What topics can I research at the West Lafayette Public Library?

What topics can I research at the West Lafayette Public Library's archives?

All of the following are available at the Library’s Local History area

on the 2nd floor of the Library:

PAPER COLLECTIONS

(I): Local School Publications

Happy Hollow Elementary:

1985 – 1986 Yearbook

Klondike High School:

The Prospector 1969 (Volume 33)

West Lafayette High School:

Junior Crescent (1904)

Relics of 1931

The Purple Aardvark (1969, 1971 – 1982, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991

The Eyes Have It (1982 – 1983, unlisted year)

Scarlett and Gray (1916 – 1917, 1922, 1929 -1930, 1932, 1934 – 1964

Trident (1965 – 1988, 1990 – 1994, 1996)

Red Devils 50th Class Reunion (Class of 1944 – 1945)

William Henry Harrison High School:

The Prophet (1972 – 1973, 1979 – 1981, 1986, 1989)

The Collection (1988)

Lafayette Jefferson High School:

The Nautilus (1918 – 1920)

(II): Purdue University Publications Purdue Debris (1889, 1892, 1896 – 1900, 1902 – 1905, 1907 – 1908, 1910 – 1930, 1932, 1934, 1936 – 1979, 1981 – 1982, 1985, 1988 – 1992, 1995 – 1996, 1999 – 2001, 2006)

(III): Directories

Polk’s City Directory (Lafayette): 1931, 1935, 1941, 1950, 1955, 1958 – 2018

Hill – Donnelly Cross Reference Directory (Lafayette): 1977, 1982, 1985 – 2005

Harris Industrial Directory (Indiana): 2004 – 2006.

GTE Phone Directory (Lafayette): 1984 – 1999

McLeodUSA Directories/Yellow Book Pages (Lafayette/West Lafayette): 1998 – 2008

Purdue University Directories: 1953-1954, 1984 – 2011

Miscellaneous Directories:

Indiana Associated Telephone Corporation (Lafayette): 1948, 1951

Indiana Thompson Directories (Lafayette/Tippecanoe County): 1996-1998

Super Pages (Lafayette/West Lafayette): 2000 – 2001, 2010 – 2013

Assorted Polk City Directories

(IV): Community Information Vertical Files (Focus on West Lafayette)

A:

Accidents, Aerospace, Annexations, Airport, Anvil, Apartments, Art/Artists, Art on the Wabash,
Athletes/Athletics, Authors

B:

Bananas, Banks/Banking, Beautification Award, Bicycling, Biography, “Breakfast Club”,
Bridges (Lindberg Rd.), Bridges (Tipp. County), Business

C:

Chauncey Hill Mall, Chauncey (Town), CHIPS, Circus, City Hall, Community Information,
Confederate Flag, Crime and Criminals, Cumberland Rd.

D:

Discovery Park

E:

Elections

F:

Faith Community Center, Farmer’s Market, Fire Department, Fires, Flooding, Fraternities

G:

Global Test, Grand Prix, Grand View Cemetery

H:

Happy Hollow Park, Happy Hollow Rd., Harry’s Chocolate Shop, Health and Medicine, History,
History (Buildings), Houses

I:

Immigration Issues, Indiana House of Representatives, Internet, International Center

J:

K:

Kalberer Rd.

L:

Levee Plaza/Wabash Landing, LGBT, Libraries - WL Public Library, Lindberg Road.,
Lilly Nature Center, Little Free Libraries, Local Officials, Louis Sullivan Bank

M:

Maps (Lafayette/West Lafayette), Meridian Street, Moffitt Family, Morris School,
Morton Community Center

N:

Neighborhood Associations, Neighborhoods – Barbarry Heights, Neighborhood Code Enforcement,
Neighborhoods – Happy Hollows, Neighborhoods – Hills and Dales,
Neighborhoods – Hills and Dales Magazines, Neighborhoods – New Chauncey,
Neighborhoods – North Salisbury, Neighborhoods – Northwestern Heights,
Neighborhoods – Park Ridge, Neighborhoods – University Farm, New Chauncey Housing Newsletter,
Nighthawk Dr., Northwestern Ave.

O:

Observatory

P:

Parks – Lincoln Park, Parks – Paula R. Woods Park, Parks – Tapawingo Park,
Paulson’s Bathing Beach, Pianos, Police Department, Pools (City), Public Art, Purdue Band,
Purdue and West Lafayette

Q:

R:

Recreation Center, Research Park, Religion, Restaurants

S:

Sagamore Parkway, Salisbury St., Samara, Scarlette,
Schools – West Lafayette, Schools – West Lafayette – Referenda,
Schools – West Lafayette – Sports, “SCRAPS” at Water Tower, Smoking Ban, Skating, Southworth’s,
Starry Night, State St. Redevelopment, State St. Tour (2016), State Symbols, Streets (Miscellaneous),
Sundown Towns, Swimming and Pools

T:

Tapawingo Park, Trails, Trees, Triple X

U:

University Place, U.S. 231, Utilities

V:

Village, Von’s Bookshop

W:

Wabash Commons, Wabash Landing, WALLA, Wang Hall, West Lafayette Beacon Academy,
West Lafayette High School, West Lafayette City Council, West Lafayette City Hall,
West Lafayette City Records, West Lafayette Government, West Lafayette History,
West Lafayette Laws and Regulations, West Lafayette Memories,
West Lafayette Parks and Recreation, West Lafayette Planning and Development,
West Lafayette Redevelopment Commissions, Westminster Village, Wi -Fi

X:

Y:

Z:

(V): General Categories for West Lafayette Community Information Vertical Files
(Focus on West Lafayette) NOTE: these files are not-yet-processed

Business,

Camp WACK,

“CHIPS”,

Construction/ Works,

Events, Events (II),

Government, History Programs, 1921 Public Health Survey,

Purdue,

River Rd.,

Schools,

Science/Technology

(VI): Books focused on Indiana, Tippecanoe, and West Lafayette History

All of the resources in this collection can be found in the catalog.

(VII) SAMARA by Frank Lloyd Wright

SAMARA is West Lafayette’s Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian Home located on Road in
West Lafayette’s Hills and Dales neighborhood.

Selections of SAMARA furniture and copies of Frank Lloyd Wright drawings can be found
on the Library’s first floor.

ELECTRONIC COLLECTIONS*

(I) New Chauncey Neighborhood housing inventory from 2002(?)

(II) Celery Bog photos from Sam Postlethwait (2011-2012)

All of the following are available at the Library’s
Local History Archival Collections in the Library's Basement area:*

Red Storage Cabinet in Library Basement

Local Politics:

Sonya Margerum papers as City Councilor and as Mayor of the City of West Lafayette

Black Storage Cabinets in Library Basement

Schools/Biographies:

West Lafayette School Corporation Newsletters (1969 – 1991), Marshall C. Howenstein and
Catherine Roth Biographical Materials, Bertha Jane Moffitt and Family Civil/Biographical Materials,
Everett McKinzie Biographical Materials (I), (II), (III), Susan Wu and Family Biographical Materials,
Susan Curtis Papers, Kristina Bross Papers

Housing/Buildings/Neighborhoods:

West Lafayette Housing Abstracts (I), (II), Sullivan Bank Architecture/History,
New Chauncey Historic Register

Food Ways:

Local Foodways Collection Archives, Lafayette/West Lafayette Recipe Books (I),
West Lafayette Food Industry History Collection, West Lafayette Foodways Collection:
Laura C. Zanotti, West Lafayette Foodways Collection – Johan and Virginia

Sports and Recreation:

West Lafayette Parks and Recreation Scrapbooks/Photo albums/ Historical Materials,
Purdue Sports Materials (I), (II), (III), (IV),
West Lafayette Football Scrapbooks (1940 – 1941, 1946 – 1975),

West Lafayette High School Yearbooks (1947 – 1979)

Local Library and Local Politics:

West Lafayette Public Library Archives

Mayor Williamson, Library’s 50th Anniversary +
McCutcheon, Collections for West Lafayette Memories Project 2011 – 2012,
Greater Lafayette Home Owners Association (I), MG Council Papers (II), (III), (IV)

Local Church History:

University Lutheran Church memorabilia including slides, video (transfer from 16 mm film),
audio tapes, written programs

Samara furniture collections*

*These materials are available for research on a “request only” basis.

Please call ahead or email ahead of your visit to be sure library staff who can handle these
materials will be available during your visit to use them.