Research & Archives
Willard Public Library welcomes lifelong learners.
Research & archives
archives
Willard Library welcomes researchers to our Archives and we encourage you to register for a Willard Library card. Please visit the Willard Library Archives and Gallery on the lower level of Willard Library via the historic building or through the separate Archives and Gallery entrance on the south side of the building. Please check-in with the staff member at the public service desk in the Lankford Archives Reading Room. Our staff will assist you with locating materials from the Archives Storage facility and bringing those materials to your table.
The Willard Library Archivist looks forward to serving you. Please contact the Archivist in advance with requests to view materials, as some collections require more time to retrieve.
Archives Include
- More than 30,000 images of Evansville and the surrounding region
- Joan C. Marchand Historic Preservation Collection
- Southwestern Indiana Historical Society Collection
- Albion Fellows Bacon and Annie Fellows Johnston Papers
- Papers pertaining to historical Evansville families
including Cluthe-Eades, Dulles, Eichel, Gumberts, Igleheart, Ingle, Koch, Orr-Clifford, Shane, and Zapp - WEOA and WGBF Radio Scripts Collection
- U.S. Weather Bureau local meteorological records
- Architectural drawings and maps
- Evansville business records
miscellaneous, including Faultless Caster, Fendrich, International Steel, Mesker Steel Company, Servel, and Whirlpool - Conrad Baker Foundation records
- Organizations’ records
- Local ephemera, including pamphlets, programs, fliers, and catalogs
- Local theater records and photos, including Civic Theater and Repertory People of Evansville
- Carl Ritt Papers
- Vanderburgh Christian Home
- Vanderburgh County Historical Society Collection
- Primary Source Manuscript Collections
Local Digital Archives
Research & archives
evansville historic photo collection
Travel through time with our historic Evansville photo collection. Discover old gems while you learn about the history of our favorite Midwestern city. You’re sure to find delight in our curated photo archive.
Research & archives
evansville historic postcard collection
Search and view historical postcards with scenes of Evansville, Indiana, from the archives of Willard Library. (Postcards are available to view online.)
Research & archives
evansville sanborn maps
Search through the historic catalog of Evansville’s Sanborn fire insurance maps to learn more about the buildings that call Evansville home.
You can discover each building’s size, shape, construction materials, and utility locations.
While insurance companies traditionally used these maps, they now serve as valuable historical insight for anyone that wants to learn more about the buildings that make Evansville what it is today.
Research & archives
evansville streets and buildings
Sift through the index of historic property notations as you wander through the streets of yesteryear and explore the backstories of historic Evansville buildings with this digital archive.
Local Archive Indexes
A valuable alternative source for genealogical information found in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, church records, such as baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths.
Index of high school senior photos from mid-1950s to mid-1980s, from Koch’s Studio, Evansville, Indiana.
Index of microfilmed articles in Evansville, Indiana, newspapers from 1821 to 1860, in the library’s genealogy and local history collection.
Index of individuals mentioned in Evansville, Indiana, radio news programs on WEOA and WGBF from 1941 to 1949 and 1966 to 1974..
A valuable alternative source for genealogical information found in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, church records, such as baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths.
Index of biographical data about individuals associated with Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from mid-1850s to 1990s.
Search by company name for news and miscellaneous information in the library’s archives about selected Vanderburgh County businesses dating back to the mid-1800s.
Vanderburgh County, Indiana, marriages from 1818 to 1979 and a form to request county records.
Permission to Publish
Want to publish portions of materials, photographs, or manuscripts owned by Willard Library? Permission must first be granted by the library. Please direct “permission to publish” requests to the Archivist or Special Collections Librarian.
archive events
Attend one of our scheduled events and get to know Evansville better. From tales of old industry to local history heroes, explore the past with unforgettable WPL archive events.
EVENTS SCHEDULE
Research & archives
archive services
Interested in taking a slice of history home with you? Use our archive services to make copies of historical photographs or obtain blueprint reproduction prints.
Copies of photographs come at no cost if shared via email or hard/external drive provided by the library patron. A CD of the requested images can be purchased for $1. Physical copies can be printed using our photocopy machines and will be printed on standard printer paper.
- Blueprint Reproductions – Available for the cost of the print
Photocopy Machine – Available for the cost of the copy
Research & archives
online databases
Searching the archives has never been easier. Use one of our online databases to learn more about the past and find information on how you got to where you are today.
Search for a title, see due dates of books you have checked out, check out or renew a book, place a hold, and more.
Research current events, science, business, health, notable people, hobbies, and more. Includes full-text magazine articles.
WorldCat connects you to the collections and services of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide.
Find the branches on your family tree with this online resource, part of the library’s genealogy and local history services.
A groundbreaking digital resource exclusively devoted to African American family history research.
Fold3 is the web’s premier collection of original US military records, including many from the US National Archives.
A library of over 12 million maps, including the First Landowners project and “Antique Maps” collection.
In-Library Use Only
Discover your ancestors with the world’s largest history and genealogy database. Browse national and international records from 1500-2008.
Explore the lives of your ancestors, discover your family’s history, uncover your ethnic origins, start your family tree, and more.
In-Library Use Only
JSTOR provides access to more than 10 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
Search more than 25 years of the Evansville local newspaper. Coverage from 1991 – Current, including full color pages, full-text and web-only content.
Find global information on topics related to business, education, health, jobs and careers, government and politics, people, social issues, sports, STEM and more featuring the USA Today and other international sources.
Find Yesterday’s News Today
Access Newspapers from around the world and throughout history using this database.
Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1824 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7.
Research & archives
helpful links
Looking for history outside of the Evansville area? Use these helpful links to learn more about the greater Midwest or find a local history museum near you.
- Midwest Archives Conference
Professional organization for those interested in archives, historical societies, and other manuscript repositories - Society of Indiana Archivists
Professional organization for archivists, librarians, historians, and others - Vanderburgh County Clerk’s Archive
The function of this Archive is to preserve the Court’s history, which began when the county was founded in 1818. - Indiana Archives and Records Administration
The Indiana State Archives collects, preserves, and makes available for public use historical and evidential materials relating to Indiana. - USI Archives and Special Collections
The collection consists of personal papers and business, organizational, and governmental records.
- Alexandrian Public Library
Mt. Vernon, Indiana - Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library
Evansville, Indiana - Ft. Branch-Johnson Township Public Library
Ft. Branch, Indiana - Henderson County Public Library
Henderson, Kentucky - Ivy Tech Community College Library
Public community college, Evansville, Indiana - New Harmony Workingmen’s Institute
New Harmony, Indiana - Newburgh Chandler Public Library
Newburgh, Indiana - Princeton Public Library
Princeton, Indiana - University of Evansville Bower-Suhrheinrich Library
Private university, Evansville, Indiana - University of Southern Indiana David L. Rice Library
Public university, Evansville, Indiana - Poseyville Carnegie Public Library
Poseyville, Indiana - Boonville Warrick County Public Library
Boonville / Warrick, Indiana - Owensville Carnegie Public Library
Owensville, Indiana - Oakland City Columbia Twp Public Library
Oakland City, Indiana
- IUPUI Library
Indianapolis, Indiana - Ball State University Bracken Library
Muncie, Indiana - Indiana State Library
Indianapolis, Indiana - Indiana State University Cunningham Memorial Library
Terre Haute, Indiana - Indiana University Library
Bloomington, Indiana - IPFW Walter E. Helmke Library
Fort Wayne, Indiana - Links to All Indiana Public Libraries
- Purdue University Library
West Lafayette, Indiana
- Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Fort Wayne, Indiana; historical genealogy department - Browning Genealogy & Obituary Research
A database search tool that enables researchers to access a variety of public records documenting people and events in Evansville, Indiana, and surrounding counties in Southwestern Indiana and Southeastern Illinois. - INGenWeb Project
Indiana genealogy - Indiana State Library Genealogy
Indiana State genealogy - ILGenWeb Project
Illinois genealogy - KYGenWeb
Kentucky genealogy - The Tri-State Genealogical Society
Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky genealogy
- Bibliotheca Alexandria
The re-birth of the world’s oldest library; Alexandria, Egypt - Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
Oxford, England - Georges Pompidou Centre – Museum of Modern Art
Paris, France - German Genealogy Home Page (English Version)
University of Giessen, Germany - Musée d’Orsay
Paris, France - National Portrait Gallery
London, England - Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D.C. - The British Library
London, England - The Louvre Museum
Paris, France - The Russian State Art Library
Moscow, Russia; Site text is in Russian - Trinity College Library Dublin
Dublin, Ireland - Uffizi Gallery of Art
Florence, Italy
- Angel Mounds State Historic Site
Prehistoric Native American site and museum - Evansville African American Museum
Museum devoted to preserving Evansville’s African American history - Evansville Museum of Arts, Science and History
Public museum of art, science, and history - Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville
Hands-on museum especially for children - LST 325 – WWII Landing Ship, Tank
The only operational LST today; open for tours - Reitz Home Museum
Victorian house museum - Evansville Wartime Museum
Evansville’s home front effort during WWII - Dream Car Museum
Extensive Collection of Exotic and Vintage Cars
- Angel Mounds State Historic Site
Prehistoric Native American site and museum - Evansville African American Museum
Museum devoted to preserving Evansville’s African American history - Evansville Museum of Arts, Science and History
Public museum of art, science, and history - Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville
Hands-on museum especially for children - LST 325 – WWII Landing Ship, Tank
The only operational LST today; open for tours - Reitz Home Museum
Victorian house museum - Evansville Wartime Museum
Evansville’s home front effort during WWII - Dream Car Museum
Extensive Collection of Exotic and Vintage Cars
- ALA
Caldecott Award Winning Books - Internet Public Library
A public library for the Internet community - Links to All Academic Libraries
- Links to All National Libraries and Library Organizations
- Links to All Public Libraries
- Links to All Special Libraries
- Links to All State Libraries
- The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
San Marino, California - The Library of Congress
The world’s largest library; Washington, D.C.
- American Association for State and Local History
Resource for preserving state and local history - Feel the History
Student produced history documentaries of the Evansville area. - Historic Evansville
Immense history of the city of Evansville through the years - Historic Landmarks Foundation
Information on preserving Indiana’s architectural heritage - Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology
Information on preserving Indiana’s architectural and historical resources - Indiana Historical Society
Information on state historical resources - Indiana Landmarks
Places that matter to Hoosiers—houses, barns, bridges, churches, schools, downtown districts, vintage neighborhoods. - Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)
Historic and archaeological resources throughout Indiana. - Southwestern Indiana Historical Society
- Information on historical resources for Southwestern Indiana
- Vanderburgh County Historical Society
Information on historical resources for Vanderburgh County, Indiana
- Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau
Find the best places in Evansville to stay, eat, and enjoy. - Trip Advisor
Things to do in Evansville.