Our Collection

We never realized how many items we had until we began to re-inventory absolutely everything in our collection. WOW! So many interesting things.
Here is our inventory, broken down by the year cataloged (which is generally, but not always, the year it was donated).
These lists are current through January 2022. These are WORD files, which are fully searchable once you down load them.
ITEMS CATALOGED IN 1972-1999 (35 pages)
ITEMS CATALOGED IN 2000-2013 (26 pages)
ITEMS CATALOGED IN 2014-2017 (96 pages)
ITEMS CATALOGED IN 2018-2020
ITEMS CATALOGED IN 2021-present
ISLAND NEWSPAPERS – revisit life on Kelleys Island in years gone by.
SCHOOL YEARBOOKS & PHOTOS – Who graduated when?

SEARCH FOR YOUR RELATIVES – While it is not perfect – you CAN use the SEARCH option in these Word documents, once you download it, to find names and words included in our inventory. We recommend using broad search terms: Erne could be spelled Erny, Ernie, Erney, etc., and Bob Smith (which could be Rob, Robert, Bobby or a nickname) or search Smith and see what turns up. Happy searching.

GOT SOMETHING TO DONATE? – So many people have a treasured item from the Island’s history, but maybe now it is simply gathering dust. You don’t want it thrown out during a spring cleaning do you? Why not donate it NOW and help us share your remarkable piece of the Island? Use this form.

WHY SHOULD YOU DONATE SOMETHING?
We like this quote – which explains it in a personal way.
“Those tombstones covered the two people who gave her life. She remembered their teachings, she remembered their voices, and she remembered their laughter. Who would remember them when she was gone, and who would hold the memory of her life? Century after century the human race lurched two steps forward and one step back, but always there were good people, funny people, strong people, and their memories washed away with the ages. Kings and queens received a mention in the chronicles, but what about the horse trainers, the farmers, the seamstresses? What about the postmistresses and stagecoach drivers? Who would hold the memory of their lives?”
Rita May Brown, Rest in Pieces.
We hope that you will trust US to hold the memory of your lives!