16Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Rolfe Public Library
Rolfe, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Rolfe.
1863 to 1989Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
87,258Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Rolfe, Iowa.
Discover another side of Rolfe, Iowa through newspapers preserved in the Rolfe Public Library's digital archive. Its sixteen titles include material from 1863 to 1989.
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Selected titles
Examples from Rolfe Public Library’s collection include “Enterprise” and “The Semi - Weekly Reveille”.
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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 sixteen titles and 87,258 digitized pages, with material from 1863 to 1989. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Rolfe Public Library shares these sources from the past. 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.
Enterprise
40 pages in 1893
Havelock Enterprise
338 pages from 1890 to 1893
Pocahontas County Historic Book
1,580 pages in 1901
Rolfe Centennial History
180 pages in 1863
The Arrow
5,366 pages from 1914 to 1919
The Havelock Herald
64 pages from 1913 to 1914
The Havelock News
274 pages from 1909 to 1910
The New Deal
14 pages in 1888
The Plover Herald
860 pages from 1891 to 1895
The Plover Herald V2
Page count not currently available dates not yet available
The Plover News
4 pages in 1900
The Plover Pointer
140 pages from 1913 to 1914
The Reveille
20,380 pages from 1888 to 1914
The Reveille V2
Page count not currently available dates not yet available
The Rolfe Arrow
57,898 pages from 1919 to 1989
The Semi - Weekly Reveille
120 pages in 1898
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About the Library
About The Rolfe Public Library
The Rolfe Public Library, founded in 1928 by the Rolfe Women's Club, has grown into a vital community resource. Initially established through a community-driven effort that brought in 192 books and $187.70, the library officially opened to the public in April 1928. The library transitioned from the Women's Club to the incorporated town of Rolfe on June 22, 1940. In 1954, after twenty-six years in various locations, the Greater Rolfe Club raised funds to construct a new building at the corner of Garfield Street and Walnut Street. In October 2003, the library moved to its current location, with middle school students forming a continuous line to transport the books. Today, the library offers over 10,000 books, DVDs, computers, e-books, and more, serving as a hub for education and community engagement.
Library History
The History Of The Rolfe Public Library
The Rolfe Public Library was established in 1928 through the efforts of the Rolfe Women's Club, which collected books and funds from the community. The library initially opened in the township hall, and by 1928, it housed 499 books. In 1940, ownership was transferred to the town of Rolfe, and in 1954, a new library building was constructed with the help of the Greater Rolfe Club. The current library building, opened in 2003, was moved to its new location with the help of middle school students forming a line to transport the books. The library's history reflects the community's dedication to providing educational resources and fostering a love of reading.
About the Community
About Rolfe, Iowa
Rolfe, located in Pocahontas County, Iowa, is a small town with a rich agricultural heritage. Established in the late 19th century, Rolfe has long been a hub for farming and community life. The town is named after John Rolfe, an English settler, and it has maintained its rural charm while embracing modern developments. Rolfe is known for its strong sense of community, with various local events and festivals celebrating its history and culture. The town's dedication to preserving its past is evident in the efforts of the Rolfe Public Library and other local historical initiatives.
Local History
Did You Know?
• The Rolfe Public Library was founded by the Rolfe Women's Club in 1928 with an initial donation of 192 books and $187.70. • The library's current building, opened in 2003, was moved to its new location with the help of middle school students forming a continuous line to transport the books. • Rolfe, Iowa, is named after John Rolfe, an English settler known for his marriage to Pocahontas. • The town celebrates its agricultural heritage through various local events and festivals, reflecting its strong community spirit.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Check a text match against the page
The history of Rolfe includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Rolfe Public 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. 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.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Rolfe 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
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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