970, a new addition was made possible by the Nellie Stevenson estate and the Kinney-Lindstrom Foundation, featuring the Oliver Stevenson Fine Arts Memorial. Further renovations in 1995 enhanced the library's physical arrangement, adding a children's area, a computer lab, and improved visibility. In 1997, the library became automated, enhancing accessibility to its 17,000-volume collection. An expansion project completed in 1999 included the largest ICN classroom in the state, funded by a grant and community support, providing a valuable resource for community activities.

About the Community

About Fayette, Iowa

Fayette, located in Fayette County, Iowa, is a small town with a rich history and a strong sense of community. Established in the 19th century, Fayette has grown into a vibrant community known for its educational institutions, including Upper Iowa University. The town is home to historic buildings, scenic landscapes, and annual events that celebrate its heritage. Fayette’s commitment to preserving its history is evident in the extensive archives housed at the Fayette Community Library, providing valuable resources for researchers and history enthusiasts.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Look for the story behind a result

Begin with a person, neighborhood, business, or event you want to understand in Fayette. The newspaper titles in the newspaper titles shared by the Fayette Community Library can connect that question with reports from earlier years; leave a possible match open until its date and details fit. Search a person, place, or event with a second term, then compare the date and context of each result. A repeated name needs more evidence before it identifies the same person or connects two parts of a story.

Where the available dates overlap, compare a place mentioned in a newspaper with the mapped setting. Check each source's date and purpose before connecting a street or boundary. A familiar place name can change meaning over time.

Capture the title, date, and page or item location for a detail you may want to revisit. Label your interpretation as your reading, not the source's own words. Keep enough context with the note that another reader can retrace it.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Fayette Community 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.