December 20, 2024
Newspapers are widely used by genealogists to add context to family stories. Obituaries are particularly sought after since they are often the only biographical sketch available for many ancestors.
Many of us take newspapers’ online availability for granted. Free sites such as Chronicling America (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ ) allow access to newspapers from all over the United States. Many states also have historic digital newspaper websites. Pay sites such as Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ ) and Genealogy Bank (https://www.genealogybank.com/ ) offer even more access to newspapers.
Because of these huge newspaper databases, genealogists sometimes assume that all historic newspapers have been digitized. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Many historic newspapers are not online. Some will eventually be digitized, but there will likely always be newspapers that aren’t.
The good news is that a newspaper that isn’t online is usually available somewhere. Many historic newspapers were microfilmed. These microfilms are often found in local repositories such as libraries and regional archives.
Microfilmed newspapers are often not indexed. This can be a problem if you don’t know when an event that might have been newsworthy occurred. Since researchers can often find a death date from cemetery records, obituaries are usually one of the easiest types of articles to find. They’re also genealogically valuable since they contain information such as a wife’s maiden name, daughters’ married names, and names of siblings and other survivors.
Local libraries typically maintain microfilms of newspapers published in their area. Googling “public library” plus the location where an ancestor lived is a good way to find a website for a local library. Most library websites have a way to contact them. An email or phone call are both good ways to determine which newspapers the library may contain and whether they will do lookups.
In my experience, libraries are usually happy to do a search for an obituary or other article for which you have a specific date. Some libraries have indexed their local newspapers, and they may be willing to do lookups even if you don’t have an exact date. Most of the libraries I have contacted about obituaries haven’t charged for emailing me a copy. A few asked for a small donation, but it was rarely more than a couple of dollars.
However, libraries are not set up to do numerous lookups. If you have lots of ancestors in a specific area, it is probably better to contact a local genealogical society which may have a researcher who can help you. You will likely need to pay for this service.
Finally, if you’re not sure what newspapers might have been published in a specific area, check the Directory of American Newspapers in U.S. Libraries (https://www.loc.gov/collections/directory-of-us-newspapers-in-american-libraries/ ). This database is part of the Library of Congress’ digital collections and is free to search.
Newspaper articles, especially obituaries, can help add color to your family history. They can even give details about an ancestor’s life that you can’t find elsewhere. If you can’t find the newspapers you need online, check the local library where your ancestor lived. You may get the help you need.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society