local history Archives
Palm Sunday tornadoes revealed Huffman’s strong will and steady hand
The Palm Sunday tornadoes brought death and destruction to Indiana in 1965. The photographer capturing that history had a story of his own.
Judge Redding wanted reform but failed to beat Cosentino
A brigade of men in light-colored suits moved confidently on the sidewalk leading to the Elkhart County Courthouse. In the middle of this who’s who of local lawyers was the […]
Looming over downtown, the costly Arch was toppled by critics
The Arch was memorable, costly and criticized as a short-lived 1960s Main Street attraction.
The Klan wanted influence. One Elkhart leader took a stand.
A KKK grand dragon wielded great political power in 1920s Indiana. But one man made sure he knew he wasn't welcome in Elkhart.
Honoring Elkhart’s heroes: Veteran of the Month
We find Elkhart service members to highlight through Fold3, the Digital Library resource available through EPL. Fold3 houses millions of documents, photos, maps, records and more for U.S. wars going […]
With public health in the balance, Dr. Tomchik declared war on the patient
A struggle for power over public health in Elkhart County eventually came to a messy end and forced a doctor's resignation.
Ben Barnes ‘was second to none, but never better than anyone else’
Role model, author, leader - Ben Barnes was a powerful and caring presence for Elkhart
New features added for payment, browsing local history
Elkhart Public Library has made searching for local history and paying for research easier than ever with the addition of a shopping cart and PayPal payment features to our website. […]
