Montgomery County Veterans Stories and Records

Once called Decoration Day, from placing flowers and wreaths upon the graves of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day has become a day of remembrance of those who have served our country. The exact origins of the day are unknown, but it does date back to the 1860s. Some have claimed the 1863 dedication of the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania cemetery by President Abraham Lincoln as the official start. Others claim the first widely observed date happened in 1868. Back then it was known as Decoration Day and commemorated the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. The beginnings really aren’t important; what is important is the tradition of remembering our country’s heroes and keeping their stories alive for future generations. 

The Crawfordsville District Public Library and The Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County collect and preserve stories, letters, photographs, and memorabilia from local veterans and their families. The library is working on digitizing records so they are easily accessible from the library’s website. Some records include interviews, both audio and video, with local veterans.  The Montgomery County Historical Society recorded these interviews between 1990 and 1999.  You can view or listen to them here.

The Marian Morrison Local History Collection at the Crawfordsville District Public Library is home to bound copies of newspaper clippings, magazines, and microfilm of local newspapers full of information on local veterans. These have been indexed thanks to community volunteers that generously donate their time. Another project was the Veterans Graves Registration Project by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), in 1940.  Each of Montgomery County’s eleven townships is included in an Atlas of Cemeteries with the graves of veterans denoted on maps.  These maps are listed by townships on the library’s Local History and Genealogy page of the website.  A list of sixty-four Confederate veterans buried in Montgomery County is also located on our website. The library also holds the roster, ledgers, and minutes from the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Founded in 1866, the GAR was a fraternal order composed of veterans of the Union Army, Navy, and Marines who served during the U.S. Civil War. GAR Commander in Chief, General John A. Logan, declared May 30th to be Memorial Day in 1868.  Six books from the GAR have been digitized and may be downloaded from the library’s Local History and Genealogy page. 

Please visit the local history area of the library for help researching the veterans in your family.  In addition to print materials and microfilm, the library has access to fold3 which is part of the Ancestry genealogy database. You do not need a library card to access fold3 or Ancestry when using the computers allocated for genealogy research. If you would prefer to research from home you can create a free account with FamilySearch, another genealogy database. Once you are logged into FamilySearch click the “Search” button in the upper left toolbar and select “Records”. Select “Browse All Collections” in the lower left corner. On this next page, you can type “military” into the “Collection Title” field and all the military records will be listed. Select the appropriate collection and search for your family member. You can also do a general search for family members and begin creating your family tree.  The library has books available for checkout on beginning genealogy research and using these databases. If you prefer to hone your research skills with others, the Genealogy Club of Montgomery County meets at the library monthly and is accepting new members. 

Would you like to learn more about genealogy research or how you can help preserve local history? Please contact our Local History Specialist, Dellie Craig, at 765-362-2242 ext.119. The Crawfordsville District Public Library is open on Mondays-Thursdays from 9 am-9 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 am-5 pm, and on Sundays 1-5 pm. Stop by and let us assist you in finding more information about your family ancestors.