564 State Street

Hammond Indiana 46320

(219)931-5100

hpl@hammond.lib.in.us

 

Suzanne G. Long Local History Room

(219) 931-5100; Ext. 306

localhistory@hammond.lib.in.us

Local History Room Hours:

Tuesday, Thursday-Friday - 1:00pm-5:00pm

Wednesday - 1:00pm-9:00pm

Saturday - Appointments Recommended

Sunday-Monday - Closed

Click here for Local History Room Collections Database

Click here for Hammond City Directories

Local History Donation Form

About the Suzanne G. Long Local History Room

The Hammond Public Library’s Calumet Room was established in 1967. The Library and the Hammond Historical Society joined together in this cooperative effort to collect, preserve, and make accessible materials relating to Hammond and the Calumet Region. The room was enlarged during the renovation that was completed in 2002. It was renamed in 2003 to honor Calumet Room librarian, Suzanne Geis Long, who died shortly after the renovation. The room contains a variety of small artifacts and other memorabilia commemorative to life in Hammond. Numerous original photos of the people, places, and events of Hammond’s past are also on display. The Suzanne G. Long Local History Room continues to collect items of historical significance relating to the Hammond area. Those with papers or photos of Hammond families, organizations, or businesses, are encouraged to bring these items in for a donation assessment. For more information, please contact the Local History Room librarian.

 

In addition to its local history collections, the history room now features computer and microfilm stations specifically for genealogy and local history researchers who desire the assistance of the local history librarian during the room’s open hours.

Resources in the Suzanne G. Long Local History Room

 

Other resources of interest to historians and genealogists

  • Books by local authors
  • Family histories
  • Local history
  • Maps — Hammond and Lake County
  • Pamphlet file materials
  • Photographs of Hammond and the Calumet Region
  • Sanborn maps of Hammond (helpful when identifying when buildings were erected)
  • Yearbooks for Hammond high schools
  • Scrapbooks (Example: Daughters of the American Revolution; Hammond Achievement Awards)
  • Tape recordings of Hammond Historical Society programs and interviews
  • Times negatives from 1958 – 2002
  • Videocassettes on Hammond history
  • Calumet Region city directories since 1889
  • Calumet Region telephone directories since 1909
  • Federal Censuses 1840 – 1930 (Lake County, Ind.)
  • Indiana county histories on microfilm (at least one for each of the 92 counties)
  • Local cemetery readings
  • Local newspapers, 1882 to the present
  • Microfilm/fiche readers and printers
  • WPA birth, death, marriage index for Lake County, 1882 – 1920
  • Obituary indexes to the Times 1939–1963, and 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989,1990, 1991 and 1998 – present (work in progress.)
  • Tapestry, “Walking Slow down the Avenue,” woven by Sister Zoe (the former Prudence Davis), who lived in Whiting during her youth.

The Library is indexing obituaries appearing in the Hammond Times newspaper (now The Times of Northwest Indiana). The date in the index is the date of the first appearance of the obituary, and not necessarily the death date. Because the paper had various editions and, in some years, no formal "obituary column," some names may have been omitted from the index; however, we have attempted to include all names. To obtain a copy of the obituary visit the Hammond Public Library to view the microfilm. To obtain a copy by mail, complete the form found here.

Hammond Public Library

Phone: (219) 931-5100

Email: hpl@hammond.lib.in.us

Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm

            Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm

            Sunday-Closed

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