January 13, 2026
Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives advice on understanding your ancestor’s local newspaper to help you make better searches. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”
Most likely when you research GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, you enter a name into the search engine. That’s certainly one way to search – but have you considered learning more about your ancestor’s local newspaper and its types of newspaper articles that might be relevant to your search before looking for your ancestor’s name?
Really knowing the newspaper and what can be found in it requires that you study your ancestor’s local newspaper and read it, as they would have. Why take this approach? It will help you better understand what was printed (and not) and what articles your ancestor may have appeared in. This allows you to conduct better searches.
Although investing time in reading a “big city” newspaper may be more difficult than a small-town paper because it’s so much longer, it’s worth it because it can help you better understand the newspaper as a historical record to research.
To Start: Know What You Are Looking At
To begin the study of my ancestor’s newspaper I went to the Newspapers by Title section of GenealogyBank (found at the top of the GenealogyBank website under the Browse link) and searched by State (Arizona) and then I browsed by City (Snowflake) to find the relevant newspaper title. My ancestors lived in that part of Arizona, and I wanted to find their local newspaper.
The GenealogyBank Arizona newspaper collection includes the Snowflake Herald for a 10-year period (1913-1923). For my research, I’ll want to search those dates because they correspond to my ancestors’ lives.
If I click on the name of the newspaper in this listing, it will bring me to its search engine. I want to “read” some sample issues of the newspaper, so I just decided to search “Snowflake” in the Include These Keywords box (that word will appear in each newspaper issue) and then sort my results by the Oldest so I could choose some early issues. Keep in mind that newspaper formats change over time, so you’ll want to look at a few issues over time.
Reading the Newspaper
I first chose the earliest issue listed, 27 June 1913, and what I noticed right away was that it consists of four pages. Here is the front page.
I looked up the newspaper in Library of Congress’ Chronicling America and learned that this is the premier issue of the weekly newspaper.
Now I want to read this issue of the newspaper page by page. This first page of the first issue explains the mission of the newspaper and provides local news about citizens in Snowflake and the surrounding area. For my purposes, this helps me to see that the newspaper at this point is largely focused on local citizens, meaning that my ancestor has a good chance of being mentioned.
Genealogy Tip: To read all the pages in a particular newspaper issue, click on Pages at the top left to reveal a list of pages with links to each page. Another way to scroll through an issue is to click on the forward or back arrows on the bottom of the screen.
Page 2 provides us with information about the newspaper (publisher, subscription and advertising rates) as well as local advertising. There are a few small editorial-like pieces as well as news from other states, like California. On this page, I’d most be interested in the advertising which may include an ancestor’s business or name. I might also be interested in these businesses for possible archival records such as the Arizona Co-Operative Mercantile Institution or the M. Mickleson & Son Monumental Work (most likely the local grave marker company). We need to consider our ancestor’s FAN Club (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors) and the records they left behind that might include an ancestral name.
Page 3 includes more advertisements and a section titled “Livestock, Ranching, and Kindred News Items.” This location was populated by farmers so it makes sense this would be important news for readers. While it’s most likely these columns have no personal genealogically relevant information, they may provide historical context.
As I’m reading the newspaper, I’m also noticing how people are listed so that I can conduct better searches. Notice the advertisements on this page. Proprietors are not always listed by first and last name. The Flake Brothers Store does not include any individual’s name, so searching by surname would be the way to find this. (Snowflake was co-founded by someone with the surname Flake.) There are newspaper and real estate advertisements on the bottom of the page. Those list the owners by their initials and surname. Another good reminder to use name variations when you search.
Page 4 is a continuation of the local news from page 1. These columns include notices of what is happening with local citizens. When I consider how to search for my ancestor, these columns show me that people are mentioned by initials, full names, and name abbreviations like Jos. and Chas.
Notice that in the 5th column there is a short article about a local wedding (“Popular Couple Get Married”) and at the top of the 6th column there is an article about a local murder that does not include a heading. A large advertisement at the bottom of the page announces the festivities for the 4th of July, giving some idea of what locals were doing, and would serve as a nice addition to any mention of these festivities in correspondence or diaries.
Continuing My Study
Remember that I mentioned previously the importance of looking at a few newspaper issues over time? This really benefitted my study because I learned that over time, additional articles were added that had genealogical significance, such as farmer’s brands and range addresses, and classified ads that included homestead entries.
The Snowflake Herald grew, adding pages (that did not last however) and including national news, national advertisements, syndicated stories, and “women’s interest” articles about cooking and the home. The newspaper also added photographs and images.
What I didn’t find was just as interesting as what I found. No section for obituaries or engagements, or any vital record event in this newspaper. The local news/personals section included these types of mentions. Photos of locals were scarce; most of the photos I found were linked to national stories.
Lessons Learned
By reading my ancestor’s local newspaper I got a sense of what types of articles I could find about them and what I would not find. I also learned what ways I should search (don’t look for a section titled “Obituaries,” for example, and use name variations).
By studying Snowflake’s local newspaper, I now have a better idea how to search this paper and what may or may not be available.
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Note on the header image: a newspaper, glasses, and a computer. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html