Local History Collections
Jefferson County Public Library is committed to preserving our county’s local history and genealogy.
Much of the Library's wide-ranging local history and genealogical resources are analog, that is, books, papers, photographs, etc., and not easily accessible. In an effort to make these resources as accessible as possible, they are being transcribed and/or digitized.
Photographs
The Library has many historic photographs of Madison & Jefferson County, Indiana. The majority of which were taken by Harry Crawford Lemen.
Lemen was a native of Jefferson County, Indiana, and was a skilled amateur photographer. He spent decades documenting the activities of his hometown during the mid 20th century. The result is a huge collection of photographs
River to Rail
From early riverboats to Indiana’s first railroad, Madison was uniquely caught up in the age of steam. She rode the waves and rails of prosperity that steam had brought, then experienced loss at steam’s demise. Join us for the amazing story of Madison in the age of steam.