Last week we discussed the importance of searching newspapers. This can be very tedious at times, especially if you don’t know what specifically what you are looking for. On numerous occasions I have stared at the microfilm until I felt as if I were cross eyes.
Today, with the internet searching newspapers is easier than ever before.
Newspapers are now online on sites such as Newspapers.com {a paid site} and Chronicling America {a free site—but newspapers only go through 1921}.
With these sites we can search by names and keywords. They even provide filters to narrow down the search down to a geographical location.
This makes it so much easier to find family gems and information.
I had searched in the Abbeville, SC newspapers for years for an obituary on my 3x great-grandmother. No matter how much I searched I was unable to find her obituary and gave up hope that it even existed. I’d searched through both the microfilm and online versions. One day on a whim, I decided to search her name throughout the entire state.
I found the obituary in the Columbia, SC newspaper. I would have never thought to look in a different city for her obituary.
Online newspapers make searching much easier and takes a lot less time than searching the traditional way.
However, don’t rule out searching the microfilm of newspaper rolls at your local library. There are still numerous newspapers that have not been digitally archived and uploaded yet.
What is your favorite digital newspaper archive?