Tama County Historical Society & Genealogical Library

10/02/2026

Can you answer their question?

Help - Who are these men? Donald Wolfgram, Warren Caslavka, __________, ___________, Ham Allaben? and __________. Photo from about 1962

10/01/2026

09/10/2026

Thank you to Darrin Crow who presented his program "Stories of Great Americans" featuring the unsung or little-known heroes of the United States, including some from the Revolutionary War and one from WWII. They were Mary Ludwig Hays aka Molly Pitcher, John Paul Jones, Peter the Giant aka Peter Francisco, and John Meicine Crow. They were everyday people who “just got on with it” or “paid attention” thereby creating definitive moments in US & World history. It was an entertaining and enlightening program.
The Tama County Historical Society would also like to thank the Wieting Theatre and all of you that joined us last night.

09/08/2026

Reminder that Darrin Crow will be here this Wednesday (9/9/2026) with a new program called “Stories of Great Americans” and we are looking forward to seeing it and you at the Wieting Theatre. Also, please remember our programs now start at 6:30 PM.
You can find out more about Darrin at http://www.darrincrow.com/home.html

09/04/2026

Sharing on. It does say at the bottom of this picture to contact them if you plan on attending. 

09/01/2026

Here is a picture that were in some donations that we want to file properly. There are three names exactly as written on a sticky note on the back; Charles "Doc" Musel Lower L, Fred Musel Lower R cornet Bill Upah Upper R.
Does anyone know the name of the band and can help identify the rest of the musicians? We are thinking the Chelsea area. The photo was copied and retouched for this post. Thank you!
Answer now in comments!!!

09/01/2026

We are sorry, but the Tama County Historical Society's Museum & Library is closed this Thursday, September 3, 2026. Thank you.

08/26/2026

08/19/2026

The Tama County Historical Society is pleased to announce that it has received a Historical Resource Development Program Grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa. Grant funds will support microfilm preservation of historic newspapers in and around Tama County.

The Historical Resource Development Program supports projects that help preserve, conserve, interpret, enhance, and educate the public about Iowa’s historical assets. This grant will support microfilm preservation of historic newspapers in Tama County, including recent publication years. It will also include editions of the Reinbeck newspaper in Grundy County. Funds from this grant allow the historical society to microfilm all remaining newspapers in Tama County that have not been microfilmed, as well as the Reinbeck newspaper.

Additional financial support for this effort is provided by grants from the Traer, Gladbrook, and Dysart community foundations, as well as private donors.

This project will preserve an important record of Iowa history by microfilming recent Tama County newspapers at a time when local newspapers and their physical offices are disappearing. The resulting permanent record will document the people, events, institutions, and decisions that shaped Tama County in the early 21st century, including information often unavailable elsewhere, such as obituaries, school activities, and community news. By ensuring these materials remain accessible locally for residents, genealogists, researchers, students, and future generations, the project will strengthen public access to Tama County’s history and help preserve community identity for years to come.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to ensure these important historical documents are available for historians, genealogists, students, and the general public at our museum now and in the future,” said Joan Hayward Helm, president of the Tama County Historical Society.

Funding for the Historical Resource Development Program is made possible by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP).

08/18/2026

Can hardly wait.