Welcome to the Peabody Public Library!
Established in 1901, the Peabody Public Library opened through the contributions of the philanthropist Leigh Smith J. Hunt. Then known as the People’s Free Library of Whitley County, the library was located on the second floor of the Raufer Building on the corner of West Van Buren and Line Street. In 1911, when Mr. Hunt could no longer support the library, concerned citizens petitioned to keep the library open. The officials of Columbia City responded with an ordinance to make the Library a tax funded institution.
In 1917, Simon J. Peabody donated a section of land and appropriate funds to construct a new library on North Main Street, as well as contributing for an endowment, which allowed the library to build a major addition in 1970, doubling the size of the building.
The library on North Main Street, as featured on a postcard.
The Peabody Public Library moved to a new 27,500 square foot facility in 1999, and was expanded in 2010. The property included 14.25 acres of wetland behind the library, which feature a walking trail and boardwalk.
View from the Wetlands
The cache is a small camoed container. (Please excuse the atrocious tape job.) The area may be busy in the summer time.