Historical Research

If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.
-Michael Crichton

Exploring the Past

Whether researching local or state history or tracing one's roots, Syracuse Public Library offers many resources to help people in their quests.

From historic and out-of-print books to local newspapers on microfilm, the Syracuse Public Library preserves valuable resources for local researchers to use while visiting the library. Additionally, the library has taken steps to ensure history is maintained for future generations, partnering with the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical to digitize several pieces.

Preservation and Digitization Projects

History is who we are and why we are the way we are.
-David McCullough, American historian

Through the aid of grants from organizations like the Ken and Lela Harkless Foundation, Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Bertsch Family Foundation, Hand Family Foundation, and Kosciusko REMC Operation Round-Up Fund, Syracuse Public Library has preserved several rare books in its collection.

Due to their extremely fragile state, these books have been unavailable for public use for a number of years. However, the unique historical content of these books make them an essential asset to local historians, genealogists, students and even the merely curious. For this reason, preservation was imperative. (Learn more about this preservation project by clicking here.)

Additionally, SPL has partnered with the Syracuse-Wawasee Museum to digitize fragile items within their collections through the Syracuse-Wawasee Digital Archives and Indiana Memory. Both organizations also partnered together to digital historic local newspapers, which are now available on the Hoosier State Chronicles website. (Click here to learn more about digitization efforts.)

Local Obituaries button with embedded link to the obituary database

Indiana Collection

On SPL's second floor, library visitors can browse the Indiana Collection, which contains several books detailing the Hoosier State's history and culture.

Books pertaining to the town of Syracuse's history are also a part of the collection. The collection also contains histories for specific Indiana counties, including Kosciusko County.

Browse Our Indiana Collection

Rare Books Collection

The Syracuse Public Library owns 22 historic books detailing the history of Syracuse and Kosciusko County. The library believes that these books, some of which are one of a kind and others that have no other copies in public institutions, need to be preserved so that future generations can discover and enjoy the history of our area as much as we do now.

Click to learn More

Genealogy Collection

Syracuse Public Library holds a collection of local genealogy and general genealogical research books located in our nonfiction's reference section.

Some are available for check out, while others are for in-library use only.

SPL Genealogy Collection

Local Resources

Genealogy Resources

Ancestry Library Edition

Log into SPL's Wi-Fi to access Ancestry's library edition to uncover your family tree for free. From access to U.S. Census records to billions of other records, Ancestry provides an edge in family research.

Use Ancestry Library Edition