2Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Slater Public Library
Slater, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Slater.
1890 to 1989Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
73,470Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Slater, Iowa.
Discover another side of Slater, Iowa through newspapers preserved in the Slater Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes The Slater News and The Tri-County Times, with material from 1890 to 1989.
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Selected titles
The collection from Slater Public Library includes “The Slater News” and “The Tri-County Times”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue.
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
Explore The Slater News and The Tri-County Times through 73,470 digitized pages, with material from 1890 to 1989. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Slater Public Library 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.
The Slater News
43,834 pages from 1890 to 1972
The Tri-County Times
29,636 pages from 1972 to 1989
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About the Library
About The Slater Public Library
The Slater Public Library is a crucial resource for our idyllic small town of 1,489, a self-proclaimed “community united for progress” in central Iowa. Despite being within a 20-minute drive of much larger communities with populations of approximately 50,000-60,000, the Slater Public Library has distinguished itself by offering innovative programming for all ages and modern technology with training and support. Our proactive staff collaborates effectively with local organizations and businesses, ensuring that the library remains a vibrant hub of community activity.
Library History
The History Of The Slater Public Library
The Slater Public Library has made significant strides in serving its community, providing quality materials, technology, programs, and personal assistance right here in our small town. Unlike some small libraries that cede much of their mission to larger libraries in nearby metros, Slater Public Library strives to deliver full service to its patrons locally. By promoting our offerings and building relationships within the community, we have seen substantial growth in the number of people served and have even attracted visitors from surrounding areas. New patrons are often pleasantly surprised by the extensive resources and modern facilities available in a town our size.
About the Community
About The Slater Area
Slater, located in central Iowa, is a small town known for its strong sense of community and progressive outlook. With a population of 1,489, Slater offers a blend of small-town charm and accessibility to larger urban centers. The town prides itself on its collaborative spirit, with local businesses and organizations working together to enhance the quality of life for all residents. Slater is characterized by its scenic landscapes, community events, and a commitment to fostering a supportive and connected community.
Local History
Did You Know?
• The Slater Public Library has seen a significant increase in patronage by promoting its offerings and building strong community relationships. • Despite being in a small town, the Slater Public Library provides modern technology, innovative programming, and extensive resources, often surprising new visitors with its facilities. • The library's archives include detailed records of local newspapers, offering valuable insights into the history and development of Slater and its surrounding areas.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Trace a name across nearby issues
The history of Slater includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Slater 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 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.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Slater 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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Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”
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Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
Even the most esteemed police forces in the county encounter perplexing cold case files. These unsolved mysteries often leave investigators and genealogists…
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April 1, 2025
This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
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March 24, 2025
This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
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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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