Carnegie Public Library, Angola, Indiana

Carnegie Public Library, Angola, Indiana

Address: 322 South Wayne Street, Angola, Indiana

Phone: (260) 665-3362

Website: http://www.cplsc.org/

 

Fountain in center of Library

Located in the small town of Angola in Steuben County, Indiana, the Carnegie Library is very easy to get to. In fact, it really is hardly a city in more than name with a population of less than 9,000 in 2010. Two blocks south of the center of town, there is a free parking lot located right at its door. Entering the library you are swept away by the modern, yet beautiful architecture. Half a flight up or a convenient elevator ride is the reference department. Half of the area is dedicated to local history. If you have relatives that spent time in Steuben County, you are likely to find them here.

Hours:

Mon.-Thurs.

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Friday

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Photocopies cost 10 cents each and I was free to use the copier for any material I wanted to use. In fact, there were virtually no restrictions with this collection. The librarian was available at her desk in the corner of the room for any assistance you might wish and was very knowledgeable of the collection. There were many free handouts including maps of the area and standard genealogy forms.

For a library in a small rural community, there is an amazing collection here. Family files, cemetery and obituary records for numerous people. Although a good share of the community today seems to be of the resort type with a number of small lakes scattered all across it, people have taken the history of the people and families of this area seriously. It was originally a farming community and there is still evidence of this with many farms dotting the countryside amongst the seasonal cottages and more recent suburban housing developments.

The Collins homestead

Earlier yesterday morning, before we got to the library, we drove around exploring some of the countryside. Besides visiting once again the West Jamestown Cemetery, of which I’ve posted pictures here before, we looked for the farm property of Frances (Wooster) and Stillman Collins. Frances was the first cousin of my g-grandfather and her husband’s grandfather had been the first settler in the town of Jamestown. I took pictures of what I presumed to be the family homestead. Later in a history that I found in the library, I was able to confirm that it was the same house. What’s more from a 1970 plat book, I found that their daughter, Una Barry still owned the property then!