A stack of Tama Northern newspaper archives rests on the sidewalk outside the Tama-Grundy Publishing office in downtown Tama on Oct. 6, 2022. The Tama Northern newspaper – just one of the many newspapers that consolidated to eventually form the Sun Courier of today – has roots as far back as 1881. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

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“We are grateful for this opportunity to ensure these important historical documents are available for historians, genealogists, students, and the general public at our museum now and in the future,” Joan Hayward Helm, president of the Tama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

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