HISTORY & GENEALOGY
Research & Resources
AHS & AMHS YEARBOOKS
The yearbooks for the Alexandria Monroe High School are now located on the main floor of the library where they are available for viewing but not for circulating. Recently we have begun scanning each yearbook and adding it to our page when completed. It is a slow process but new volumes are being added each month.
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Currently the library has the following years available for viewing in house.
1896- 2012 Graduates from Alexandria Monroe Township compiled by Nancy Draper
1896- 2000 Graduates from Alexandria Monroe Township compiled by Nancy Draper
1898 The Carnation Alexandria High
1899 missing
1901 The Violet Alexandria High School
1902, 1903 Alexandria High School Annual
1904 missing
1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 Alexandria High School Magazine
1909- 1921 are missing. It was during this time that the yearbooks began to be titled Spectrum.
1922 thru 1960, the yearbooks are titled Alexandria High School Spectrum.
In September 1960, the school moved from the corner of West and Washington Streets to the newly built high school on 11th Street. At that time, the Spectrum name was changed to Alexandria Monroe High School Spectrum.
1961-2013 Alexandria Monroe High School Spectrum
2014 missing
2015 Alexandria Monroe High School Spectrum
2016 thru 2018 missing
2019 Alexandria Monroe High School Spectrum
2020-2024 missing
Alexandria History
In February 2024 the Alexandria Monroe Public Library began the task of documenting its historical items held in storage. What we found surprised us. We were often amazed at the foresight our early librarians possessed when determining what would someday be considered historical items. Early pieces include; original property deeds, antique books, vendor invoices and bids, news clippings, miscellaneous receipts, utility bills, postcards, paintings, board meeting ledgers, accession books, photos, newspapers, personal wills, resignations and historically significant correspondence letters.
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We also have items that have been donated by the public over time. High school annuals, photos and antique books with signed dedications are just a few of the items. All pieces have now been recorded for inventory purposes. When possible the original donor has been credited.
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Currently, (May 2025) we are in the process of scanning all inventory items when size permits. The pieces that pertain to the library itself will be added to our AMPL History tab. The items that relate to local history will appear on our Alexandria History tab. In some instances we will accept donations if the piece is specific to Alexandria, easily scanned and not a duplicate of current holdings.
Scanning is a slow process and there are many items to do so please check often to see what has been added.
Historical Alexandria Newspapers
The Alexandria Monroe Public Library has spent the last year (2025) documenting its historical items that have been held in storage. As we finish recording the inventory, we are in the process of scanning each piece as size permits.
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On the tabs below, we have shared the library’s collection of historical Alexandria Newspapers. The issues were collected by our earliest librarians and reflect what they felt, were historic events in both Alexandria and the libraries history. For example, the first two partial pages shown are from the 1895 and 1896 Weekly Press. Although those two newspapers predate the existence of our library, the ads indicate the location and type of local businesses at that time. One of the most treasured papers we have found is the Alexandria Times December 5, 1903 issue. It covers the dedication ceremony and open house of Alexandria’s new Carnegie Library. This special issue is framed and displayed within the library. Other newspapers were too fragile to scan. Several were simply fragments that left us with a curiosity to their date and importance. Another example is the December 18, 1914 Times Tribune issue. It was very degraded overall and only a portion of the front page has been be pieced together to determine the date.
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Historically, Alexandria’s newspapers have had many names. The Alexandrian, The Alexandria Daily News, The Daily Tribune, The Alexandria Times Tribune, Gas Belt News, The Tri-Weekly Press and The Semi-Weekly Press are all papers represented here.
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Newspapers of the past were much larger as you will see on the pages below. Each page was scanned in quarters with a top left and a top right scan. Then the lower left and lower right were scanned creating four scans for each page. Occasionally, a lengthy headline required a fifth scan.
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For viewing, the newspapers are in chronologically by year. Although there is not a continuous succession of days for any year, some issues are just a few pages in length. There are a few items detailed on the inventory pages that were, due to their condition, unable to be scanned. The October 6, 1919 Semi-Weekly Press and the July 17, 1922 Times Tribune are two of those issues.
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We would also like to call attention to our former librarians for the effort and insight they used when preserving the future for us. We thank you!
Obituaries
Obituaries appearing in the local newspaper from March 1, 1905-December 28, 2022 can be found using our digitized newspaper archive of The Alexandria Times-Tribune anytime during normal operating hours. For assistance please call the library at 765-724-2196 or send an Email Request.
Local History
Print Collection
Our local history collection has been relocated and is now
downstairs next to newspaper
and magazines
