I love using newspaper archives for my research! Many genealogy records are only created at significant events in a person’s life, but newspaper archives can help fill in some of the holes in an ancestor’s timeline, and present a fuller, more vivid picture of the person they were. Trips they took, events they attended, illnesses they suffered, organizations they were involved with, are some of the gems you can uncover. Newspaper items can also lead to other records about your ancestors. In these instances, I always recommend retrieving these original records, when possible, to confirm the information published.

Newspaper archives are available from a variety of sources, both online and offline, and paid and unpaid. Here’s a few examples:

Free Sources:

1. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
2. https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html
3. Public Library

Many public libraries contain their local newspaper archives on microfilm. Their websites may also have links to digital archives that anyone can access from anywhere, or they may require a library card. Access may also require an account setup.

Paid Sources:

1. Ancestry.com
2. NewspaperArchive.com
3. GenealogyBank.com
4. Local or County Historical Society

Local and county historical societies often have archives of local newspapers on CD-ROM or microfilm. Research is usually free for members of their organization, but they often charge a modest research fee for non-members.

During the time I’ve spent searching newspaper archives, I’ve found many surprises involving my ancestors. Below are just a few of my favorites.

Evidence pointing to the identity of my 4^th great-grandparents

When I discovered that the maiden name of my 3^rd great-grandmother, Catherine Morgan, was Breckenridge, my next goal was to identify her parents. The 1870 census listed James and Mary Breckenridge who lived near Catherine, and they were of the appropriate age to be her parents. However promising this information was, I had no information linking them to my ancestor. That is until I spent time searching archives of the Chester Times. I found an 1879 death notice for James Breckenridge, whose funeral was to be held at the home of his son-in-law, James Morgan!¹ I’d still like to find more information to confirm this relationship, but this death notice offers supporting evidence that my initial theory about the identity of my 4^th great-grandparents is accurate.

An unknown third marriage of my great-great grandfather

My great-great grandfather, Thomas H. Higgins, was well-known in his hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania. He had owned several newspapers and was appointed postmaster of Chester in 1898. Newspaper archives are a treasure trove of information about him. My grandfather had written a brief biography of him, and in it he says that Thomas had been married twice. His first wife died young, and he and his second wife divorced. Needless to say, I was surprised when I read in the Chester Times that in 1933, he was married for a third time to a 29-year-old divorcee from Seattle!² Thomas had a history of lying about his age, and he gave his age as 60 on the marriage license when he was actually 76. The marriage took place in Elkton, Maryland, where I never would have looked for records pertaining to my family. I obtained the marriage registration from the local historical society, and it included the same information that was reported in the newspaper.³

The story had another strange twist. Shortly after the wedding, Thomas checked himself into a hospital. A reporter tracked down his new wife in her apartment and asked about her husband’s condition.

“Mrs. Higgins told the reporter Mr. Higgins’ presence in the hospital was unknown to her until she read yesterday’s issue of the Chester Times…Mrs. Higgins, when interviewed today, was partly en deshabille [a state of undress], her negligee attire necessitating the questioning to be conducted through a transom.”⁴

I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried! I can only assume this incident was embarrassing for other members of the family, which is why it was omitted from the biography my grandfather had written.

Pictures of my ancestors

Newspaper photos of my ancestors are few and far-between, and they’re not always the best quality. However, I have found some very good newspaper photos. Some of these photos depict ancestors that I have few other pictures of. It’s always so exciting discovering a new photo of an ancestor!

My ancestors’ role in a murder trial

My 4^th great grandparents, Charles Henry (a.k.a. Henry) and Harriet Ball lived in the small community of Lawrence Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Charles was a Civil War veteran, but other than his time in the Union army, their life in Tioga County was likely quiet and uneventful. This rural tranquility was suddenly upended the night of April 3, 1886 when a man named John Cole was brought to their house after being shot. He remained at their house for 16 days until he died from his gunshot wound. William M. Smith was charged with the murder. Both Henry and Harriet testified in the trial about hearing the gunshot and the victim arriving at their house about 15 minutes later. The defendant was acquitted of murder after testifying that he was attacked by the victim. Smith said he pulled out his revolver during the attack, and it went off after the victim struck his arm. “Before discharging the prisoner the Court cautioned him as to the evil of carrying firearms and expressed the hope that this lesson would not soon be forgotten.”⁷

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