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Community History Archive Partner

Lehigh Public Library

Lehigh, Iowa

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

2Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1900 to 1938Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

22,376Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

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

Explore the past of Lehigh, Iowa through newspapers in the Lehigh Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes Independent Argus and Lehigh Valley Argus, with material from 1900 to 1938.

  • Selected titles

    Examples from Lehigh Public Library’s collection include “Independent Argus” and “Lehigh Valley Argus”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • 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.

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

Explore Independent Argus and Lehigh Valley Argus through 22,376 digitized pages, with material from 1900 to 1938. This collection is shared through Lehigh Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

Start with a detail you already know, then browse the titles below for another perspective on the people and places connected with this collection.

Independent Argus

2,070 pages from 1935 to 1938

Lehigh Valley Argus

20,306 pages from 1900 to 1932

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About the Library

About The Lehigh Public Library

The Lehigh Public Library, located in Lehigh, Iowa, is a vital community resource dedicated to providing educational and cultural materials to the public. Established in the early 20th century, the library has grown to become a cornerstone of the community, offering a wide range of services and programs for all ages. The library's mission is to connect the community with information, resources, and opportunities for lifelong learning.

Library History

The History Of The Lehigh Public Library

The Lehigh Public Library has a long and storied history. Founded in the early 1900s, the library has continually adapted to meet the needs of its community. Over the years, the library has expanded its collection and services, becoming a hub for local history and genealogy research. The digitization of the library’s newspaper archives, funded by grants and community donations, has made these valuable resources accessible to everyone, preserving Lehigh's rich history for future generations.

About the Community

About Lehigh, Iowa

Lehigh, located in Webster County, Iowa, is a charming town known for its strong sense of community and rich history. Established in the late 19th century, Lehigh has grown from a small settlement into a vibrant town with a thriving local economy and a commitment to preserving its heritage. The town is home to friendly residents, historic buildings, and annual events that celebrate its history and community spirit. Lehigh’s dedication to preserving its past is evident in the extensive archives housed at the Lehigh Public Library.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Check a text match against the page

A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Lehigh. The digital archive shared by the Lehigh Public Library offers a place to begin. 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. If a search result looks incomplete or misspelled, inspect the scanned page when available. Record the issue date and page, then distinguish the printed wording from search text before following the story to another mention.

If a text match looks incomplete, compare it with the scanned newspaper page when available. Check whether wording or names differ, then record the page's printed wording with the issue date and page. Keep the search result distinct from what the page itself shows.

As you connect materials, note where each detail came from and what it can support. Record the title, date, and page or item reference where available. Keep names and relationships tentative until the evidence is strong enough to connect them, and mark which words come from the record and which are your interpretation.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Lehigh 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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