3Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Stubbs Memorial Library
Holestein, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Holestein.
1886 to 2025Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
165,276Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Holestein, Iowa.
Discover another side of Holestein, Iowa through newspapers preserved in the Stubbs Memorial Library's digital archive. Its three titles include material from 1886 to 2025.
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Selected titles
In the collection shared by Stubbs Memorial Library, you will find “Holstein News-Dispatch” and “The Holstein Advance”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
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.
The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse three titles and 165,276 digitized pages, with material from 1886 to 2025. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Stubbs Memorial Library shares these sources from the past. 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.
Holstein News-Dispatch
3,160 pages from 2004 to 2008
The Holstein Advance
12,596 pages from 1963 to 1971
The Holstein Advance
149,520 pages from 1886 to 2025
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About the Library
About The Stubbs Memorial Library
The Stubbs Memorial Library seeks to educate, empower, and enrich our community and county by providing equal access to information, celebrating ideas, and connecting lives. With a commitment to fostering lifelong learning, the library offers a variety of resources and programs that cater to all ages. From children's storytimes to adult learning workshops, the library is a hub of activity and a cornerstone of the community. Its modern facilities and dedicated staff ensure a welcoming environment for everyone who walks through its doors.
Library History
The History Of The Stubbs Memorial Library
Founded in the early 20th century, the Stubbs Memorial Library has a rich history of serving the Holstein community. Initially established in a small building donated by a local philanthropist, the library has grown over the decades to accommodate a larger collection and more visitors. Major expansions in the 1950s and 1990s modernized the library's facilities, allowing it to better serve the needs of the community. Today, it stands as a testament to the enduring value of public libraries and their role in promoting education and community engagement.
About the Community
About The Holstein Area
Holstein, located in the heart of the Midwest, is a vibrant community with a rich agricultural heritage. Established in the late 19th century, the town has grown from a small farming village to a bustling community known for its friendly residents and strong sense of community. Holstein boasts a variety of local businesses, parks, and cultural institutions that reflect its dynamic history and commitment to growth. The town's annual festivals and events draw visitors from all around, celebrating the unique traditions and stories of the region.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the first issue of The Holstein Advance was published in 1886, making it one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the area? Another interesting fact is that Holstein was named after the Holstein cattle breed, reflecting the town's deep roots in agriculture. Additionally, the Stubbs Memorial Library was one of the first public buildings in Holstein to have electricity, a testament to the town's early adoption of modern conveniences.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Look for the story behind a result
The history of Holestein includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Stubbs Memorial Library, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. 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. 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.
After recording the issue and page, search a second term tied to the result and compare the surrounding dates and accounts. Keep matching names provisional until the place and context fit. This can turn one result into a better question without turning a repeated name into a confirmed story.
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.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Stubbs Memorial 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
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.
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Why Microfilm is still important in 2023
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Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
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April 1, 2025
This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
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March 24, 2025
This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
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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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