Announcements

Try the new Monarch Catalog!

A new and improved Monarch Catalog is in the works. Click here to give it a try and to provide feedback.

Sheboygan History

Black and white photo of downtown scene with pedestrians, carriages, and streetcars

Local History Resources

FAQs About Sheboygan

How did our city get its name? Why does Sheboygan have so many bike lanes? What's the history behind the city's oldest buildings? Our reference librarians have compiled answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about our beloved city. 

Library Plaza Water Feature

Did you know the 8th Street Water Feature was designed by the noted landscape architect Lawrence Halprin? Learn more about Halprin and his work in Sheboygan.

Mead Local History Collection

Mead Public Library maintains an extensive collection of historical documents, military records, newspaper clippings, photographs and much more. View a list of finding aids to begin your research using this collection.

Digital Sheboygan Newspaper Archives

Sheboygan Press Index

Begin your newspaper research using our manual index of the Sheboygan Press covering papers printed from 1940-2008. Starting in 2009, Sheboygan Press articles are indexed in the Monarch Catalog.

Black and white photograph of Holocaust survivor

Sheboygan's Holocaust Survivors

Holocaust Collection

Mead Public Library’s Jewish Holocaust Collection includes the personal archives and files of Sheboygan residents who survived the Holocaust and its aftermath. Learn more about the collection, including online materials and archival material housed at the library.

Learn More
Black and white portrait of men holding tin mugs

Digital Photo Collection

Monarch Digital Collection

This collection contains thousands of historic images submitted by residents and digitized through a 2014 Library Services and Technology grant.

Browse Collection

Other Resources

Sheboygan County Historical Research Center

Located in Sheboygan Falls, the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center collects, preserves and makes available the written documentation and images of Sheboygan County.

Sheboyganhistory.com

Local history enthusiast Carey Federer maintains this site featuring history, genealogy, pictures, yearbooks, school pictures, biographies, and much more.

UW Digital Collections

Features a large section of digitized images from Sheboygan County, including many furniture catalogs, military records, and city and county directories from 1875-1898. Go to "Browse Sheboygan County Historical Documents" from this link to see the list of items.

Recollection Wisconsin 

Featuring a space to discover digital historical and cultural resources from libraries, archives, museums and historical societies across Wisconsin.

Digital Public Library of America 

This site brings together the riches of America's libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.