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Research Guide to Connecticut Newspapers

General Newspaper Resources l Newspapers At The Connecticut State Library | Finding Newspapers In The Connecticut State Library's Catalog | Connecticut Newspapers At Other Institutions | Connecticut Newspapers On The Web | Indexes And Abstracts Of Connecticut Newspapers | History Of Connecticut Newspapers | Other Newspaper Information

General Newspaper Resources
Some of these databases are made available through paid subscriptions or licenses and can be accessed only at the State Library.

Chronicling America. "Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers," is a fully-searchable site with more than 226,000 pages of public-domain newspapers from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Utah, Virginia and the District of Columbia published between 1900 and 1910, plus information about American newspapers from 1690 to the present. Sponsored by the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities and produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) http://www.loc.gov/ndnp/index.html.

Connecticut Newspapers on the Web.  Links to newspaper web pages for each town with an online newspaper.

Early American Newspapers.  Available at the State Library.  Provides full-text content from hundreds of historic newspapers listed in Clarence Brigham's authoritative History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820 and in additional subsequent newspaper bibliographies. Page images are formatted to allow for easy viewing, magnification, printing, and saving. CSL has Series 1 through 5.

Hartford Courant, 1764-

Historical Hartford Courant (1764-1922). Available at the State Library or through iCONN, the CT Digital Library, using a current library card from the State Library or any Connecticut library.  Includes full-page coverage of the Hartford Courant and its predecessors from the first issue of the Connecticut Courant.

Historical Hartford Courant (1923-1984) Available at the State Library, or remotely by using a current library card from the State Library. Full-page coverage of the Hartford Courant with article-level search results, article zoning, and edited metadata, including headlines, bylines and first paragraphs.

Hartford Courant (1992-current)  Available at the State Library or through iCONN, the CT Digital Library, using a current library card from the State Library or any Connecticut library.

eCourant, the Hartford Courant electronic edition.  Includes full-page coverage in searchable PDF format for the past 30 days.  Available at the State Library.  Please ask a librarian for assistance.

N. W Ayer & Son's American Newspaper Annual, 1869-1919, from the Library of Congress. A classed lists of newspapers and periodicals, listed by place of publication as well as by subject. Useful for helping identify what newspapers were published in a given city.

New York Times  (1851-2006). Available at the State Library, or remotely by using a current library card from the State Library. A searchable digital archive of complete New York Times page images from the first issue of Sept. 18, 1851 through 2006 with article-level search results, article zoning, and edited metadata, including headlines, bylines, and first paragraphs. Updated annually, in the fall.  For coverage from 1985-present, which does not include advertisements or illustrations, please see the New York Times website.

The Press of Connecticut. Addresses and contact information for current newspapers from the State Register and Manual.

ProQuest Newspapers. Available at the State Library or through iCONN, the CT Digital Library, using a current State Library library card or a library card from any Connecticut library.   Includes full-text coverage of the following newspapers:

Newspapers At The Connecticut State Library
Connecticut's strong tradition of newspapers for public information began with the publication of the Connecticut Gazette in New Haven on Apr. 12, 1755. From that day to this, every type of news event imaginable has been reported, and continues to be reported, in the Connecticut press. Many of these old newspapers still exist, thanks to the foresight of collectors from times past. The Connecticut State Library has the largest collection of Connecticut newspapers known to exist. Through them, historians, students, and researchers can view the past as it was seen through contemporary eyes. This research guide presents an overview of Connecticut newspaper resources, with links to additional sites and information.

Finding Newspapers in the Connecticut State Library's Catalog

The following links may help you locate specific newspapers for a locality.

Connecticut Towns and Counties There are 169 towns in Connecticut.

CONSULS Use the State Library Catalog to find out what newspapers we own.

Connecticut Towns [Map] If there is no newspaper for the town you want, use the search and zoom function on this map from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection to find adjacent towns. Click on the magnifying glass symbol for the zoom function. Use the "Hand" tool to move around on the map. The search function highlights the town name on the map but this is hard to see when the map shows the entire state. Zoom in at any point before searching. The search function only finds the 169 towns.

Unique Connecticut Place Names Determine if the place you know is one of the 169 towns or one of the named boroughs, villages, post offices or railroad depots.

Connecticut Newspapers Currently Received By the Connecticut State Library

The Gideon and Thaddeus Welles Collection The Welles Collection, an `exchange' or `trade' collection, comprises issues of 676 newspapers and news magazines bound into 72 volumes, spanning a time period from 1819 to the 1840's. The collection was compiled by Gideon Welles beginning in 1827 when he became editor of the Hartford Times.

Newspaper Clipping Files at the Connecticut State Library

Using State Library Newspapers. Visit the State Library History and Genealogy Unit to use original newspapers and newspapers on microfilm. Newspapers on microfilm may also be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Most newspapers on microfilm do circulate on ILL, even when the catalog says they are "Library Use Only." We will lend three reels of film at a time.

Copies, Copiers and Change

Professional Genealogists Familiar with Connecticut State Library Collections Library staff can provide limited general information for those unable to visit. A professional genealogist can be hired to find specific information in the State Library collections.

Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections You need a pass to use older newspapers, including those older than approximately six months.

Ask The Connecticut State Library a reference question

Connecticut Newspapers At Other Institutions

Connecticut Newspapers on the Web Links to newspaper web pages for each town (when available).

Finding Connecticut Newspapers in Other Institutions Describes sites and books to help your search.

FirstSearch This subscription database is used to find out what newspapers are owned by institutions worldwide:

Click on the link to FirstSearch:
Under "Select a Topic or Database", choose the "WorldCat" database.

This database can be accessed only at the State Library, not from home.

iCONN has online full-text and indexed journals and databases. Use your library card from a Connecticut library to search online newspapers such as the Hartford Courant (1992-present) and New York Times. (1985-present). Research in reQuest and iCONN can now be combined in one search and the same screen introduces both resources.

Other Library Home Pages & Catalogs. From the iCONN screen, click on "Find Library Home Pages & Catalogs."

reQuest database, the statewide library catalog. Searches in reQuest and iCONN, the Connecticut Digital Library, can be combined into one search; the same screen introduces both resources. Limit the selection to the "reQuest Magazine Catalog" to see what newspapers are owned by libraries, historical societies and other institutions statewide.

Indexes And Abstracts Of Connecticut Newspapers

Connecticut Newspaper Indexes in Connecticut Libraries Lists the indexes created by libraries statewide.

Newspaper Indexes and Abstracts Describes the published indexes to some Connecticut newspapers and some special indexes at the State Library

History of Connecticut Newspapers

Bibliography of Connecticut Newspaper Resources

Connecticut Newspaper Pioneers Learn more about the people behind Connecticut's earliest newspapers.

Connecticut's Ethnic Newspapers The social and political voices of ethnic groups through the years.

The Gideon and Thaddeus Welles Collection

History of Newspaper Publishing in Connecticut The first newspaper in Connecticut was the Connecticut Gazette, published in New Haven on April 12, 1755. Find out about the early history of newspaper publishing in Connecticut.

Missing Connecticut Newspapers Research indicates that there are some Connecticut newspapers that have not been found.

Other Newspaper Information

Collecting Newspapers

Connecticut Newspaper Project The CNP attempted to find all U.S. newspapers owned by institutions in Connecticut and to microfilm endangered Connecticut newspapers.

Newspaper Reprints Find out if you have a reprint of the Connecticut courant, Oct. 29, 1764 and other (non-Connecticut) titles.

Originally prepared by the Connecticut Newspaper Project, Connecticut State Library, November, 1996. Revised by the History and Genealogy Unit, November, 2000 - July 2007. © 1996-2007.