Heritage Center at the Lebanon Public Library, Lebanon, Indiana: Local History & Genealogy

Welcome to the Heritage Center

The Heritage Center is located on the second floor of the Lebanon Public Library on the west side of the original Carnegie building. The collection consists of multi-media formats and special collections that include Indiana Lincoln and Indiana Authors. The core of the collection is Boone County History and material regarding the surrounding counties of Clinton, Hamilton, Hendricks and Montgomery.

Ralph W. Stark
1901 — 1984

The local History room at the Lebanon Public Library became what is now known as the “Ralph W. Stark Heritage Room" in 1976. Mr. Stark was a Lebanon businessman for 34 years, an active conservationist and an archivist. He spent many years researching the history of Boone County which earned him the title of honorary historian of Boone County.

What's New in the Heritage Center

Updated and New Indexes

Be sure to visit the Indexes page for our newest online indexes! We have added the complete obituary, marriage, and sales notices from 1870–73 and the divorce notices from 1870 as published in the Weekly Patriot and the Lebanon Patriot. We are also pleased to add the Lebanon Reporter's divorce notices from 1945, marriage notices from 1950–59, and obituaries from 1985.

New Materials of the Month: Back to the Beginning

The Heritage Center is delighted to present Back to the Beginning: Remarkable True Stories of Adoption Searches and Reunions by Ava Friddle, Judy Andrews and Kristen Hamilton, Private Investigators with Joe Bardin. Back to the Beginning provides an insightful and often dramatic perspective on adoption searches and reunions. From a daughter seeking to understand the trauma her birthmother had gone through in relinquishing her; to a son wanting to set the record straight on his own family history; to a birthfather who never even saw his daughter when she was born, but never forgot her - each story is personal and thought provoking.

Stop by the Heritage Center and take a look at our other new materials!

Heritage Center Resources

The Heritage Center resources include: local atlases, maps, and plat books, building and house histories for Boone County, Lebanon City Directories (1893-2004), Indiana histories and reference materials, local and school newspapers, oral histories, published family histories, social club scrapbooks, telephone directories (1916-2007), yearbooks, and an extensive General File.