Historical U.S. Free Online Protestant Newspapers

For those of you who have Protestant ancestors in your family tree, many newspapers have been published in the past that may help you find some information and stories about your ancestors. So not only are the city or town newspapers great to research, but also the “specialty” newspapers, such as church newspapers, for example.

Take a look at these sites and search them for info about your ancestors. If you know of any others, please let me know in the comments.

Arkansas

•  Arkansas Baptist News

Arizona

•  Ajo Copper News (Ajo, Pima Co., Ariz.) 1916-1926
•  Poston Christian Church (Poston, Ariz.) 1942-1945
•  Maricopa Stake News
•  Poston Christian Church (Poston, Ariz.) 1942 to 1945

California 

•  Amador Weekly Ledger (Jackson, Amador County, Cal.) 1857-1875
•  Los Angeles Christian Advocate (1890-1890)
•  The California Baptist (1889-1890)
•  The Banner
•  Roundtable
•  Berkeley – Right On!
•  Fresno – California Southern Baptist Convention Digital Archive
•  Fresno – California Southern Baptist 1901-1916
•  San Francisco – Pacific 

Colorado

•  Bulletin (Granada, Colo.) 1942-1942
•  Christian Family Movement Committee for Migrant Workers Newsletter
•  Protestant Herald
•  Protestant Nation
•  The Church News
•  The Earnest Christian
•  The Granada Christian Church News
•  News

Connecticut

• Bradley Beam (Bradley Field [Windsor Locks], Conn.) 1943-1945

District of Columbia

•  American Telegraph (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851
•  Washington – Christian Examiner 2003-2017

Delaware

•  American Watchman and Delaware Advertiser (Wilmington, Del.) 1809-1828 [Microfilm Reel]

Florida

•  Boletin Obrero (Tampa, Fla.) 1903-190?
•  Christian voice monthly
•  Florida Baptist witness
•  Florida Christian advocate
•  Florida Christian advocate.
•  Florida evangelist
•  Methodist news
•  Southern Baptist witness
•  Jacksonville – The Florida Evangelist

Georgia

•  Atlanta Age (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-19??
•  Southern Christian Advocate (Charleston, S.C.) 1837-1948
•  The Golden Age (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1920
•  The Presbyterian of the South : [Combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian (Atlanta, Ga.) 1909-1931
•  Atlanta – Christian index and South-western Baptist.
•  Atlanta – Landmark banner & Cherokee Baptist.
•  Atlanta – The Atlanta universalist.
•  Atlanta – The Banner and Baptist.
•  Atlanta – The Baptist banner.
•  Atlanta – The Christian index and southern Baptist.
•  Atlanta – The Christian index.
•  Atlanta – The Christian index.
•  Atlanta – The Georgia bulletin
•  Atlanta – The Golden age.
•  Atlanta – The Methodist advocate.
•  Atlanta – The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian.
•  Atlanta – The soldier’s friend.
•  Augusta – The Pacificator.
•  Covington – Southern Baptist messenger.
•  Cumming – The Baptist banner.
•  Gainesville – The Baptist sun.
•  Guyton – The Baptist reporter.
•  Macon – Army and Navy herald.
•  Macon – Burke’s weekly for boys and girls.
•  Macon – Community enterprise.
•  Macon – Georgia Christian repertory.
•  Macon – Kind words for the Sunday school children.
•  Macon – Southern Christian advocate.
•  Mount Zion – The missionary.
•  Savannah – Bulletin
•  Savannah – Southern cross.
•  Savannah – Southern cross.
•  Savannah – The Savannah bulletin.
•  Valdosta – The Pilgrim’s banner.
•  Washington – The Christian index.
•  Baptist Banner (1881-1881)
•  Georgia Reporter And Christian Gazette (1826-1826)
•  Atlanta University – Atlanta – Bulletin
•  Covington GA Southern Baptist Messenger
•  Penfield GA Christian Index
•  Atlanta – Presbyterian of the South (Atlanta, 1909-1922)

Hawaii

•  Daily Honolulu Press (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886

Idaho

•  Blackfoot News (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902

Iowa

•  Audubon County Republican (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894
•  Iowa Baptist Standard (Des Moines, Iowa) 1897-1???
•  The Baptist Record
•  The Fort Dodge Methodist

Illinois

•  Abendblatt Der Illinois Staats-Zeitung (Chicago, Ill.) 1891-1894
•  Western Cumberland Presbyterian
•  First Congregational Church
•  Illinois Christian Advocate
•  Chicago – Our youth, a paper for young people and their teachers
•  Chicago – Standard 
•  Chicago – Syndicalist 
•  Chicago – The Interior

Indiana

•  Brookville American (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861
•  Anderson – Gospel Trumpet
•  Anderson – Vital Christianity
•  Indianapolis – United Methodist Newspapers

Kansas

•  Afro-American Advocate (Coffeyville, Kan.) 1891-1893
•  National Baptist World (Wichita, Kan.) 1894-1894
•  The Baptist Headlight (Topeka, Kan.) 1893-1894
•  Western Christian Recorder (Kansas City, Kan.) 18??-1899
•  Abilene – Evangelical Visitor
•  Arcadia – The Christian Worker
•  Argentine – The Baptist Banner
•  Arkansas City – Christian Speculator
•  Arkansas City – Daily News
•  Arkansas City – Evangel Of Reform
•  Atchison – Atchison Baptist
•  Atchison – The Atchison Church Visitor
•  Belleville – Belleville Christian
•  Belleville – The Baptist Visitor
•  Beloit – The Kansas Evangelist
•  Chapman – Christian Endeavor
•  Chase – Church Worker
•  Cherryvale – The Baptist Banner
•  Clay Center – Clay Center Baptist
•  Clay Center – Western Baptist
•  Columbus – Baptist Banner
•  Dodge City – Our Methodist
•  Douglass – Church Record
•  El Dorado – Church Messenger
•  Emporia – Baptist Visitor
•  Emporia – Christian Visitant
•  Emporia – Emporia Baptist
•  Eureka – The Lutheran
•  Fort Scott – The Christian Sower
•  Fort Scott – The Church Advocate and Holiness Banner
•  Fort Scott – The Church Herald and Holiness Banner
•  Galena – The Christian Polemic
•  Garnett – The Baptist Times
•  Garnett – The Presbyterian Church Bulletin
•  Great Bend – Christian Educator and God’s Defender
•  Greensburg – The Christian
•  Harper – The Christian Helper
•  Hillsboro – Christliches Kinderblatt
•  Hutchinson – The Christian Bugle
•  Hutchinson – The Church Messenger
•  Junction City – Junction City Methodist
•  Junction City – The Methodist
•  Kackley – Evangelistic War Cry
•  Kanopolis – The Kansas Methodist
•  Kansas City – The Church Life
•  Kansas City – The Methodist Record
•  Leavenworth – Kansas Evangel
•  Lindsborg – The Christian Messenger
•  Lindsborg – The Kansas Young Lutheran
•  Manhattan – Kansas Methodist Times
•  Manhattan – Kansas Presbyter
•  Manhattan – Manhattan District Methodist and World-Wide Mission
•  Manhattan – Manhatten Methodist
•  Manhattan – Methodist Student
•  Marion – Marion Baptist
•  Minneapolis – The Church Gleaner
•  Olathe – Olathe Baptist Builder
•  Oswego – The Kansas Christian Advocate
•  Ottawa – Kansas Baptist Union
•  Peabody – Church of the New Jerusalem
•  Salina – The Open Church
•  Smith Center – Norton District Methodist
•  South Haven – Methodist Lever
•  Stockton – Christian Call
•  Tonganoxie – The Christian Recruiter
•  Topeka – Christian Church Helper
•  Topeka – First Methodist
•  Topeka – Kansas Baptist Herald
•  Topeka – Kansas Baptist Review
•  Topeka – Kansas Church Tidings
•  Topeka – Kansas Methodist-Chautauqua
•  Topeka – Kansas State Sunday School Journal
•  Topeka – Methodist News
•  Topeka – Midland Christian Advocate
•  Topeka – Monthly Christian Blade
•  Topeka – North Topeka Christian Messenger
•  Topeka – The Baptist News
•  Topeka – The Baptist Visitor
•  Topeka – The Central Baptist
•  Topeka – The Christian Blade
•  Topeka – The Christian Citizen
•  Topeka – The Christian Courier
•  Topeka – The Christian News
•  Topeka – The Church News
•  Topeka – The Kansas Evangel
•  Topeka – The Kansas Methodist
•  Topeka – The Kansas United Presbyterian
•  Topeka – The Presbyterian News
•  Topeka – The Western Baptist
•  Topeka – Third Baptist Herald
•  Topeka – Topeka First Presbyterian
•  Topeka – Western Cumberland Presbyterian
•  Walton – Church Herald
•  Wamego – The Presbyterian Herald
•  Wellington – The Christian Reminder
•  Wellington – The Primitive Christian
•  Wichita – Burton Baptist
•  Wichita – Christian Companion
•  Wichita – Christian Helper
•  Wichita – Christian Worker
•  Wichita – Kansas Presbyterian
•  Wichita – Primitive Christian
•  Wichita – The Church Builder and Western Evangelist
•  Wichita – Western Methodist
•  Winfield – The Christian Herald
•  Bethel College – Christlicher Bundesbote 

Kentucky

•  American Baptist (Louisville, Ky.) 1879-19??
•  Danville – Western Presbyterian
•  Lexington – Blue-grass blade
•  Lexington – Lexington record (The)
•  Louisville – American Baptist
•  Louisville – Christian observer (Louisville, Ky.)
•  Louisville – Christian observer and free Christian commonwealth
•  Louisville – Free Christian commonwealth
•  Louisville – Presbyterian herald
•  American Baptist (Louisville, Ky.)
•  Christian Observer (Louisville, Ky.)
•  Christian Observer And Free Christian Commonwealth
•  Free Christian Commonwealth
•  Kentucky Christian University – Grayson – News
•  Louisville KY American Baptist
•  Louisville KY Christian Cmmonwealth
•  Louisville KY Western Presbyterian
•  Lexington – Western Luminary
•  Louisville – Baptist Argus/Baptist World
•  Louisville – Pentecostal Herald

Louisiana

•  Baton Rouge Tri-Weekly Gazette & Comet (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??
•  Louisiana Christian University – Pineville – News
•  New Orleans – New Orleans Advocate
•  New Orleans​ – New Orleans Christian Advocate
•  New Orleans​ – Southwestern Christian Advocate
•  New Orleans​ – Southwestern Christian Advocate
•  New Orleans​ – Southwestern Advocate

Massachusetts

•  Boston MA Christian Science Monitor
•  Boston – Banner of the Church
•  Boston – Christian Register
•  Boston – Congregationalist
•  Boston – The Watchman

Maryland

•  Baltimore Commercial Journal, and Lyford’s Price-Current (Baltimore, MD) 1840-1849
•  Baltimore​ – Church Advocate
•  Baltimore​ – Lutheran Observer

Maine

•  Daily Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975
•  Christian Intelligencer and Eastern Chronicle (1827-1834) – Gardiner, Maine
•  Christian Intelligencer and Eastern Chronicle (1827-1834)
•  Portland – Congregationalist

Michigan

•  Alma Record (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928

Minnesota

•  Allarm (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1915-19??
•  Chicago, Ill. – Sanningens vittne trons härold
•  Minneapolis, Minn. – Sanningens vittne

Missouri

•  Boon’s Lick Times (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848
•  Fort Scott – The Church Herald and Holiness Banner
•  Fort Scott, Kansas – The Church Advocate and Holiness Banner
•  Fort Scott, Kansas – The Church Herald and Holiness Banner
•  Kansas City – The Baptist Record
•  Kansas City – The Central Christian Advocate
•  St. Louis – Christian News
•  St. Louis – Cumberland Presbyterian
•  St. Louis – St. Louis Christian Advocate
•  St. Louis – St. Louis Evangelist
•  St. Louis – The Central Baptist
•  St. Louis – The Christian
•  Independence – Evening & Morning Star 
•  Kansas City – Western Messenger
•  ​St. Louis – Christian Evangelist 
•  ​St. Louis – Lutheran Witness

Mississippi

•  American Citizen (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863
•  Clinton – The Baptist Record

Montana

•  Big Arm Graphic (Big Arm, Mont.) 1911-191?

Nebraska

•  Capital City Courier (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1885-1893

New Jersey

•  Bridgeton Pioneer (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919

Nevada

•  Carson Daily Appeal (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877

North Carolina

•  Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) 1879-1938
•  Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
•  Church Messenger (Winston, N.C.)
•  Gaston County Baptist Messenger (Gastonia, N.C.)
•  North Carolina Baptist Missionary Worker (Raleigh, N.C.)
•  North Carolina Baptist Sunday School Chautauquan (Raleigh, N.C.)
•  North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
•  Southwide Baptist News and Ridgecrest Reporter (Marshall, N.C.)
•  The Baptist Messenger (Newton, N.C.)
•  The Baptist Messenger (Wingate, N.C.)
•  The Blue Ridge Baptist (North Wilkesboro, N.C.)
•  The Christian Educator (Durham, N.C.)
•  The Christian Sun (Elon College, N.C.)
•  The Christian Union (Rutherfordton, N.C.)
•  The Free Will Baptist (Ayden, N.C.)
•  The Methodist Advance (Goldsboro, N.C.)
•  The Stanly Baptist (Big Lick, N.C.)
•  West Chowan Baptist Messenger (Winton, N.C.)
•  Western North Carolina Baptist (Asheville, N.C.)
•  Atlantic Christian College Student Newspaper
•  Jamestown/Ragsdale High School Student Newspaper
•  Mecklenburg College Student Newspaper
•  Methodist University Student Newspaper
•  Asheville – Highland Churchman
•  Greensboro​ – NC Christian Advocate
•  Hendersonville – Carolina Baptist News
•  Jefferson – Ashe Presbyterian
•  Raleigh – Baptist Informer
•  Raleigh – Biblical Recorder
•  Tarborough – Primitive Baptist
•  Wilson – Zion’s Landmark

North Dakota

•  Bismarck Tribune (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884

New Mexico

•  Albuquerque Citizen (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909

New York

•  Fayetteville Luminary, and Reformed Methodist Intelligencer
•  Auburn NY Christian Advocate
•  Auburn NY Christian Ambassador
•  New York NY Christian Intelligencer
•  New York NY Christian Intellingencer 1851-1854
•  Gospel Advocate and Impartial Investigator
•  Northern Christian Advocate
•  Progressive Christian 
•  Methodist Reformer 
•  Family Journal and Christian Philanthropist  
•  New York City – American Messenger 1912-1921
•  New York City – Christian Intelligencer 1920
•  New York City – The Christian Work and the Evangelist 1881-1910

Ohio

•  America (Cleveland, Ohio) 1905-Current
•  Columbus – Ohio State Monitor – 1919-1920
•  Dayton – Gospel Herald – 1859-1861
•  Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church
•  Ashland – The Brethren’s Evangelist
•  Cincinnati – Western Christian Advocate 
•  Cleveland – Religious Telescope 1898-1908
•  Oberlin – Oberlin Evangelist

Oklahoma

•  Anadarko Daily Democrat (Anadarko, Okla.) 1908-191?
•  Blaine – Oklahoma Evangelist (Watonga, Okla.) 1903-19??
•  Carter – Baptist Signal (Ardmore, Indian Terr. [Okla.]) 1897-19??
•  Carter – The Baptist Rival (Ardmore, Oklahoma) ????-????
•  Lincoln – The American Methodist (Stroud, Okla.) 1905-19??
•  Logan – The Oklahoma Christian (Orlando and Guthrie, Okla.) 1896-190?
•  McCurtain – The Methodist Herald (Broken Bow, Oklahoma) 1921-1921
•  Muskogee – Creek Baptist Herald (Muskogee, Okla.) 1911-191?
•  Muskogee – The Baptist Informer (Muskogee, Okla.) 1909-19??
•  Muskogee – The Baptist Sunday School Evangel (Muskogee, Indian Terr. [Okla.]) 1907-19??
•  Oklahoma – Indian-Okla Methodist (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory) 18??-????
•  Oklahoma Baptist University – Shawnee – The Bison

Oregon

•  Ashland Tidings (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919
•  Monmouth, Or., 1870-1877 – The Christian messenger.
•  Monmouth, Or., 1877-1881 – Pacific Christian messenger.
•  Portland ;, 1882-18?? – Christian herald.

Pennsylvania

•  Amerikanski Srbobran (Pittsburg, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1906-Current
•  The Christian Banner (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1888-19??
•  American Presbyterian 1/5/1860 – 12/30/1869* 
•  Presbyterian Banner and Advocate 9/27/1856 – 3/3/1860*  
•  Presbyterian Banner 3/10/1860 – 9/14/1864* 
•  Philadelphia – The American Presbyterian.
•  Pittsburgh – Presbyterian banner & advocate.
•  Pittsburgh – Presbyterian banner.
•  Christian Observer (Philadelphia) 1840-1850
•  Philadelphia Christian Observer Newspaper
•  Harrisburg – Church Advocate
•  New Berlin – Christian Ambassador
•  New Berlin – Christliche Botschafter 1840-1849
•  Philadelphia – Christian recorder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church  
•  Philadelphia – Church Standard
•  Philadelphia – The Christian Recorder
•  Philadelphia – The Columbian Star and Christian Index 1829-1831

Rhode Island

•  Providence – Christian Telescope
•  Providence – Christian Telescope and Universalist Miscellany

South Carolina

•  Southern Christian Advocate (Charleston, S.C.) 1837-1948
•  The Abbeville Bulletin (Abbeville, S.C.) 1865-1865
•  The Working Christian (Yorkville, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1877

South Dakota

•  Brookings Register (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894

Tennessee

•  Bristol News (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?
•  Nashville – Baptist Press news releases 1948-1996 
•  Nashville – Christian Chronicle
•  Nashville – Tennessee Baptist/Baptist and Reflector
•  Nashville – The Baptist 

Texas

•  Brenham Weekly Banner (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907
•  Duval County, FLThe Florida Evangelist (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1896-1902
•  Grimes County, The Texas Baptist (Anderson, Texas) 1855-1861
•  Harris County, The Gulf Coast Baptist (Houston, Tex.) 19??-????
•  Journal of Central Texas Conference [of] Methodist Epsicopal Church, South
•  Lone Star Lutheran 
•  Tennessee Baptist [Nashville, TN], 1861-1862
•  Texas Baptist, 1858-June 7, 1861

Utah

•  American Fork Citizen (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979
•  19th Century Mormon Article Newspaper Index 

Virginia

•  Alexandria Daily Advertiser (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808
•  The Central Presbyterian (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908
•  The Presbyterian of the South : [Combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian (Atlanta, Ga.) 1909-1931
•  Watchman and Observer or Central Presbyterian (Richmond, Va.) 18??-1855
•  Advocate of Missions (Richmond, VA, 1878-1879)
•  Afro-American Churchman (Petersburg, VA, 1886-1890)
•  Baltimore and Richmond Christian Advocate (Richmond, VA, 1901-1918)
•  Baptist Union (Danville, VA, 1895-1914)
•  Central Presbyterian (Richmond, VA, 1856-1908)
•  Children’s Friend (Richmond, VA, 1865-1891)
•  Christian Observer (Richmond, VA, 1860-1865)
•  Christian Observer (Richmond, VA, 1863-1864)
•  Christian Warrior (Richmond, VA, 1842-1844)
•  Church Advocate (Baltimore, MD, 1892-1893)
•  Church Bells (Richmond, VA, 1893)
•  Church News (Roanoke, VA, 1934)
•  Grace Street Chimes (Richmond, VA, 1893)
•  Junior Life (Richmond, VA, 1916-1917)
•  Missionary Weekly (Richmond, VA, 1889-1890)
•  Onward (Richmond, VA, 1913-1919)
•  Our Church Paper (New Market, VA, 1875-1904)
•  Our Mountain Work (Charlottesville, VA, 1909-1935)
•  Our Sunday School (New Market, Shenandoah County, VA, 1881)
•  Presbyterian of the South (Atlanta, GA, 1909-1922)
•  Primitive Baptist (Tazewell C.H., VA, 1890)
•  Reflector (Richmond, VA, 1951-2022)
•  Religious Telegraph and Observer (Philadelphia, PA, 1839)
•  Richmond Christian Advocate (Richmond, VA, 1841-1901)
•  Richmond Christian Advocate (Richmond, VA, 1919-1939)
•  Roanoke Baptist Union (Danville, VA, 1888-1894)
•  Southern Religious Telegraph (Richmond, VA, 1830-1839)
•  Tazewell Baptist (Tazewell C.H., VA, 1890)
•  Tazewell Baptist (Tazewell, VA, 1890)
•  Virginia Advocate (Richmond, VA, 1969-1984)
•  Virginia Conference Sentinel (Richmond, VA, 1836-1837)
•  Virginia Lutheran (Lynchburg, VA, 1943)
•  Virginia Methodist Advocate (Richmond, VA, 1939-1969)
•  Virginia United Methodist Advocate (Richmond, VA, 1985-2010)
•  Visitor and Telegraph (Richmond, VA, 1827-1829)
•  Watchman and Observer or Central Presbyterian (Richmond, VA, 1855)
•  Watchman and Observer (Richmond, VA, 1845-1855)
•  Watchman of the South (Richmond, VA, 1837-1845)
•  Madison Hall Notes
•  Barre Evening Telegram (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??

Vermont

•  Montpelier – Universalist Watchman and Christian Repository

Washington

•  Adams County News (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906

West Virginia

•  Belington Progressive (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927

Wisconsin

•   Danskeren (Neenah, Wis.) 1892-1920

Wyoming

•  Bill Barlow’s Budget and Converse County Review (Douglas, Converse County, Wyo.) 1914-1914

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!