James Madison University
Libraries and Educational Technologies

History

Historical Newspapers

Compiled by: Gordon W. Miller Liaison Librarian for History, Philosophy and Religion, Political Science December 2002

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Carrier Library has a number of newspapers that have holdings going back as early as 1704. Most of these newspapers are on one of several microformats. Newspapers currently received are not included with three exceptions. The Harrisonburg Daily New Record and the Richmond Times Dispatch have local interest and extend back to the early twentieth century. The New York Times began in 1851 and provides a newspaper of record preceding the American Civil War. Generally newspapers in this handout began publication prior to the First World War. Two exceptions are an African American newspaper and a Pennsylvania newspaper with a column on Pennsylvania Dutch topics that generally relate to an earlier time era.

The following location labels are used:

Bound

Located with bound periodicals

LAC

Library of American Civilization.

Located in the Microform Area. (ultrafiche)

Microfiche

Located in the Microform Area.

Microfilm

Located in the Microform Area.

Microprint

Located in the Microform Area. A 6" x 9" micro-opaque.

Special Collections

Paper (original) copy. Located in the Special Collections area.

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Table of Contents

• Bibliographies of Historical Newspapers
• Newspaper Indexes
• Historical Newspapers

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Bibliographies of Historical Newspapers

Brigham, Clarence S. History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820. Westport, Conn: Greenwood, 1975. Reprint of the 1947 edition. 2 vol.
(Ref PN 4861 B86 1976)

Cappon, Lester J. Virginia Newspapers 1821-1935: A Bibliography With Historical Introduction and Notes. New York: D Appleton-Century, 1936.
(Ref F 230 C28 1936).

An exhaustive bibliography which lists all known newspapers published in Virginia during the noted years. The entries note publishers, dates of publication, references to where the information was obtained, libraries with holdings and the issues held, etc.

Gibson, Jeremy, comp. Local Newspapers, 1750-1920: England and Wales, Channel Islands, Isle of Man. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1989.
(Ref PN 5117 G52 1989).

This guide lists the newspapers by location along with their dates.

Gregory, Winifred, ed. American Newspapers, 1821-1936 . . .. New York: Kraus Reprint, 1967 reprint of the 1937 edition.
(Ref PN 4855 A53 1967))

Schwarzlose, Richard A. Newspapers, A Reference Guide. New York: Greenwood, 1987.
(Ref PN 4855 S34 1987).

Useful mainly for its chapter on "References and Periodicals About Newspapers" and an essay on "Major Research Collections."

United States. Library of Congress. Newspapers in Microform: Foreign Countries, 1948-1983 . Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1984.
(Ref PN 4731 U515 1984)

United States. Library of Congress. Newspapers in Microform: United States, 1948-1983 . Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1984.
(Ref PN 4855 U469 1984)

United States Newspaper Project National Union List June 1987. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC, 1987.
(Reference Microfiche)

In 44 microfiche American newspapers are listed along with library holdings.

Vanden Heuvel, Jon. Untapped Sources: America's Newspaper Archives and Histories. [New York]: Gannett Foundation Media Center, 1991.
(Ref PN 4855 V3 1991)

Following sections on the value of using newspapers for research the author lists twenty-one major United States repositories for newspapers. The information provided is an overview of each repository's holdings.

Virginia Newspaper Project .
(Electronic Text)

Under a "Newspapers in Virginia" section of the Library of Virginia web page is a bibliography of ca. 2,600 newspaper titles from most states in the United States. The emphasis is on Virginia historical newspapers. This project is sponsored by the Library of Virginia, Virginia Historical Library, and the libraries at William and Mary and the University of Virginia. The bibliography note, by state and then city, the newspapers and where the original and/or microfilm is held. It does not list specific copies held.

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Newspaper Indexes

Niles' Register: Cumulative Index 1811-1849. Malvern, Penn.: Accessible Archives, 1995.
(Electronic Text)

Available in CD-ROM format this indexes a major American newspaper of the period. See below under Historical Newspapers for information on the text of this newspaper.

The Virginia Gazette Index, 1736-1780. Williamsburg, Va.: Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1950. 2 vol.
(Ref AI 21 V5 1950)

Indexes The Virginia Gazette. This was the major Colonial Virginia newspaper. See below for Carrier Library holdings.

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Historical Newspapers

The Boston Chronicle. October 22, 1767 - June 25, 1770.
(microprint)

The Boston Evening Post. August 18, 1735 - April 24, 1775.
(microprint)

The Boston Gazette. December 21, 1719 - September 17, 1798.
(microprint)

Boston News-Letter. April 17, 1704 - February 29, 1776.
(microprint)

The Censor. (Boston). November 23, 1771 - May 2, 1772.
(microprint)

Enquirer. (Richmond). May 9, 1804 - December 19, 1820.
(microprint)

Gazette of the United States . (New York/Philadelphia). September 9, 1789 - February 18, 1804.
(microprint)

Harrisonburg Daily New. 1903 - 1909 (miscellaneous issued are housed in Special Collections). March 29, 1904 - August 31, 1907 and September 28, 1908 - January 15, 1912.
(microfilm)

Harrisonburg Daily News Record. July 19, 1913- .
(microfilm)

The Level of Europe and North America. (Philadelphia). October 1, 1794 - February 9, 1795.
(microprint)

The Massachusetts Spy. (Boston). July 17, 1770 - April 6, 1775.
(microprint)

National Gazette. (Philadelphia) October 31, 1791 - October 26, 1793.
(microprint)

New Hampshire Gazette. (Portsmouth, N.H.). October 7, 1756 - December 26, 1820.
(microprint)

The New York Weekly Journal. October 5, 1733 - March 18, 1750.
(microprint)

The New York Times. 1851 - .
(microfilm)

Niles National Register. (Washington, D.C.). September 2, 1837 - June 27, 1849.
(LAC 31263-31273)

Niles Weekly Register. (Baltimore). 1811 - 1849
(microfiche)

There is an index @ LAC 31014 covering the 1811 - 1817 years.

Niles Weekly Register. (Baltimore). September 10, 1814 - August 26, 1837.
(LAC 31236-31262)

Old Commonwealth. (Harrisonburg). 1865 - 1883.
(Microfilm)

'S Pennsylfawnish Deitsch Eck; Devoted to the Literature, Lore and History of the Pennsylvania Germans. (Allentown, Penn.). 1935 - 1969.
(bound)

Beginning with the issue for January 27, 1951 the title changes to 'S Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch Eck . . ..

The Pennsylvania Evening Post. (Philadelphia).January 24, 1775 - October 26, 1784.
(microprint)

Pennsylvania Gazette. (Philadelphia). 1728 - 1789.
(bound)

Pennsylvania Gazette.(Philadelphia) 1728-1783.
(Electronic Text)

Available as an index and full text in CD-ROM format

Philadelphia Minerva. February 7, 1795 - July 7, 1798.
(microprint)

The Pittsburgh Courier. 1923- .
(microfilm)

An important African American newspaper.

Richmond Daily Times. October 22, 1886 - January 25, 1903.
(microfilm)

Richmond Dispatch. January 14, 1852 - January 25, 1903.
(microfilm)

Richmond Times Dispatch. January 27, 1903 - .
(microfilm)

Rockingham Register. (Harrisonburg, Va.).
(microfilm)

The library holds miscellaneous issues beginning with 1822. From 1866 - 1907 most issues are available. Scattered issues for 1861 - 1865 and 1905 are in a paper format in Special Collections.

Schomburg. (New York).
(Microfiche)

The Schomburg clipping file is a massive microfiche collection of source material on the African American experience. Newspaper clippings are included among this material. Coverage begins in the late 19th century and continues to the late 1980's. A handout entitled Schomburg gives an overview of this collection.

Shenandoah Valley. (New Market).
(Spec Coll)

Miscellaneous issues from 1892 - 1907 are located in a paper format in Special Collections.

Stenograficheskie Otchety. (St. Petersburg). (Russian) 1906 - 1917.
(microfilm #535 - 583)

The index to this newspaper is on microfilm at #584 - 592.

Valley Democrat. (Harrisonburg).
(Spec Coll)

Miscellaneous issues from 1859 - 1861 are located in a paper format in Special Collections.

The United States Chronicle. (Providence, R.I.). November 26, 1783 - May 17, 1804.
(microprint)

The Virginia Gazette. (Williamsburg). 1736-1780.
(microfilm)

 

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This page last reviewed by P. Hardesty on 1/9/2009.