Maine Newspaper Archives (1799–2014)
45 Publications • 914,015 Pages
1799–2014
Maine's archive on NewspaperArchive spans 45 titles and 914,015 pages, with records dating to the Jenks Portland Gazette of 1799, when Portland was one of the busiest ports on the Atlantic seaboard. Though smaller in publisher count, the collection covers the full arc of Maine's maritime economy: shipbuilding, fishing, and the coastal trade that connected Maine towns to each other and to the world before the railroad era. The archive runs through 2014 and documents Maine's separation from Massachusetts in 1820, its Civil War mobilization, and the industrial and tourism economy that followed. Search is free; full page access requires a subscription.
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Searching Historical Newspaper Archives of Maine
Before becoming the 23rd state in 1820, the area that is now Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and was known as the Province of Maine and later the District of Maine. Did you know its northern borders were not actually finalized until 1842, 22 years after becoming a state? There is a lot of history to be discovered in our Maine newspaper archive which goes back even further than its statehood!
Whether you are interested in family research to explore obituaries, marriages, and other vital records or you just like reading the news; we’ve got something for everyone to discover. Search or browse your way through historical Maine newspaper archives and read the first draft of history as it was written.
Reaching all the way back to 1799, here are some things you can expect to find with a few quick searches.
Local & State News
- Town meetings & local governance
- Legislative updates from Augusta (state capital)
- Election results and political campaigns
- Crime reports, court proceedings, and public notices
Maritime News
- Shipbuilding, especially in cities like Bath (known as the “City of Ships”)
- Shipping arrivals/departures, especially in Portland and other port towns
- Fishing industry news, including the cod, lobster, and sardine trades
- Maritime accidents and shipwrecks along the rugged Maine coast
Agriculture & Industry
- Farming and crop reports (potatoes, blueberries, dairy)
- Logging and lumber mill news (a huge industry in northern Maine)
- Factory and textile mill operations, especially in towns like Lewiston and Biddeford
- Labor movements and strikes
Wars and Military Service
- Civil War: Maine’s contributions, local soldiers, draft notices
- World Wars I & II: troop movements, war bonds, homefront efforts
- Spanish-American War, Vietnam War, and other conflicts
Culture & Society
- Church and religious events
- School openings, graduations, and local education news
- Obituaries and birth/marriage announcements
- Local fairs, festivals, and town celebrations
- Literature, poetry, and serialized fiction written by locals
Political Issues & Activism
- Abolitionist writing and anti-slavery sentiments (particularly in the 1800s)
- Temperance movement and women’s suffrage
- Labor unions and strikes
- Native American affairs, particularly involving the Wabanaki Confederacy
Weather & Natural Disasters
- Blizzards, nor’easters, and ice storms
- Fires, especially in wooden downtowns
- Flooding, especially in spring