Illinois Prairie District Public Library History Archive
The Illinois Prairie District Public Library, in partnership with Advantage Archives, provides free and open online access to 150,752 pages of historical newspapers and census materials spanning 1830 through 2011. The Community History Archive brings together publications from Metamora, Washburn, Roanoke, and other communities within the region, along with historical federal census records. These searchable primary sources provide a valuable resource for genealogy, education, local history research, and anyone interested in exploring the people, places, businesses, schools, and events that shaped the communities of central Illinois.
Newspapers
- The Woodford Sentinel (1862–1890)
- The Metamora Herald (1889–1996)
- The Washburn Leader (1902–1993)
- The Herald (1970–2011)
- The Roanoke Review (1991–2001)
Other Historical Materials
- The Federal Census Bureau (1830–1920)
The newspapers preserved in the archive document more than a century of life across the Illinois Prairie District, recording local government, agriculture, businesses, schools, churches, organizations, elections, family milestones, and everyday community events. The census materials extend the research possibilities even further, helping genealogists and historians identify individuals, households, occupations, and changing communities. Together, these resources offer firsthand perspectives on the development of Woodford County and the surrounding area.
About the Illinois Prairie District Public Library
The Illinois Prairie District Public Library serves communities across approximately 310 square miles in Woodford County and a portion of southeastern Marshall County. The district serves more than 21,000 residents through six branch libraries located in Benson, Germantown Hills, Metamora, Roanoke, Spring Bay, and Washburn. The Metamora branch at 208 East Partridge Street also serves as the district headquarters.
The district provides books, digital media, technology, research resources, educational programming, and other library services for residents of different ages and interests. Patrons can use the library’s digital resources to access e-books, audiobooks, movies, music, research tools, and other materials outside regular branch hours. Programs and services offered throughout the district support literacy, lifelong learning, recreation, research, and community engagement.
History of the Illinois Prairie District Public Library
The Illinois Prairie District Public Library was formed in July 1950 and is the second-oldest library district in Illinois. Its service area encompasses the townships of Cazenovia, Clayton, Linn, Metamora, Partridge, Spring Bay, and Worth, covering roughly the western half of Woodford County and a small portion of southeastern Marshall County. The district once provided bookmobile service to area schools for 45 years before discontinuing the service as schools developed their own libraries.
Over time, the district has invested in expanding and improving its branch facilities. The Spring Bay, Roanoke, and Benson locations have undergone expansions, while a new Germantown Hills branch building was constructed in 2016. Renovations of the Roanoke branch were completed in 2020, followed by renovations to the Metamora branch in 2024. These projects reflect the district’s continuing development from its mid-twentieth-century origins into a multi-branch library system serving communities across a broad rural area.
About Metamora and Woodford County, Illinois
Metamora is located in Woodford County in central Illinois. Settlers from New England arrived in the area during the 1830s, clearing heavily forested land for farms, roads, and buildings. The developing settlement was originally called Hanover before becoming Metamora during the 1840s. Woodford County itself had been organized in 1841, and the county seat was moved from Versailles to Hanover, now Metamora, in 1843.
Metamora served as the Woodford County seat for more than half a century. During that period, Abraham Lincoln traveled the judicial circuit as an attorney and tried numerous cases at the Metamora courthouse. The county seat was eventually moved to Eureka in the 1890s, but the former courthouse survived and was later preserved by the State of Illinois as a historic site associated with Lincoln’s legal career.
Agriculture, transportation, local commerce, schools, government, and small-town institutions have all contributed to the development of Woodford County and the communities served by the Illinois Prairie District Public Library. Historical newspapers from Metamora, Washburn, Roanoke, and elsewhere recorded these changes as they happened, while census records provide another perspective on the families and individuals who lived and worked throughout the region.
Did You Know?
Before it was known as Metamora, the community was called Hanover. The name was changed during the 1840s because another Illinois community already used the Hanover name. Metamora’s new name was inspired by the title character of the popular nineteenth-century stage play Metamora; or, The Last of the Wampanoags. The community later became closely associated with Abraham Lincoln through the many cases he argued at the Woodford County courthouse.
