Local History

Below is an incomplete list of resources pertaining to the history of Webster Groves.

High School Yearbooks

The Library has a nearly complete collection of Webster Groves High School’s yearbook, The Echo, dating back to 1911. The above link will take you to our online collection of scanned yearbooks. (Note that we do not include online versions for editions less than three years old.) Our reference shelves hold original bound copies for viewing. While we do have online versions, we are missing the following physical editions and would gladly accept them as donations: 1911, 1916, 1966, and 2017. We are also accepting either donated or loaned versions (for scanning) of Douglass High School’s yearbook, The Oracle. Currently our online collection contains the 1955 edition.

Webster Groves Historical Archive

An online repository of photos and documents pertaining to the history of Webster Groves.

Kate Moody Collection

The Kate Moody Collection consists of over 10,000 historical documents assembled by Katherine Twining Moody, a Webster Groves resident and librarian with St. Louis Public Library from 1895-1945. From the 1880s until her death in 1950, she collected photos, newspaper articles, genealogical records, hand written oral histories, correspondence and other documents dealing with the history of Webster Groves, St. Louis County and St. Louis City. As a joint project of Webster Groves Historical Society, which owns the collection, the Webster Groves Public Library, has digitized the collection and made it publicly accessible in a searchable format as part of the Missouri Digital Heritage program.

Newspapers.com

With the Library’s Newspapers.com account, you can access the following Webster Groves newspapers: The Webster Times from 1896-1898; Webster Groves Times from 1909-1914; Webster News-Times from 1912-1961; Webster Advertiser from 1963-1971. This service is only available within the Library, either through our public computers or through your own laptop or mobile device connected to our public Wi-Fi. 

Webster Groves House History

Located at this link are Library resources, both digital and physical items, which may help you find information regarding your Webster Groves home.

Webster Groves Historic Walking Tours  NEW!

This web presence was created by local historian Bill Wichman and his wife Diann to augment the eight historic walking tours first developed in 2001 through the support of the City of Webster Groves and the Webster Groves Historical Society. The site includes pdfs of the Walking Tours map and guidebooks, as well as audio descriptions of the homes highlighted on each walk, allowing you to “follow along through the past” using your smart phone as a guide. You can also pick up hard copies of the guidebooks at the Library, the Historical Society or City Hall.

Maps

There is a collection of historical maps that can be viewed within the Library showing Webster Groves and surrounding areas. Some of these maps are on loan from the Webster Groves Historical Society. See this index for details.

Webster-Kirkwood Times

The Library has an almost-complete collection of original issues of the Webster-Kirkwood Times from its first issue (as The Webster Times) in 1978 to the present.

Webster Groves History Collection

This collection of newspaper and magazine clippings, brochures, photographs, and more has been catalogued and organized as a joint project of Webster Groves Public Library and the Webster Groves Historical Society. While the collection is housed at the Library, not all of it is owned by the library. Many items are on loan from the Historical Society and other entities. All items in this collection must be viewed within the library. They do not circulate.