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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Lied Public Library (Clarinda)

Clarinda, Iowa

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

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11Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1858 to 2023Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

387,854Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

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

Discover another side of Clarinda, Iowa through newspapers preserved in the Lied Public Library (Clarinda)'s digital archive. Its eleven titles include material from 1858 to 2023.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    The collection from Lied Public Library (Clarinda) includes “Clarinda Chronicle” and “The Wright County Monitor”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    Newspaper pages connect individual accounts with a wider story, preserving how events were reported and presented to the readers of the day.

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 eleven titles and 387,854 digitized pages, with material from 1858 to 2023. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Lied Public Library (Clarinda) 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.

Clarinda Chronicle

10,236 pages from 1992 to 1993

Clarinda Herald Journal

236,672 pages from 1933 to 2023

Daily Evening Star

1,346 pages from 1882 to 1883

Labor News

58 pages from 1887 to 1888

Page County Democrat

33,706 pages from 1868 to 1926

Page County Herald

1,258 pages from 1859 to 1862

The Clarinda Daily Journal

366 pages from 1898 to 1917

The Clarinda Herald

58,872 pages from 1887 to 1930

The Clarinda Journal

43,458 pages from 1884 to 1932

The Fremont Herald

378 pages from 1858 to 1859

The Wright County Monitor

1,504 pages from 2019 to 2020

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Content List

  • Page County Herald (1859-1862)
  • The Fremont Herald (1858-1859)
  • Page County Democrat (1868-1926)
  • Labor News (1887-1888)
  • The Clarinda Journal (1884-1932)
  • The Clarinda Herald (1887-1930)
  • Daily Evening Star (1882-1883)
  • The Clarinda Daily Journal (1898-1917)
  • The Clarinda Herald Journal (1933-2023)
  • Clarinda Chronicle (1992-1993)
  • The Wright County Monitor (2019-2020)
  • Page County Democrat (1868-1926)

About the Library

About The Lied Public Library Clarinda

The Lied Public Library Clarinda, located in Clarinda, Iowa, has served as a vital hub of knowledge, learning, and community engagement. Established in 1905 after a general meeting of the people of Clarinda, the library has grown to become a cherished institution. The library was originally housed in a rented room in the Brown Building on the east side of the square. It has expanded over the years to accommodate a growing collection and the evolving needs of its patrons. Today, the library offers a wide range of resources, programs, and services to individuals of all ages, continuing its mission to provide free access to information and support lifelong learning.

Library History

The History Of The Lied Public Library Clarinda

It was 1905 when a general meeting of the people of Clarinda was called. Mrs. Horace M. Towner of Corning, a member of the State Library Commission, and Miss Alice Tyler of Des Moines, Secretary of the Commission, gave speeches. The meeting resulted in the election of a board of trustees consisting of nine members instructed to organize an association to establish a library in Clarinda. The nine founding members were Rev. Fletcher Homan, Mr. L.W. Lewis, Rev. J.H. Maclean, Rev. M.E.T. Fisher, Mrs. O.H. Park, Mrs. T.E. Powers, Mrs. A.B. Loranz, Mr. Hensleigh, and John Miller. Mrs. Powers later resigned, and Miss Mary Berry took her place. The board raised funds by subscription and granted membership in the association to any citizen for a fee, ensuring the library was free to all residents of Clarinda and the vicinity. After raising sufficient funds, the library was housed in the Brown Building at a rental rate of $11.00 per year. Mrs. Clara B. Willis was hired as the first librarian at a salary of $12.00 per year, soon raised to $30.00 per month. The library officially opened on December 12, 1905. Initially supported by private gifts and organizations, the library's maintenance and support were assumed by the city in 1906 after a successful public election. The city provided stable funding through a tax, ensuring the library's growth and sustainability.

About the Community

About Clarinda, Iowa

Clarinda, located in Page County, Iowa, is a historic town with a rich heritage and a strong sense of community. Founded in the mid-19th century, Clarinda has grown from a small settlement into a vibrant town known for its friendly atmosphere and cultural significance. The town is home to several historic landmarks and hosts annual events that celebrate its history and community spirit. Clarinda’s commitment to preserving its past is evident in the extensive archives housed at the Lied Public Library Clarinda, providing valuable resources for researchers and history enthusiasts.

Lied Public Library (Clarinda) photo 1

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Trace a name across nearby issues

The history of Clarinda includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Lied Public Library (Clarinda), 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.

If a name does not appear, try an alternate spelling or a related term, then read around any match. Note the issue date and page so a result stays connected to its context. Use those details to follow a story without treating one search result as a complete answer.

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.

Review collection titles

Lied Public Library (Clarinda) photo 2

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Lied Public Library (Clarinda), 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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