Iowa
Heritage Digital Collections
Stewart Library is a participant in the Iowa Heritage Digital
Collection project. The Billy Robinson collection has been
digitized and is available for viewing now!
List of Collections
This alphabetical listing of Grinnell Room holdings is intended
to give the viewer an idea of what is available in the Stewart
Library archives. The collections may be viewed and
used by appointment or as staffing levels permit.
List of
Family History Collections
The Grinnell Room currently houses records donated from 38
area families.
Grinnell Room Pamphlet
File
A pamphlet file is maintained in the Grinnell Room. Click
on the above link for a contents listing.
Articles
A listing of articles from Grinnell newspapers, various memoirs,
and local history books that are held in the Grinnell Room
appears below. Links are provided for selected articles
that have been digitized.
NOTE: Photographs from newspaper articles do not always scan
well. Many of the same photos can be found in our photo
galleries.
Adobe Acrobat Reader® software is required to view and print
the articles. You may download Acrobat for free if you don't already have it. Click
on the "back" button to return to this index page
after viewing an article.
ARCHITECTURE:
Gordon VanTine Co. Catalogue of 1920's Homes
| The Gordon Van Tine Co. of Davenport, Iowa would ship (freight paid) the materials needed to build your new home. The catalogue advertises the Van Tine Co. as "World's Largest Specialists in Home Building since 1865". Price did not include cement, brick, plaster or stucco. Many of these mail order homes can be found in Grinnell today. |
Grinnell
Commercial Architecture Walking Tour, "Focus on Grinnell Architecture" series by Jeanne Burkle and Audrey Vandercook May 9, 1982.
| The packet has sketches of buildings and a short summary
of the building's style, architect, and other architectural
features. The buildings included are the Poweshiek County
National Bank, Grinnell State Bank, Spencer Building,
Masonic Temple, and Grinnell Federal Savings and Loan
Building. |
Grinnell
Public Service Buildings, "Focus on Grinnell Architecture" series by Charles Manly III and Lorna Caulkins May 15, 1982.
| The packet has sketches of buildings and a short summary
of the building's style, architect, and other architectural
features. The buildings included are Grinnell Community
Center, Grinnell Post Office, and Stewart Library. |
Grinnell
College Walking Tour, "Focus on Grinnell Architecture" series by David Jordan and others May 2, 1982.
| The packet has sketches of buildings and a short summary
of the building's style, architect, and other architectural
features. The buildings included are Goodnow Hall, Herrick
Chapel, Carnegie Library, Alumni Recitation Hall, and
The Forum. |
Grinnell
Residence Walking/Riding Tour, "Focus on Grinnell Architecture" series by Tim Chasson and others April 18, 1982.
| The packet has sketches of buildings and a short summary
of the building's style, architect, and other architectural
features. The building styles included are New England
Cottage Style, Victorian Cottage Style, Victorian Mansion,
Richardson Romanesque Style, Shingle Style, Prairie School
Style, Split Foyer Ranch Style, and Earth-Sheltered Solar
Style. |
Grinnell Church
Architecture Walking Tour, "Focus on Grinnell Architecture" series April 4, 1982.
| The packet has sketches of buildings and a short summary
of the building's style, architect, and other architectural
features. The churches included are United Church of Christ-Congregational,
Grinnell United Methodist Church, St. Mary's Catholic
Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and First United
Presbyterian Church. |
Theatres
in Grinnell, John Kleinschmidt Dec 30, 1989.
| This article describes the development of playhouses
to movie theatres in Grinnell. It includes the Colonial
Theatre, Preston's Opera House, Strand, and Bijou. |
Louis
Sullivan: The Jewel Box, by Diane Lee Dec 12, 1986.
| Louis Sullivan designed the Jewel Box Bank that is today
Wells Fargo Bank. The article has a description of the
design and purpose of the bank. It also gives a history
of Sullivan and the buildings he created. |
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD:
Daring
Death for an Idea: J. B. Grinnell and the Underground Railroad - from Grinnell Herald Register by Nicole Etcheson
Nov 21, 1983.
| Grinnell participated in the Underground Railroad. The
article tells about J. B. Grinnell's fight against slavery
and the assistance he gave to the underground conductor
and abolitionist John Brown. |
J. B. GRINNELL:
Iowa Congressman Beaten on Capitol Steps in 1866, from
Des Moines Register 1950's,
| Lovell Rousseau of Kentucky attacked J. B. Grinnell as
he was leaving the nation's capital. The article includes
what they were debating and Grinnell's injuries. |
Hon.
J. B. Grinnell,
from the Grinnell Herald Register April 7, 1891.
| The article gives a biography of Grinnell's founder,
J. B. Grinnell. It also tells who spoke at Grinnell's funeral
services and what they said about him. |
Josiah Bushnell
Grinnell: A Man of Many Avocations, from Grinnell Herald
Register April 22, 1971.
| J. B. Grinnell founded the town of Grinnell. This biographical
article tells all of the major accomplishments that he
made during his life and what he felt strongly about.
It also tells where he came from and why he ended up in
Grinnell. Photograph of his house is included. |
The "Josiah
B. Grinnell" is Added to Uncle Sam's Merchant Fleet, from Grinnell Herald Register May 20, 1943.
| The photograph is of the ship named after Grinnell's
founder. A caption is included. |
GRINNELL THE TOWN:
Grinnell History
from 1856 to World War I
| The article is a timeline of Grinnell that notes some
key events and the building of commercial buildings and
houses from 1856 to 1917. |
Our
Community: Outline History of Greater Grinnell, by John Nollen April 24, 1950.
| The timeline includes events from the town, county,
and college. It is from 1840 to 1940. |
How Iowa Has Changed, from Des Moines Register Feb 29,
1956.
| The pictures are of the intersection of Fourth and Main
of Grinnell in 1908 and 1956. |
Early
Grinnell As I Knew It, by Roy E. Bates 1964.
| The memoir of Roy Bates is his recollection of where
things used to be in Grinnell and his move from pharmacist
to florist. |
Grinnell One of Book's 'Safe Places' in U.S., from Grinnell
Herald Register Aug 26,1974.
| David and Holly Franke wrote a book called "Safe Places".
The book lists 47 U.S. communities that considered to
be the safest and most desirable to life in. The article
includes the comments on the various pleasing aspects
of Grinnell. Housing, crime rate, taxes, medical facilities,
and others are all mentioned. |
Fire Ravaged Grinnell
in 1889, from Grinnell Herald Register April 22, 1971.
| The article gives details of how much damage was done
in the blaze of 1889. |
BILLY ROBINSON:
See Also: BILLY ROBINSON HERITAGE DIGITAL PHOTO EXHIBIT
Grinnell Airman in Globe Race, Grinnell Herald Register
| In 1915 W. C. Robinson entered the race to circle the
globe put on by Panama Exposition. The article includes
direct quotes from Robinson and what he would be flying. |
The Palimpsest: Billy Robinson, Bird-Man, edited by John
Briggs Sep 1930.
| This article tells about Robinson's life from when he
was 12 to where he was buried. It has information about
what his first job was and why he joined a traveling show.
A picture of Billy Robinson is included. |
Roy Adkins's Memories
of Billy Robinson - transcribed
by Mary Ashby 1975.
| Roy Adkins lived in Grinnell at the same time as Billy
Robinson. The article tells what Roy Adkins remembers
about Robinson, the planes he flew, his mechanic, and
the crash. |
GRINNELL DURING THE WAR:
Wake up Grinnell, from Grinnell Herald Register Dec 13, 1941.
| Everyone was required to help with the war effort. This
article is an advertisement for all Grinnell citizens
to help. |
Auxiliary
Police Force is Organized, from Grinnell Herald Register June 22, 1942.
| The Civilian Defense program came to towns as small
as Grinnell. Its purpose was to train men to handle any
situation that could arise. This article tells about Grinnell's
Civilian Defense meetings, men, and hours. |
The Old Fire Bell
Goes to Scrap, photograph from Grinnell Herald Register
Oct 29, 1942.
| A lot of metal was needed for the war. To contribute
as much metal as possible, Grinnell took down its fire
bell located in the tower of the fire hall. This picture
shows the bell and the men who took it down. |
Registration Will
Be Feb. 23-26 Inclusive, from Grinnell Herald Register Feb 18, 1943.
| To make sure the troops had enough food, the government
began to ration the nation's food. This article talks
about the rationing system coming to Grinnell and how
it was to work. |
Layettes
Sent to British Babies, Photograph from Grinnell Herald
Register January 30, 1941.
ORPHAN TRAINS:
Historical,
Genealogical Group Hears Adkins on 19th Century Orphan Trains, from Grinnell Herald Register Oct 29, 2001.
| Charles Loring Brace was horrified with the conditions
children were living in the 1850's. He founded the Children's
Aid Society. This article give more information about
the finding of his records, the movie that was based off
of the information found, and the history and outcome
of the orphan trains. |
Three
Articles on the Orphan Trains, from Grinnell Herald
Register 1893-1904.
| Information is included about the adoption of the children
brought to Grinnell, the lack of hotel space for the workers
of the Children's Aid Society, and an ad giving information
about the adoption of orphan train children. NOTE:
see page two for the typed, legible version. |
Orphan
Trains Brought 'Waifs' Here in Earlier Era, from Grinnell Herald Register, Aug 1, 1996.
| The orphan train movement of the early 1900's made stops
in Grinnell and the surrounding area. This article details
the Grinnell stops and relays stories from old newspaper
clippings and from some people with direct knowledge of
these events. |
SPAULDING COMPANY:
Spaulding, from "Grinnell-A Century of Progress".
| The article gives a short history of Henry Spaulding
and the beginning of the Spaulding Company. |
Hon. Henry W. Spaulding, from "History of Poweshiek County,
V. II by L. F. Parker, 1911.
| This selection is a biographical paper of Henry Spaulding
and all that he accomplished in his life that makes him
"among the most prominent men of Iowa". |
|
