The library attempts to promote the unique heritage of Spiceland by collecting, preserving, and providing access to local and Henry County history, genealogical material, family histories, school and church records, maps, atlases, plat maps, photographs, diaries, cemetery records, and biographies and autobiographies that detail the history of our locality. The church provides for the preservation of this material and for its accessibility, as far as may be feasible, to all who wish to examine the contents of the library. Following is a sampling of what you will find. Only a few of the items may be checked out. The library is named after Richard P. Ratcliff, an 8th generation member of our congregation. He is the church's historian and is a very active member of the Spiceland community.
What the library offers:
- Early Quaker histories
- Minutes & Proceedings of Indiana Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
- Genealogical material on more than 650 Spiceland and Henry County Quaker families
Books by Quaker authors (Elliott, Trueblood, Hamm, Thurman, West, Gulley, Mullen, etc.)- Yearbooks for Spiceland Academy and High School
- Spiceland Township trustee records
- Henry County cemetery and Bible records
- Henry County histories by Pleas, Boor, Hazzard, Bowen & Heller
- Records of the Spiceland Academy and High School Alumni and Former Students Association
- Records of the Spiceland Masonic Lodge 1914-2004, Odd Fellows Lodge, and Order of the Eastern Star
- Minutes of Spiceland’s social and literary clubs including the Y.M.U., Tuesday-Lucernian, Engleside and Blue River County clubs
- Histories of Spiceland and early Henry County schools
- A large selection of Christian books
- Day books for the Stone Quarry Mill and William Dawson’s weather observations for Spiceland 1864-1874
- Catalogues and records for Spiceland Academy 1870-1921
- Bound family genealogies on the Hiatt, Hodson, Pickering, Whitely, Griffin, Ratcliff, Hinshaw/Henshaw, Painter, Applegate, Good, Mellett, Hickman, Stubbs, and Beard families
- Card file of the Spiceland and Spiceland Township residents who served in World War II
- Dunreith histories
- Poetry by Henry County poets
- Records of the Spiceland Sanitarium and Mineral Springs Company
- Abolitionist and Underground Railroad material
- Histories of the Whitewater Valley and Canal
- Henry County Atlases for 1857, 1875, and 1893
- Histories of the National Road (U.S. 40)
- Land entry atlas for Henry County 1821-1849
- Histories of Spiceland Quarterly Meeting of Friends
- 1874 Henry County Directory
- Album of clippings and photographs pertaining to Spiceland Friends Meeting
- Vertical files on numerous Spiceland Quaker families and general Henry County history
- Birth, death, marriage, and meeting minutes for Friends Meetings in Wayne, Henry, Union, Hendricks, Orange, Washington, Parke, Boone, Bartholomew, Montgomery, Vermillion, Morgan, Marion, Vigo, Tippecanoe, and Hamilton counties
- Dunreith (1898-1903) and Elm Grove (1836-1840, Wayne Township) preparatory meeting minutes
- Spiceland Monthly Meeting removal certificates 1833-1885
- Spiceland Monthly Meeting men’s minutes 1833-1887
- Spiceland Monthly Meeting women’s minutes 1833-1874
- Spiceland Monthly Meeting minutes 1887-1982
- Henry County marriages 1823-1839
- Wayne County marriages 1811-1860
Additional Information:
Library hours: Wednesday – Friday, 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 noon; afternoon hours by appointment – please call 765-987-7182
Handicap accessible – No admission charge
401 W. Main Street, P. O. Box 27, Spiceland, Henry County, Indiana 47385
Telephone: 765-987-7835
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.