Newspapers can be a tool for family history research
When you are researching your family history, you undoubtedly look at census rolls, birth and death records, and marriage documents. But don’t forget to check out local newspapers.
Newspapers can provide a wealth of information. They can give you a picture of life when and where your ancestors lived. You can also gain an understanding of important issues of the time and place your ancestor within the specific historical context.
Newspapers provide historical context
What were the big stories taking place during your ancestor’s life? Take a look at the national news as well as, and perhaps more importantly, the local headlines and events. How would this have affected him? How would it have changed life for her?
Take a look at the advertisements. What were the stores in town and what did they sell? How much did everyday items cost? The classifieds might also provide some interesting insights. These parts of the newspaper can provide clues as to everyday life or even help place your ancestors in an accurate social-economic class, and what that meant for them.
Society pages can provide important details
For some, society pages could also be helpful. In the early 20th century, society pages not only described weddings in minute detail, but they also included tidbits on who attended what party, a list of out-of-town visitors and who they were visiting, and stories about charities and their endeavors. They even sometimes chronicled trips that people took. If your family was featured in the society pages, you might find these newspaper sections to be very valuable.
Obituaries provide important biographical data
Obituaries, of course, often can provide important biographical information, including birth and death dates and other relatives. If the obituary is detailed, it might provide professional or occupational information, religious affiliation, civic and charitable endeavors, and possibly even immigration information for those born outside the United States. Obits can point to new avenues for you to explore as well, opening possibilities for new research directions.
Headline news is a goldmine for family history research
If you are lucky, you might even find actual news accounts that tell a story about your ancestor. These news stories can be real goldmines and finding them may result in your ability to build a fulsome and rich history of your ancestor.
Accessing newspaper archives for family history
With the age of the internet, our ability to access newspaper archives is easier than ever before. There are several websites, including Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/) and NewspaperArchive.com (https://newspaperarchive.com/) , that offer searchable publications, which can be a handy tool. These sites, though, are typically only available for a fee. The Library of Congress, however, offers a searchable tool to explore newspapers in their Chronicling America program, which can be found here (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/) And some local newspapers are available on-line for free, albeit usually without the search feature or with a much less sophisticated one. But don’t forget to check out the local library and/or archives. These repositories typically hold in their collections back issues of all the local publications on a variety of formats and are invaluable to your search.
Taking the time to peruse your ancestor’s local newspaper is an investment that can provide you with a wealth of information not found in other traditional documents.
