Louisiana has a growing set of free statewide online collections for searching historical newspapers. Many states use the Library of Congress Chronicling America site as their main central online site for searching old newspapers and currently Louisiana has quite a few newspapers available on that site. There are free online newspapers available on other sites and there are collections available on subscription sites. Below is a list of where the titles are stored and the link so that you can access them.
There are almost 2,000 newspapers that have been published in the Pelican State - certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it - find your Louisiana ancestors and all the interesting articles that capture the stories of their lives.
Please note that I have not always entered the dates that are included in the collections, as I suspect they will change as more items are digitized. Also I suspect that some of these links may change over time - so if there is a dead link - please use your favorite search engine to find their new location.
(Updated June, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
Free Sites:
Statewide Collections:
Chronicling America - Louisiana
- Abbeville, La., 1856-1906 - The Meridional.
- Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La., 1913-1944 - Abbeville progress.
- Alexandria, La., 1845-1918 - The Louisiana Democrat.
- Alexandria, La., 1860-1861 - The Constitutional.
- Alexandria, La., 1869-187? - Rapides gazette.
- Alexandria, La., 1874-1875 - The Caucasian.
- Alexandria, La., 1913-1913 - The Lumberjack.
- Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La., 1912-1980 - The Bienville Democrat.
- Bastrop, La., 1874-1904 - The Morehouse clarion.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1850-1856 - The daily comet.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1853-1855 - The Weekly comet.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1856-1856 - The morning comet.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1856-186? - Daily gazette and comet.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1865-18?? - Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1879-1881 - Louisiana capitolian.
- Baton Rouge, La., 1921-19?? - Woman's enterprise.
- Baton-Rouge, La., 1819-1856 - Baton-Rouge gazette.
- Bayou Sara [La.], 1892-1928 - The true Democrat.
- Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La., 1859-1952 - The Bossier banner.
- Bogalusa, La., 1914-1918 - Bogalusa enterprise.
- Bogalusa, La., 1918-19?? - Bogalusa enterprise and American.
- Bringier, Paroisse Saint-Jacques, Louisiane, 1846-1860 - Le messager.
- City of Carrollton, Parish of Jefferson, La., 185?-1??? - The Carrollton sun.
- Clinton, La., 1854-1??? - The American patriot.
- Clinton, La., 1855-186? - The Feliciana Democrat.
- Colfax, Grant Parish, La., 1876-1877 - The Colfax chronicle.
- Colfax, Grant Parish, La., 1877-1981 - The Colfax chronicle.
- Columbia, La., 1885-1946 - The Caldwell watchman.
- Convent, La., 1865-1883 - Le Louisianais.
- Covington, La., 1874-current - St. Tammany farmer.
- Donaldsonville, La., 1871-current - The Donaldsonville chief.
- False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.], 1858-1862 - Pointe Coupee Democrat.
- Farmerville, La., 1885-1??? - The Home advocate.
- Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou., 1849-1872 - The Planters' banner.
- Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La., 1889-1931 - The St. Mary banner.
- Franklinton, La., 1910-current - The Era-leader.
- Glenmora, La., 1918-1955 - The patriot.
- Hahnville, La., 1873-1993 - The St. Charles herald.
- Harrisonburg, La., 1853-18?? - The independent.
- Homer, La., 1877-188? - Claiborne guardian.
- Homer, La., 1888-1890 - Homer guardian.
- Houma, La., 1878-1939 - The Houma courier.
- Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La., 1855-18?? - Houma Ceres.
- Jennings, La., 1900-1903 - The Jennings daily record.
- Lafayette, La., 1893-1921 - The Lafayette gazette.
- Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, La., 1881-1898 - Lake Charles commercial.
- Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La., 1868-1876 - The weekly echo.
- Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La., 1876-1898 - The Lake Charles echo.
- Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La., 1892-current - The Banner-Democrat.
- Leesville, La., 1917-193? - Vernon Parish Democrat.
- Llano, Calif., 191?-1937 - The Llano colonist.
- Lucy, La., 1853-1942 - Le Meschacébé.
- Marksville [La.], 1859-186? - The Avoyelles pelican.
- Monroe, La., 185?-1861 - The register.
- Monroe, La., 1865-1889 - The Ouachita telegraph.
- Monroe, La., 1870-1886 - The Daily telegraph.
- Morgan City, La., 1916-1920 - The Morgan City daily review.
- Napoleonville [La.], 185?-1895 - Pioneer of Assumption.
- Napoleonville [La.], 1850-185? - Le pionnier de l'Assomption.
- Natchitoches, La., 1859-1864 - Natchitoches union.
- Natchitoches, La., 1865-1868 - The Semi-weekly Natchitoches times.
- Natchitoches, La., 1867-18?? - Natchitoches spectator.
- Natchitoches, La., 1874-1883 - The People's vindicator.
- Natchitoches, La., 1888-1965 - The Natchitoches enterprise.
- Natchitoches, La., 1898-1899 - Natchitoches populist.
- Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La., 1894-1898 - The Louisiana populist.
- New Iberia, La., 1885-1902 - New Iberia enterprise.
- New Iberia, La., 1894-1946 - The weekly Iberian.
- New Iberia, La., 1902-1944 - New Iberia enterprise and independent observer.
- New Orleans [La.], 1835-18?? - True American.
- New Orleans [La.], 1868-1881 - The morning star and Catholic messenger.
- New Orleans [La.], 1874-1876 - The New Orleans bulletin.
- New Orleans, La, 1851-1866 - New Orleans daily crescent.
- New Orleans, La, 1867-1878 - New Orleans Republican.
- New Orleans, La., 1848-1851 - The daily crescent.
- New Orleans, La., 1866-1869 - The New Orleans crescent.
- New Orleans, La., 1870-1871 - The Louisianian.
- New Orleans, La., 1871-1872 - Semi-weekly Louisianian.
- New Orleans, La., 1872-1882 - The weekly Louisianian.
- New Orleans, La., 1875-1876 - The New Orleans Democrat.
- New Orleans, La., 1877-1880 - The New Orleans daily Democrat.
- New Orleans, La., 1905-1953 - The herald.
- New Orleans, La., 1913-19?? - The Voice of the people.
- Nueva-Orleans [i.e. New Orleans, La., 1851-1852 - El Pelayo.
- Opelousas, La., 1852-1910 - The Opelousas courier.
- Opelousas, La., 1868-1878 - The Opelousas journal.
- Opelousas, La., 1878-1894 - St. Landry democrat.
- Opelousas, La., 1890-1921 - St. Landry clarion.
- Opelousas, La., 1917-1921 - The star-progress.
- Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La., 1844-1855 - The St. Landry whig.
- Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La., 1855-1863 - The Opelousas patriot.
- Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.], 1848-1858 - Southern sentinel.
- Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville, La., 1858-1864 - Gazette and sentinel.
- Pointe-a-la-Hache, La., 1909-1925 - Lower coast gazette.
- Rayville, La., 1869-1890 - Richland beacon.
- Shreveport [La.], 1861-1862 - Shreveport semi-weekly news.
- Shreveport [La.], 1862-1864 - The Semi-weekly Shreveport news.
- Shreveport [La.], 1864-1865 - Shreveport news.
- Shreveport [La.], 1865-1865 - Semi-weekly news.
- Shreveport, La., 1852-1870 - The south-western.
- Shreveport, La., 1861-1861 - Shreveport daily news.
- Shreveport, La., 1861-1861 - The Shreveport weekly news.
- Shreveport, La., 1862-1863 - Shreveport weekly news.
- Shreveport, La., 1865-18?? - Shreveport semi-weekly news.
- Shreveport, La., 1866-18?? - Shreveport weekly news.
- Shreveport, La., 1892-1900 - The Progress.
- Shreveport, La., 1900-192? - The Caucasian.
- St. Francisville, La., 1872-1872 - The semi-weekly Republican.
- St. Francisville, La., 1876-1877 - West Feliciana sentinel.
- St. Francisville, La., 1877-1892 - Feliciana sentinel.
- St. Joseph, La., 1886-current - Tensas gazette.
- St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La., 1886-1948 - The weekly messenger.
- Tallulah, Madison Parish, La., 1884-1??? - Madison times.
- Tallulah, Madison Parish, La., 1888-current - The Madison journal.
- Thibodaux, La., 18??-1858 - Thibodaux minerva.
- Thibodaux, La., 1861-1866 - La sentinelle de Thibodaux.
- Thibodaux, La., 1898-1905 - The weekly Thibodaux sentinel.
- Thibodaux, La., 1905-1912 - The Thibodaux sentinel.
- Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, La., 191?-1959 - Thibodaux commercial journal.
- Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.], 1875-1898 - The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District.
- Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La., 1872-1883 - The Louisiana cotton-boll.
- Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La., 1865-19?? - The Lafayette advertiser.
- Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La., 1882-current - The Concordia sentinel.
- Vidalia, La., 1873-1890 - The Concordia eagle.
- Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La., 1900-19?? - The Rice belt journal.
- West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.], 1856-1925 - Sugar planter.
- Winnfield, La., 1883-1910 - The southern sentinel.
- Winnfield, La., 1890-1914 - The Comrade.
Google News Archive
- Bernice - The Banner
- Gonzales - Gonzales Weekly Citizen
- Gonzales - The Gonzales Weekly
- Hammond - The Ponchatoula Times
- Jena - The Jena Times Olla-Tullos-Urania Signal
- Jena - The Jena Times
- Marksville - The Weekly Register
- New Orleans - L'Ami des Lois
- New Orleans - The Daily Southern Star
- New Orleans - L'Orleanais
- New Orleans - New-Orleans Commercial Bulletin
- New Orleans - The News
- New Orleans - The Daily Orleanian
- New Orleans - The National Republican
- New Orleans - L'abeille de la Nouvelle-Orleans
- New Orleans - L'Abeille de la Nouvelle
- New Orleans - New Orleans Republican
- New Orleans - The New Orleans Bee
- New Orleans - L'Ami des Lois & Journal du Soir
- New Orleans - The Daily True Delta
- New Orleans - The Louisiana Courier
- New Orleans - True Delta
- New Orleans - Tagliche Deutsche Zeitung
- New Orleans - L'Abeille
- New Orleans - Courrier de la Louisiane
- New Orleans - Le Courrier de la Lonisiane
- New Orleans - Die Tagliche Deutsche Zeitung
- New Orleans - New Orleanser Deutsche Zeitung
- New Orleans - Louisiana Staats-Zeitung
- New Orleans - New-Orleans Tagliche Deutfche Beitung
- New Orleans - Die Dentsche Zeitung
- New Orleans - Echo Von New Orleans
- New Orleans - Deutsche Zeitung
Parish and Library Collections:
Acadia Parish
Acadia Parish Library
- Acadia Sentinel
- Acadian-Signal
- Church Point Democrat
- Church Point News
- Crowley Daily Signal
- Crowley Post Herald
- Crowley Post Signal
- Crowley Signal
- Daily Signal
- First Sunday Rayne Acadian Tribune
- Free Press
- Rayne Acadian Tribune
- Rayne Independent
- Rayne Tribune
- The Church Point News
- The Crowley Post-Signal
- The Crowley Signal
- The Rayne Acadian-Tribune
- Tribune Hopper
- Tribune Plus
Bienville Parish
The Bienville Parish Library
- Bienville Democrat
- The Bienville Democrat
- Bienville Democrat
Caldwell Parish
Caldwell Parish Library
- Caldwell Watchman
- Caldwell Watchman Progress
- Caldwell Watchman And The Caldwell Progress
- Caldwell Watchman And Progress
- Caldwell News
- Watchman
Concordia Parish
The Concordia Parish Library
- Concordia Sentinel
- Concordia Sentinel
- The Concordia Intelligencer
- The Concordia Sentinel
- The Natchez Democrat
East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish Library
- Baton Rouge Community Leader
- Baton Rouge News Leader
- Community Leader
- Gris Gris
- News Leader
Jefferson Davis Parish
Jennings Carnegie Public Library
- Jennings Daily Times
- Jennings Daily Times Record
- Jennings Daily Times-Record
- Jennings Herald
- Jennings Daily News
- Jennings Times
- Jennings Weekly Times Record
- The Daily Times
- The Jennings Daily Record
- The Jennings Times
- The Saturday Record
- Jeff Davis Parish News
- Jennings News
- Jennings Semi Weekly News
Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Public Library
- Daily Advertiser
- Lafayette Gazette
- Sunday Advertiser
LaSalle Parish
LaSalle Parish Library
- Alexandria Daily Town Talk
- Caldwell Watchman
- Cataboula News
- Colfax Chronicle
- Jena Times
- Jena Times And The Olla Signal
- Jena Times And The Olla Tullos Signal
- Jena Times Olla Tullos Urania Signal
- Olla Signal
- Sgt. Dalton's Weekly
- Times Picayune
- Winn Parish Enterprise
- Winnfield Comrade
- Winnfield News American
- Winnfield Times
Livingston Parish
Livingston Parish Library
- The Livingston Parish News
Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish Library
- Alexandria Daily Town Talk
- Alexandria Daily Town Tallk
- Alexandria Gazette
- Alexandria Gazette And Planters Intelligencer
- Alexandria Morning News
- Alexandria News Leader
- Alexandria Times
- Branns Iconoclast
- Caddo Gazette And De Soto Intelligencer
- Central Organ
- Colonel Mayfield's Weekly
- Combined New York Evening Newspapers
- Combined New York Morning Newspapers
- Daily Chautauquan
- Daily Crescent
- Daily Picayune
- Daily Town Talk
- Democrat
- Diario De La Habana
- Evening Post
- Galveston Tri Weekly News
- Gleason's Pictorial
- Houston Daily Telegraph
- Le Creole
- Le Villageois
- L'Organe Central
- Louisiana Democrat
- Louisiana Herald
- Louisiana Messenger and Alexandria Advertiser
- Louisville Weekly Journal
- Metropolitan Record And New York Vendicator
- Monday Morning Star
- Morning News
- Natchitoches Times
- New Advocate
- New Orleans Daily Picayune
- New Orleans Morning World
- New Orleans Republican
- New York Times
- Opelousas Gazette
- Pineville News
- Planters Banner And Lousiana Agriculturist
- Planters Intelligencer
- Planters Intelligencer And Rapide Avoyelles And Catahoula Advertiser
- Rapides Gazette
- Red River Republican
- Red River Whig
- Sgt. Dalton's Weekly
- Southern Transcript
- Southern Transcript And Semi Weekly Whig
- State Central Express
- The Alexandria Daily Town Talk
- The Bernice News-Journal
- Times Democrat
- Town Talk
- Tri Weekly Mercury
- Tri Weekly Telegraph
- Villager
- Weekly Freemans Journal
- Weekly Herald
- Weekly Southwestern Telegram
- Weekly Town Talk
- Western Democrat
Union Parish
Union Parish Library
- Gazette
- The Bernice News Journal
Vermillion Parish
Vermilion Parish Library
- Abbeville Meridional
- Kaplan Herald
- Abbeville Progress
- Meridional
- Gueydan Journal
- The Kaplan Herald
Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish Library
- American
- Jack Hadnot Collection
- Leesville Daily Leader
- Leesville Leader
- Leesville Leader
- Leghorn Times Herald
- Llano Colonist
- Peoples Friend
- Peoples Friend
- Senior Advocate
- Star Press
- Vernon Parish Democrat
Webster Parish
Webster Parish Library
- Claiborne Parish
- Minden Herald
- Minden Herald And The Webster Review
- Minden Herald And Webster Review
- Minden Press
- Minden Press Herald
- Minden Press Herald
- Minden Signal Tribune and The Springhill Journal
- Minden Tribune
- Signal Tribune
- Springhill Press
- Springhill Press And News Journal
- The Minden Booster
- The Minden Democrat
- The Minden Tribune
- The Signal Democrat
- The Webster Review
- The Webster Sentinel
- Voter Registration
- Webster Review
- Webster Signal
- Webster Tribune
Lincoln Parish Newspaper Archives
Student Collections:
Centenary College of Louisiana - Shreveport
- Educational Echo (1899)
- Maroon and White (1902–1921)
- The Conglomerate (1922– )
- Le Tintamarre (in French; 1996–2013)
Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:
Independent Voices - Alternative Newspapers
- Distaff
- NOLA Express
- GAF
- Copkiller
- Different Drummer
- Fort Polk Puke
- Outsider
- SLAM
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942
- Alexandria - Camp Packard Leader (Company 1446)
- Ansley - Camp Davis News (Company 1435)
- Bastrop - Alagala (Company 478)
- Bastrop - Our Fla La Ala Ga (Company 478)
- Calvin - Damyankee (Company 277)
- Chatham - Chat'M Echo (Company 1445)
- Danville - Chanticleer (Company 1427)
- Dry Prong - Camp Dry Prong News (Company 5406)
- Elizabeth - Whispers Of 1490 (Company 1490)
- Greensburg - Journal (Company 4490)
- LaPlace - Spillway (Company 1488)
- Leesville - Vernon Capers (Company 276)
- Leesville - Vernon Views (Company 276)
- Olla - Urania Forest Echo (Company 1492)
- Ruston - Camp Wilson News (Company 4410)
- St. Joseph - Camp Bruen Breezes (Company 1487)
Small Town Papers
- The Banner Bernice, Louisiana
- Gonzales Weekly Citizen Gonzales, Louisiana
- The Jena Times Jena, Louisiana
- Mansfield Enterprise-Progress Unavailable, Louisiana
- The Ponchatoula Times Ponchatoula, Louisiana
Old Fulton Postcards
- Alexandria LA Democrat
- New Oleans LA Bee
The Olden Times - Louisiana
Newspaper Abstracts - Louisiana
For Obituary Indexes, transcriptions, and other death/obituary information from historic newspapers, please check out the Obituaries page.
Other Free Sites:
Alexandria Baton Rouge Carville Charenton Houma-Thibodaux Lafayette Lake Charles New Orleans
- Le Propagateur catholique
- New Orleans Bee
- New Orleans Christian Advocate
- New Orleans Daily Crescent
- Southwestern Christian Advocate
- The Daily Crescent
- The Daily Delta
- Times Picayune Historical Index
- Morning Star and Catholic Messenger - 1868-1881
- Clarion Herald - 1958-1968
- Clarion Herald - 2011-present
- The Louisiana Weekly
Subscription or Pay Sites:
Ancestry.com:
There are currently 21 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Ancestry - Louisiana Newspapers
Genealogy Bank:
There are currently 445 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank - Louisiana Newspapers
Newspaper Archive:
There are currently 20 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive - Louisiana
Newspapers.com:
There are currently 213 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com - Louisiana.
And Finally:
You also need to visit the Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project site from time to time, which can tell you what is occurring in the state with regard to online newspaper availability.
Please note - even more may be available via a local or state library where a library card is required. Gale and ProQuest collections are often available if you have the proper card. And of course there is always microfilm for those that have not been made available online as yet.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For more links for different states, provinces, and countries - please see the Newspaper Links page on this website.
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