110Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Greene County
Greene, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Greene.
1854 to 2025Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
661,200Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Greene, Iowa.
Follow a name, place, or event connected with Greene through the collection shared by Greene County. Its one hundred ten titles include material from 1854 to 2025.
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Selected titles
The collection from Greene County includes “100 Years of Progress 1869 to1969” and “Veterans of WW ll”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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Ways to explore
Follow a story connected with Greene through the sources that fit your question, rather than expecting one record to tell it all.
A name or place can be a starting point, not a conclusion. Compare what an available source says and keep its context with the detail you follow. Family researchers, students, educators, and local residents can each find a reason to explore the history of Greene. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse one hundred ten titles and 661,200 digitized pages, with material from 1854 to 2025. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Greene County shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Explore the titles below for a closer look at the places, people and everyday life of earlier generations.
100 Years of Progress 1869 to1969
92 pages in 1969
Allamakee Journal
16 pages in 1978
Angus IA A Compilation of Information
356 pages in 2020
Bee
25,236 pages from 1991 to 2014
Biographical Sketches of Greene Co Iowa 1887
478 pages in 1887
Brief History Greene County 1940
114 pages in 1940
Cavalcade of a Century
132 pages in 1954
Celebrating 125 yrs St Patricks Church 1872 to1997
212 pages in 1997
Christ Lutheran Church Records
148 pages in 1996
Churdan 100 Years 1882 to1982
630 pages in 1982
Churdan Consolidated and Paton Churdan Alumni
52 pages in 1939
Churdan High Echoes Oct 1923 to May 1924
230 pages in 1923
Early Greene County Residents
564 pages in 1995
Families of Rippey Old Rippey and New Rippey
244 pages in 2020
First Catholic Church
76 pages in 2020
Globe Free Press And Rippey News
22,014 pages from 1987 to 1999
Gold Nugget
1,216 pages in 1996
Grand Junction HeadLight
4,520 pages from 1870 to 1999
Greene Co Church Cluster 2002
188 pages in 2002
Greene Co Iowa Births 1880 to 1891
252 pages in 1880
Greene Co Iowa Births 1891 to 1897
352 pages from 1891 to 1897
Greene Co Iowa Births 1909 to 1917 M through Z
94 pages in 1909
Greene Co Iowa Births 1909 to1917 A through L
108 pages in 1909
Greene Co Iowa Births 1918 to1941
316 pages in 1918
Greene Co Iowa Births Index to Delayed Records of Birth
60 pages in 1996
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Cedar Township
94 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Dawson Township
66 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Franklin Township
110 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Grant Township
52 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Greenbrier Township
66 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Highland Township
174 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Jackson and Bristol TWP
68 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Jefferson
518 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Junction Township
218 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Kendrick Township
84 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Paton Township
118 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Scranton Township
214 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Washington Township
180 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Cemeteries Willow Township
80 pages in 2020
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 1 Cedar Highland and Churdan
176 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 2 Dana Paton and Dawson
200 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 3 Bristol Jackson and Hardin
170 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 4 Rippey Washington and Grant
146 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 5 Franklin Greenbrier and Willow
152 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 6 Junction and Grand Junction
178 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 7 Kendrick and Scranton
200 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 8A Jefferson
134 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Census 1925 Vol 8B Jefferson
182 pages in 1925
Greene Co Iowa Deaths 1880 to 1897
108 pages in 1880
Greene Co Iowa Deaths 1897 to 2004
46 pages in 1897
Greene Co Iowa Deaths 1906 to 1921
188 pages in 1906
Greene Co Iowa Deaths 1921 to 1941
80 pages in 1921
Greene Co Iowa Federal Census Annotated 1860
136 pages in 1860
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 1854 to 1880
136 pages in 1854
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 1880 to 1884
140 pages in 1880
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 1885 to 1890
128 pages in 1885
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 1890 to 1894
160 pages in 1890
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 1895 to1900
154 pages in 1895
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 1900 to1903
130 pages in 1900
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 190401 to190806
122 pages in 1904
greene co iowa marriages 190807 to 191212
134 pages in 1908
Greene Co Iowa Marriages 191212 to191703
120 pages in 1912
Greene Co Iowa State Census 1856
72 pages in 1856
History of Churdan and the Cedar Highland Area 1852 to 1965
142 pages in 1981
History of Churdan and the Cedar-Highland Area 1852 to 1965
394 pages in 1965
History of Education in Grand Junction
14 pages in 2020
History of Rippey A Century of Progress 1849 to 1956
524 pages in 1956
History of Rippey Old and New Rippey 1849 to 1970
444 pages in 1970
Index for Walton and Crumley General Store
326 pages in 1996
Index to Greene Co Naturalization Records
28 pages in 2020
Jefferson Herald
14,368 pages from 1988 to 2018
Junction Township Volunteer Fire Department 1883 to 1963
94 pages in 1963
Lohrville Enterprise
32 pages in 1958
Lohrville Enterprise And The Farnhamville Index
4,702 pages from 1958 to 1964
Lohrville Enterprise And The Farnhamville Index
3,506 pages from 1960 to 1964
Past and Present of Greene Co Iowa
1,142 pages in 1907
Paton 1875 to1975
168 pages in 1975
Paton Churdan News
5,656 pages from 1983 to 1995
Rippey Booster
1,844 pages from 1919 to 1922
Rippey Farm Festival Program
102 pages in 1913
Scranton Journal
131,030 pages from 1884 to 2017
Service Record WW ll Scranton and Community
138 pages in 2020
Service Records of WW1 and WW2 Paton and Community
176 pages in 2020
St Columbkille Catholic Church 1886 to1986
140 pages in 1986
St. Joseph Golgotha Cemetery
54 pages in 2014
The Churdan Reporter
894 pages from 1891 to 1958
The Era Headlight
848 pages from 1898 to 1899
The First Hundred Years 1872 to1972
208 pages in 1972
The Free Lance
2,050 pages from 1915 to 1917
The Globe Free Press
512 pages in 1942
The Globe Free Press And Paton Churdan News And The Rippey News
2,828 pages from 1986 to 1987
The Globe Free Press And The Paton Portrait And The Rippey News
55,470 pages from 1943 to 1986
The Globe Free Press Centennial Edition July 1969
240 pages in 1969
The Grand Junction Globe
12,952 pages from 1905 to 1915
The Grand Junction Globe And The Paton Patriot
6,092 pages from 1915 to 1922
The Grand Junction Globe And The Paton Portrait And The Rippey News
15,206 pages from 1922 to 1942
The Greene Co Book-Statistics and Biography
250 pages in 1900
The Iowa Illustrated Jefferson Edition
140 pages in 2020
The Jefferson Bee
115,574 pages from 1871 to 1991
The Jefferson Era
1,608 pages from 1866 to 1871
The Jefferson Herald
157,392 pages from 1917 to 2024
The Jefferson Herald Free Press
70 pages in 2012
The Pioneers of Hardin and Bristol Townships
16 pages in 2020
The Reporter
42,222 pages from 1900 to 1952
The Rippey Booster
172 pages in 1922
The Scranton Journal
5,696 pages from 2018 to 2025
The Souvenir
8,712 pages from 1894 to 1903
The Terrill Diaries
3,444 pages from 1871 to 1912
Veterans of Other Wars
118 pages in 2020
Veterans of WW ll
328 pages in 2020
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About the Archive
About The Greene County History Archives
The Greene County Librarians Association has made researching Greene County’s history easy! Their Community History Archive is free, easy to use, and offers a wide variety of historical resources representing all areas of the county. The digital archive is a cooperative project of the Greene County Public Libraries to preserve and provide FREE access to newspapers, books, and other resources that have recorded the history of Greene County. This online archive began in 2012 when the Jefferson Public Library converted 150 years of Jefferson newspapers from microfilm to digital images, making them available to search on an Internet website. In 2020, the archive was expanded to include newspapers from Churdan, Grand Junction, and Scranton, plus many other Greene County historical resources. Rippey and Paton's newspapers are included in the Grand Junction newspapers, as well as articles about Dana. Cooper and Farlin news are included in the Jefferson newspapers. The Greene County Librarians Association (GCLA) coordinated the 2020 project. Fundraising events held in each community along with a Greene County Community Foundation grant provided the funding for the project. Many local organizations and individuals also contributed funds to complete both phases of the project. The following organizations and individuals have contributed funding to the Greene County digital archive project from its beginning Phase 1 in 2012 and Phase 2 in 2020:
- Greene County Community Foundation
- Greene County Genealogical Society
- Jefferson Rotary Club
- Memorial Gifts & Individual Donors
- Greene County Board of Supervisors Direct State Aid to Libraries
- Friends of the Jefferson Public Library
- Bee & Herald Publishing
- Jefferson Kiwanis Club
- Morning Star Masonic Lodge #159
- Home State Bank
- The Scranton Journal, Luann Waldo, editor
- Community Fundraising Events
- Scranton Public Library Foundation
Serving as a “portal to the past,” Greene County’s digital archives allow for free and open access to newspapers and other historical resources. This enables anyone to explore the stories of the people, places, and events that helped shape Greene County, viewed through the lens of those who were there and recorded in their words. The archive includes:
Now anyone wishing to do research on historical happenings in Greene County can find articles of interest about places such as county landmarks, parks or businesses, events such as sports, weddings, festivals, or weather, or people such as awards, interviews, ancestors, obituaries, and family reunions. In addition to discovering elements of Greene County’s past, the archive can also be used by those with ties to the area as a way to connect with their own personal history. Through birth and marriage announcements, death notices and obituaries, community events, scholastic and athletic achievements, they can stitch together the story of where they come from.
Partner Story
Greene County Libraries
Jefferson Public Library 200 West Lincolnway Jefferson, IA 50210 (515) 386-2835 Email: jeflib@netins.net http://www.jefferson.lib.ia.us Churdan Public Library 414 Sand St. PO Box 185 Churdan, IA 50050 (515) 389-3423 http://www.churdan.lib.ia.us Grand Junction Public Library 106 Main St E. Grand Junction, IA 50107 (515) 738-2506 http://www.grandjunction.lib.ia.us
William Paton Public Library 105 Main PO Box 70 Paton, IA 50217 (515) 968-4559 https://www.paton.lib.ia.us Rippey Public Library 224 Main Street PO Box 184 Rippey, IA 50235 (515) 436-7714 http://www.rippey.lib.ia.us H. F. & Maude E. Marchant Memorial Library 1110 Main Street PO Box 68 Scranton, IA 51462 (712) 652-3453 http://www.scranton.lib.ia.us
About the Community
About The Project
The effort to make Greene County’s history accessible began in 2012 when the Jefferson Public Library converted 150 years of Jefferson newspapers from microfilm to digital images, making them available to search on a website.
The archive has now been expanded to include newspapers from Churdan, Grand Junction, and Scranton plus many other Greene County historical resources. Rippey and Paton newspapers are included in the Grand Junction newspapers, as well as articles about Dana. Cooper and Farlin news are included in the Jefferson newspapers.
Jane Millard, Director Of The Jefferson Public Library was excited when three other libraries expressed interest in digitizing their town newspapers. She presented the idea of expanding the digital archive as a collaborative project at the next GCLA meeting. Millard suggested that they digitize even more historical resources beyond the county newspapers if they could raise enough funds.
The librarians got right to work doing fundraising in their communities. With assistance from the Greene County Genealogical Society (GCGS), the librarians put together a list of important county historical resources. Writing a grant to the Greene County Community Foundation was the next step. The project was funded by a Greene County Community Foundation grant and donations from the Greene County Board of Supervisors’ Louis Dreyfus Fund, the Greene County Genealogical Society, The Scranton Journal, The Scranton Public Library Foundation, State funds for libraries, memorial gifts, and donations from private individuals.
The Greene County Librarians wish to thank all of their partners and sponsors for their help in making this county-wide historical archive possible. Donations to this project may be left at any of the six libraries in Greene County.
Partner Story
Quotes
Everyone involved in the project knows that digitizing their microfilm holdings and other documents of historical interest will unlock history by bringing it out of the drawer and put it at their community’s fingertips. Here is what some had to say:
“For those of us with deep roots in Greene County, this archive is like finding buried treasure. I’ve been researching my family’s Greene County roots for over 40 years and have been able to uncover tidbits that I never knew about my family.” — Kate Lewis
“With the Greene County Community History Archive, genealogists have gained a powerful research tool. The Greene County Genealogical Society (GCGS) was pleased to support the expansion of the archive.” — Terry Clark, Assistant Director Of The Jefferson Public Library
“Newspapers preserve the history of our communities. We have had very consistent usage of the Jefferson newspaper archive… and statistics also show usage from all other states and many other countries. We have always wanted to expand this resource to include resources that represent the history of the whole county.” — Jane Millard, Director Of The Jefferson Public Library
“This project has been on my personal bucket list for years. The bound copies dating back to the 1880s are so fragile, they were literally falling apart and we couldn’t allow anyone to use them. Now with the newspapers searchable online, our history is preserved in a digital format that won’t crumble or be lost.” — Luann Waldo, Editor Of The Scranton Journal
“We had years of old newspapers stored under the counters. They were difficult to access and in very fragile condition. Now we can find everything easily on the computer without handling any of the newspapers.” — Marilyn Tilley, Churdan Librarian
“Searching for information on the archive website is similar to searching for information on Google. Enter a name or keyword in the search field, and all the instances that name or keyword appears in all of these resources will be listed as search results. You can narrow down the results by date and resource and also print, email or save the articles you find!” — Kimberly Bohnet, Library Director, Paton Library
“We think this new website is so easy to use, and our county school teachers and students will also find it useful when doing local history projects.” — Shari Minnehan, Director Of The Churdan Public Library
“The digital archive will continue to grow. We will add more resources as funding is available.” — Phyllis Bardole, Director Of The Rippey Public Library
About the Community
About Greene County, Iowa
Greene County’s rich history spans over 175 years, dating back to 1849 when Truman Davis first settled in the area. He chose a spot close to the present town of Rippey, Iowa near the Raccoon River (just South of Squirrel Hollow). Only five years later, in 1854, Greene County was officially organized, and two years after that, the first courthouse was built in Jefferson. The courthouse marked a milestone… because, before 1856, Judge Phillips held court in a log cabin located southeast of Jefferson, Iowa. Greene County was incorporated in 1854 and is located in west central Iowa. It was named for General Nathanael Greene who served with General George Washington in the Revolutionary War. The first settler was Truman Davis. The first courthouse was built in 1856.
- Towns: Jefferson (county seat), Churdan, Grand Junction, Paton, Rippey, Scranton
- Unincorporated: Cooper, Dana, Farlin
- Abandoned: Adaza, Angus (and others)
- Townships: Bristol, Cedar, Dawson, Franklin, Grant, Greenbrier, Hardin, Highland, Jackson, Junction, Kendrick, Paton, Scranton, Washington, Willow
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Begin with a detail you can verify
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Greene. Use the collection details shared by Greene County to follow that question into the available sources. Write down a name, date, or place connected to your question, then use the collection information to identify a source worth checking.
If the first source leaves part of a story open, follow a related name, place, or date into another available item. Compare the context before connecting it to a family or community. Note what you checked as well as what you found, so an empty result is not mistaken for proof that the story never happened.
Build a trail through the past that someone else can follow: record the title, date, page or item reference, and a link when available. Keep historical quotations distinct from your own interpretation. If accounts disagree, note what each source supports before deciding how the details fit together in a family or community story.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of Greene County, 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
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.
May 7, 2025
Why Microfilm is still important in 2023
Preserving documents on microfilm has been a popular method of storage for many years, and it still holds many benefits today. Here…
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May 7, 2025
Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”
In the quest to trace our roots and understand our heritage, obituaries often serve as a crucial starting point. Obituaries are undoubtedly…
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April 9, 2025
Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
Even the most esteemed police forces in the county encounter perplexing cold case files. These unsolved mysteries often leave investigators and genealogists…
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April 1, 2025
This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
Discover History in The Community History Archives. This week in history, there is absolutely nothing to talk about… April Fools! April…
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March 24, 2025
This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
Discover History in The Community History Archives. It has officially been a year since I started writing This Week in History,…
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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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