Clay County Genealogical Society | Clay County Indiana

Thanks to the Clay County Community Foundation, under the auspices of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation, the Clay County Genealogical Society received an $8,000 grant on November 17^th, 2018, to purchase equipment for a new microfilm reader station. Patrons can now view historical newspapers, census records, and other information on microfilm available at the library. The old microfilm reader/printer was no longer capable of being repaired. The new reader is connected to one of the library’s printers. With the new equipment patrons now have the capability of capturing one or more articles from microfilm, increasing or decreasing the size of the articles, and typing informational notes on the page to be printed.

The Clay County Community Foundation received requests totaling $165,000 in 2018, but only $60,000 was available for distribution. The volunteers at the library were grateful that the Clay County Genealogical Library in Center Point was one of the nine non-profit organizations fortunate to receive a grant to fund their project.

With the grant and donations made by CCGS members the microfilm station includes the new microfilm reader, a computer to operate it, and a large screen monitor to easily view the microfilm.

We celebrated 100th Veteran’s Day on November 11, 2018. On November 11 of 1918 German and allied leaders met in a railway car in a forest near Compiegne, France. After three days of negotiations, Germany admitted defeat, and the Armistice agreement was signed in Ferdinand Foch’s personal railroad carriage. The Armistice brought an end to the Great War, World War I. There had been more than 37 million military casualties.

To learn more about Clay County’s participation in the war, stop by the library and ask to see Clay County’s Answer 1917-1919. There are photographs and biographies of the soldiers who were killed in action, died from wounds, and died of disease.

Photographs are included of most of the soldiers who returned to Clay County after the war. There are many articles about the men, women, organizations, and businesses that participated in various ways to support the war effort. Some of the articles include: “Enrollment of Women for War Service,” “Clay County Red Cross Chapter,” “Food Conservation,” “Clay County Miners and Miners,” and “Women in War Work.” This 336 page book is full of references to the people of Clay County during 1917-1919.

Clay County Indiana