56Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Murphy Helwig Library
Monona, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Monona.
1967 to 1981Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
9,986Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Monona, Iowa.
Get to know Monona, Iowa in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Murphy Helwig Library's digital archive. Its fifty-six titles include material from 1967 to 1981.
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Selected titles
Murphy Helwig Library shares titles including “Clayton County 1967” and “Town of Monona”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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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.
Historical newspapers can connect a family name with the events and everyday concerns of an earlier time, offering more than a date or a name on its own. Bring a family connection, a question about a familiar place or an interest in local history, and see where the sources lead. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse fifty-six titles and 9,986 digitized pages, with material from 1967 to 1981. A partnership between Murphy Helwig Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A familiar name or place can be the beginning of a story. Explore the titles below to see where that connection leads.
Clayton County 1967
182 pages in 1967
Clayton County 4H 1971
184 pages in 1971
Clayton County Activity 1970
194 pages in 1970
Clayton County Activity 1972
210 pages in 1972
Clayton County Area Towns 1971
222 pages in 1971
Clayton County Communities
198 pages in 1979
Clayton County Community History 1969
158 pages in 1969
Clayton County Farmersburg, Garnavillo
164 pages in 1979
Clayton County Jefferson Township
174 pages in 1979
Clayton County Mendon Township
156 pages in 1979
Clayton County Watson Beulah
102 pages in 1979
Clayton County, McGregor, Giard, Garnavillo 1970
156 pages in 1970
Early History of Monona
178 pages in 1979
General Interest
178 pages in 1979
General Interest 1968
174 pages in 1968
Guttenberg
94 pages in 1979
Historical McGregor
206 pages in 1979
Historical Scrap Book 1975
172 pages in 1975
Historical Scrap Book 1977 to 1979
168 pages in 1979
History of Clayton County 1969
126 pages in 1969
Index For Historical Scrap Books
352 pages in 1979
Mallory Twp. Garnavillo
158 pages in 1979
McGregor
204 pages in 1979
Mendon Township, Marquette
190 pages in 1979
Monona
348 pages in 1979
Monona 1967
160 pages in 1967
Monona 1968
198 pages in 1968
Monona 1970
200 pages in 1970
Monona 1971
300 pages in 1971
Monona 1973
190 pages in 1973
Monona 1973 to 1974
44 pages in 1979
Monona 1974
216 pages in 1974
Monona 1980
280 pages in 1980
Monona 1981
278 pages in 1981
Monona and Giard Townships
204 pages in 1979
Monona and Giard Townships Froelich
146 pages in 1979
Monona and Luana 1969
186 pages in 1969
Monona Business Places
130 pages in 1979
Monona Business, Historical 1972
176 pages in 1972
Monona Churches
222 pages in 1979
Monona Churches, People, MFL 1972
144 pages in 1972
Monona History 1969
202 pages in 1969
Monona People, MFL Activity 1970
202 pages in 1970
Monona Personalities
142 pages in 1979
Monona Personality
324 pages in 1979
Monona Pioneer Days
90 pages in 1979
Monona Public School
164 pages in 1979
Monona Societies
182 pages in 1979
Monona, Giard, Luana Townships
154 pages in 1979
Monona, Luana, Postville, Castalia
178 pages in 1979
Northeast Iowa
118 pages in 1979
Scrapbook 09 IX b
74 pages in 1979
Scrapbook 09 IX c
70 pages in 1979
Scrapbook 36 XXXVI b
132 pages in 1979
Scrapbook 40 XL b
62 pages in 1979
Town of Monona
170 pages in 1979
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Partner Story
Scrapbooks, Clippings, and Articles
- Monona 1967 (1967)
- Monona 1968 (1968)
- Monona 1969 (1969)
- Monona 1970 (1970)
- Monona 1971 (1971)
- Monona 1972 (1972)
- Monona 1973 (1973)
- Monona 1974 (1974)
- Monona 1980 (1980)
- Monona 1981 (1981)
These digitized scrapbooks serve as a portal to the community's past, capturing the people, places, and events that have shaped Monona's history. The collection offers a snapshot of time, preserving cultural assets and providing practical online access to local primary source documents.
About the Library
About The Murphy Helwig Library
Located at 111 N. Page Street in Monona, Iowa, the Murphy Helwig Library is dedicated to serving the informational and educational needs of the community. The library provides a welcoming space for reading, research, and community events, reflecting its commitment to greater access to historical content. Through partnerships and outreach, the library continues to engage the community in preserving and discovering local history.
Library History
The History Of The Murphy Helwig Library
Established in 1934, the Murphy Helwig Library has long been a cornerstone of the Monona community, dedicated to providing educational resources and fostering community engagement. In 1970, the library benefited from the estate of Miss Florence Murphy, whose generous bequest facilitated the construction of a new library building, officially opened in January 1973. The library continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of its patrons, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to making history more accessible and discoverable.
About the Community
About Monona, Iowa
Monona, located in Clayton County along the scenic bluffs of northeast Iowa, was settled in the mid-19th century and has grown into a vibrant community known for its rich agricultural heritage and strong sense of community. The town's history is preserved through local organizations, including the Monona Historical Museum and the Willa Helwig History Center, which offer insights into the area's past. Monona's well-preserved historical buildings and landmarks provide a glimpse into its past and reflect the pride of its residents.
Local History
Did You Know?
Monona is home to the "World's Largest Known Display of Hand-Carved Chains," housed at the Monona Historical Museum. This unique exhibit showcases the intricate craftsmanship of local artisans and highlights the town's rich cultural heritage. The museum, along with the Willa Helwig History Center, serves as a hub for genealogical research and offers access to a wealth of historical documents and artifacts, emphasizing the community's commitment to preserving its collective history.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Follow a story beyond the first mention
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Monona. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Murphy Helwig Library to follow that question into the historical record. 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.
When a promising newspaper lead runs out, check the dates and titles represented before trying another name, place, or nearby issue. Keep unsuccessful searches with useful findings; gaps in coverage can limit what a search reveals. Use the dates and references to shape your next question, not as proof a missing result never existed.
As you piece together a story from the past, note where each detail came from and why it matters. Include the title, date, and page or item reference. Mark uncertain identifications and unanswered questions so a promising connection does not become an unsupported fact.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Murphy Helwig 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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Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
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This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
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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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