Books Available Online:  

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Polk County Histories:

Centennial History of Polk County, Iowa - J.M. Dixon, 1876

The History of Polk County, Iowa - The Union Historical Company, 1880

Pioneers of Polk County - Lorenzo F. Andrews, 1908

Iowa Periodicals:

The Annals of Iowa - 1907-1908

The Annals of Iowa - 1915-1921

Midwestern - 1906

Midwestern - 1908

Books in our Collection:

These are a few of the books at the Central Library, 1000 Grand Avenue, that deal with the history of Des Moines. To check for copies at other    branches, please click on the authors name or search our catalog.

• 706 Or9d : Orwig, Louise.The Des Moines Association of Fine Arts. Des Moines, Iowa.  Art Department, Public Library of Des Moines, 1987. Compiled during the 1930's and 1940's.
• 977.71 P759a : Porter, Will. Annals of Polk County, Iowa, and city of Des Moines. Des Moines, Iowa, Geo. A. Miller Printing Company, 1898.
• 977.751 B76d : Brigham, Johnson. Des Moines, the Pioneer of Municipal Progress and and Reform of the Middle West, Together with the History of Polk County, Iowa. Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1911. 2 vols.
• 977.751 D137d : Dahl, Orin. Des Moines: Capital City. Tulsa, Oklahoma. Continental Heritage, 1978
• 977.751 H183b : Hammer, Ilda May. The Book of Des Moines. Des Moines, Board of Education, 1947.
• 977.751 L85d : Long, Barbara Beving. Des Moines and Polk County: Flag on the Prairie. Sun Valley, CA ,  American Historical Press, 2003.
• 977.758 M139d: McCue, Craig. Des Moines, 1845-1920. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.
• 977.71 P759a: Porter, Will. Annals of Polk County, Iowa, and City of Des Moines. Des Moines, IA: Geo. A. Miller Printing Co., 1898.
• 307.34 J156b: Jacobsen, James. Building a City of Homes: Des Moines, Iowa, 1900-1951. Des Moines, Iowa: History Pays!, 2002.
• 977.751 G199r: Gary, Thomas A. The Rise and Fall of  Center Street, 1945-1972. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University, 2003.
• 977.751 J156d: Jacobsen, James. Des Moines First “West End” and Its Transition from Residential Neighborhood to Auto Row, from a Commercial District to the Western Gateway: A Historical Architectural Report. Des Moines, Iowa: History Pays!, 2002.
• 977.751 J156i: Jacobsen, James. “If They’d Just Blow Up the Bridges, We Would Be All Right”: A History of Highland Park, Oak Park and the “Parks District” of Des Moines, Iowa, 1888-1997. Des Moines, Iowa: J.E. Jacobsen, 1997.
• 977.751 P146t2: Page, William C. Towards a Greater Des Moines: Development and Early Suburbanization, Circa 1880-Circa 1920. Des Moines, Iowa: City of Des Moines, 1996-1998. (6 volumes)
• 977.751 P146w: Page, William C. Walking to Work: Victorian Life in Des Moines. Des Moines, Iowa: Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, 1997.
• 977.758 D817t: Dressler, Richard. Two Rivers Flowing: Recent Archaeology in Downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa: City of Des Moines, 2005.