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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

The History Center

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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

Explore the Archive Institution Website
7Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1875 to 2024Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

145,780Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Get to know Cedar Rapids, Iowa in earlier years through yearbooks and annuals as well as maps and atlases shared in The History Center's digital archive. Its seven titles include material from 1875 to 2024. The collection also includes photographs and illustrations as well as land and property records.

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

    The collection from The History Center includes “Roosevelt High School Yearbooks” and “Residential Property Other”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • Different views of the past

    Maps and atlases offer a different view of a familiar place through the labels, boundaries and features their makers recorded. An image adds a visual perspective on the past. Look at what it actually shows, keeping any caption or date with the detail that draws you in.

The pages of a yearbook or annual can connect individual lives with the activities and organizations that were part of their historical setting. A portrait, organization, or event can be a place to begin. Follow the year and page, then use another source to test a wider family or community connection. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse seven titles and 145,780 digitized pages, with material from 1875 to 2024. A partnership between The History Center and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. 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.

1875 Historical Atlas of Iowa

566 pages in 1875

Art Work of Linn County, Iowa

188 pages in 1899

Commercial Property

4,174 pages in 2024

Residential Property

105,430 pages in 2024

Residential Property Marion

17,450 pages in 2024

Residential Property Other

17,732 pages in 2024

Roosevelt High School Yearbooks

240 pages from 1939 to 1940

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Historical Documents

These archives serve as a vital resource for anyone interested in the history of Linn County and the surrounding areas. By digitizing these historical documents, The History Center is committed to enhancing access to historical content, ensuring that the stories and experiences of the community's past are preserved and discoverable for future generations.

About the Community

About The History Center of Linn County

The History Center of Linn County engages people of all ages and backgrounds by preserving and telling stories of Linn County's past, and by connecting the past to the present and future of Linn County. Located in the historic Douglas Mansion, The History Center offers a unique opportunity to explore the region's rich heritage through exhibits and programming. The Douglas Mansion, ideally located near many iconic Linn County structures and institutions, provides excellent space for both exhibits and programming in addition to being a historically significant treasure in and of itself.

The History Center photo 1

Partner Story

The History Of The History Center of Linn County

When The History Center invited the community to the Douglas Mansion in October of 2018, it opened the doors to more than a building. It opened the doors to an opportunity unlike any in the organization's own history. The Douglas Mansion, ideally located near many iconic Linn County structures and institutions, provides excellent space for both exhibits and programming in addition to being a historically significant treasure in and of itself. The location offers The History Center many advantages, including an easily accessible building one block from First Avenue and three blocks from I-380 with free parking. Additionally, the Center has opportunities to partner with the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art through the adjacent Five Turner Alley, Grant Wood's studio in the Douglas Mansion carriage house, and to collaborate with the Iowa Masonic Library across the alley, which houses over 150,000 volumes as well as fascinating artifacts.

About the Community

About Linn County, Iowa

Linn County, Iowa, is a region rich in history and community spirit. The county has played a vital role in the development of the state and is known for its beautiful landscapes and vibrant communities. Linn County is home to several historical landmarks and institutions, reflecting its deep-rooted heritage. The History Center of Linn County plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting the history of the area, providing residents and visitors alike with a deep connection to the past.

Local History

Did You Know?

• The Douglas Mansion, home to The History Center, is ideally located near many iconic Linn County structures and institutions. • The History Center of Linn County collaborates with the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and the Iowa Masonic Library, providing unique opportunities for historical exploration. • The History Center's archives include the 1875 Historical Atlas of Iowa, offering a unique glimpse into the county's past.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Place a yearbook entry in its year

If a school memory brings a classmate, team, or activity to mind in Cedar Rapids, start with the year and name you remember. In the yearbooks and annuals shared by The History Center, captions, nearby entries, or organization pages may add context when they are present. A photograph or familiar name can make a page feel personal, but each volume records only one view of school life; families and classmates may hold a fuller story than the printed annual can show. Note the volume year and the page around the entry. Use the date as a starting point, not proof that a person held the same role or belonged to the same group at another time.

Where the available context supports it, compare visual details in an image with the mapped setting. Check dates, captions, and place names before deciding that they show the same location. Record which parts of the connection remain uncertain.

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.

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Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of The History Center, 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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