Newspaper Research Checklist

Have you ever picked up an old newspaper and felt like you were stepping back in time? Newspapers are more than just yesterday’s headlines – they’re windows into the lives, events, and communities of the past. Today, I’d like to share with you how searching old newspapers can open doors in genealogy and historical research.

1.     Why Newspapers Matter

    Unlike government records, which often focus on facts and dates, newspapers capture the stories of people’s lives.

You can discover birth, marriage, and death announcements, obituaries, land sales, social events, and even church gatherings.

These details bring ancestors out of the shadows and into real life.

2.     Where to Search

Many old newspapers are preserved on microfilm, available in libraries and archives. Increasingly, they are digitized and searchable online through databases like Newspapers.com, Chronicling America, or state digital archives.

Local historical societies often have unique collections that may not appear online.

3.     How to Search Effectively

Start with names, but don’t stop there. Search addresses, businesses, schools, or churches connected to your family.

Remember that spelling wasn’t always consistent – try variations of a name.

Browse by date ranges around significant life events, like marriages or migrations, to capture the broader story.

4.     The Stories You’ll Find

Obituaries can reveal extended family members.

Advertisements may show your ancestor’s business or workplace.

Local news columns often reported who was visiting town, who hosted Sunday dinner, or who bought a new horse and buggy!

Conclusion: Searching old newspapers isn’t just about collecting facts – it’s about rediscovering voices from the past. Each article, each notice, each headline adds color to the story of our families and communities. So next time you’re in the library or online, dive into the old newspapers. You never know what treasures you’ll uncover.

Searching Old Newspapers: Checklist Example with my grandfather, L. J. Smith

Step 1 — Define Your Target

☐ Who: L. J. Smith☐ Where: Laurel, Mississippi☐ When: Early 1900s☐ What: Obituary, news mentions, land or business notices

Step 2 — Build an Alias List

☐ L. J. Smith / L.J. Smith☐ Lewis J. Smith, Lawrence J. Smith, Lemuel J. Smith☐ Mrs. L. J. Smith☐ Variants: Smyth, Smithe☐ Abbreviations: Jas. (James), Jno. (John), Wm. (William)

Step 3 — Collect Anchor Facts

☐ Address: _______☐ Employer/occupation: _______☐ Church: _______☐ Relatives: _______☐ Life events (death, marriage, military, probate): _______

Step 4 — Choose Collections

☐ Local papers (e.g., Laurel Leader-Call)☐ State archives / Chronicling America☐ Subscription sites (Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank)☐ Library microfilm

Step 5 — Search Smartly

☐ Start broad: "Smith AND Laurel" within decade☐ Narrow: "L. J. Smith" or "L.J. Smith"☐ Add anchors: "Smith AND Pine Street" or "Smith AND sawmill"

Step 6 — Use Variations

☐ Wildcards: L* J* Smith☐ Proximity: "Smith" NEAR/5 "Laurel"☐ Spouse: "Mrs. L. J. Smith"☐ Hyphenation: “Mc- Daniel” vs. “McDaniel”

Step 7 — Search Events, Not Just Names

☐ "died" AND Smith AND Laurel☐ "funeral" AND Smith☐ "estate of L. J. Smith"☐ "land sale Smith" Jones County

Step 8 — Microfilm Tips

☐ Scan 2 weeks before/after the death date☐ Check “Society” or “Local News” columns☐ Review “Legal Notices” & “Classifieds”☐ Record page, column, and date

Step 9 — Capture Citations

Always record: Newspaper Title (City, State), Date, p. [page number], col. [column number]. Example: Laurel Daily Leader (Laurel, MS), May 10, 1915, p. 2, col. 4.

Step 10 — Broaden Search

☐ Check nearby towns/counties☐ Look for relatives’ obituaries in other papers

Leader-Call, Laurel, Miss., Thursday, Jan 20, 1966, pg 4. col 6

✅ Pro Tip: Keep a research log so you don’t repeat the exact searches. Note data searched, database used, terms, and results.

Suggested online websites

These are paid websites:

            Newspaperarchive – www.newspaperarchive.com

            Newspapers.com – www.newspapers.com

            Genealogy Bank - https://www.genealogybank.com/

These are free:

            Chronicling America - https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/

            Google News - https://news.google.com/newspapers (no local papers that I have found)

A Google.com search will bring up literally thousands of newspaper research sites.  You need to examine them to determine what is best for you and your research needs.

The Laurel Jones County Library houses the microfilm for the Laurel Leader Call Newspaper up to March 2012, when they went out of business.

The current Leader Call archives are located at the office of the Leader Call on Magnolia Street in Laurel.

Thanks to the donations of the JCGHO, the genealogy library offers access to the sites of www.newspaperarchive.com and www.newspapers.com for researchers to utilize exclusively within the genealogy library.