Local History & Genealogy

The local history and genealogy collection is housed in the library’s Guinn Room and is available to the public whenever the library is open. All of the collection can be borrowed with exception of the Boone County Collection.

Mission: To foster an environment that supports the pursuit of family and local history through the development of collections, provision of instruction and facilitating networking among genealogists and historians."

Cemeteries

Our Boone County cemetery databases

Schools

Information and photographs of Thorntown schools

Churches

Information and history for Thorntown churches

The Town

History of the town's buildings and people

Indices

Indexes available in the local history collection at the library.

Resources

Information available from other databases and websites

Image of the Thorntown Heritage Museum

Visit the Thorntown Heritage Museum

For a more visual history of the area, check out the Thorntown Heritage Museum!

Call us at the library to schedule a tour with our Museum Coordinator, Kirsten.

Vision: To be a leading genealogy and local history authority in and about our area through our development of collections, staff expertise and partnerships with other genealogical and historical organizations and repositories.

Main Street Fountain reveal, 1909

Our Values

  • The preservation of family history records and materials.
  • The preservation of local area history records and materials.
  • Free access to all records.
  • Delivery of services to users regardless of level of genealogy experience or expertise.
  • Training materials available for loan.
  • Confidentiality of patron requests.
  • Treatment of all users with respect.
  • Availability and ability of staff to respond to most users’ research needs.
  • On-going learning and professional development for staff.
  • The use of technology and innovation to deliver information to our users.
  • Partnerships with community organizations.
  • User of resources