Other Rooms

The Peabody Public Library has a small but growing collection of materials pertaining to local genealogy and history. The collection of materials can be found in our "Indiana Room" located right beside the Circulation Desk.

The following are some of the information available in our Indiana Room:

• Obituary indexes to newspapers, 1856 - 1910, 1983 - present
• Microfilm of Columbia City newspaper, 1859 - present
• Microfilm of Whitley County census, 1840 - 1920 except for 1890
• DAR pioneer records
• Whitley County Historical Bulletin, 1958-present
• Whitley County & Columbia City historical vertical file
• Columbia City directories
• Whitley County & Columbia City phone books
• Plat maps
• Cemetery inscription records
• Donated family histories
• Columbia City High School yearbooks, 1909-present
• Whitley County death records, 1882-1920
• Whitley County histories
• Various county histories
• Marriage records, 1838-1860, 1884-1898
• Works of local author Lloyd C. Douglas
• Works of Thomas Marshall, former governor and Vice President
• Information on Little Turtle, local Miami chief

For a closer look at Whitley County genealogy and history, stop by our Whitley County room, located in the back section of the Indiana Room.  There we have microfilm readers.  Patrons can request microfilm to view from the Information Desk and print articles for 25 cents a page.

Our microfilm collection consists of the following:

• City Directories of the United States, Fort Wayne IN: 1861 - 1871
• Columbia City Commercial: January 2, 1879 - January 18, 1905
• Columbia City Commercial Mail: April 4, 1918 - December 31, 1919
• Columbia City Daily Commercial Mail: January 1, 1920 - December 31, 1927
• Columbia City Evening Post: April 2, 1917 - December 31, 1927
• Columbia City News: January 6, 1859 - February 23, 1864
• Columbia City Post: July 6, 1864 - December 1983
• Columbia City Times: January 25, 1890 - January 9, 1891
• Columbia City Weekly Commercial Mail: January 19, 1905 - December 30, 1919
• Post & Mail: January 1984 - Current
• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: Columbia City, Churubusco, South Whitley
• Whitley County Republican/Whitley County Commercial: May 11, 1864 - December 2, 1868/January 21, 1869 - December 28, 1870
• Whitley County Commercial: January 12, 1870 - November 6, 1879
• Whitley County Census: 1840 - 1920 (No 1890 Census, all data lost in fire)

The Periodical Room (found at the end of our Adult Fiction collection, near the Quiet Room) is a cozy, well-lit room with lots of comfortable chairs. This is a great place to relax while you are waiting for someone in the library, or if you just have a few extra minutes while you are in town.

We have over 75 titles in our periodical collection, including popular titles such as Sports Illustrated, Time, People, and many more. A wide variety of craft magazines are available for beading, crocheting, knitting, and children’s crafts. Outdoor enthusiasts can find magazines on hunting and fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and more. If you are planning on traveling soon, check out the travel magazines or photography magazines for tips to make your trip even more memorable! History buffs will enjoy the Civil War and American History magazines. If you enjoy cooking at home, you can find lots of new recipes or healthy cooking ideas in several of the magazines offered.

A library card is not required in order to read the latest issues of your favorite magazines or newspapers here. But with a valid library card, you can also check out older issues to read at home. Older issues are located in the storage area underneath the most recent issues and may be checked out for three weeks.

Don't forget to connect to the library’s free Wi-Fi service!

Need a small, quiet space to get some work done?  Look no further than our Quiet room. located between the Study and Periodical rooms.  You get the same features as our public computers, but in a more private setting.