{"id":106142,"date":"2026-01-13T11:06:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T16:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=106142"},"modified":"2026-01-13T11:06:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T16:06:00","slug":"genealogy-tips-reading-your-ancestors-newspaper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-tips-reading-your-ancestors-newspaper.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Tips: Reading Your Ancestor\u2019s Newspaper"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives advice on understanding your ancestor\u2019s local newspaper to help you make better searches. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Most likely when you research GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, you enter a name into the search engine. That\u2019s certainly one way to search \u2013 but have you considered learning more about your ancestor\u2019s local newspaper and its types of newspaper articles that might be relevant to your search before<\/em> looking for your ancestor\u2019s name?<\/p>\n

Really knowing the newspaper and what can be found in it requires that you study your ancestor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Although investing time in reading a \u201cbig city\u201d newspaper may be more difficult than a small-town paper because it\u2019s so much longer, it\u2019s worth it because it can help you better understand the newspaper as a historical record to research.<\/p>\n

To Start: Know What You Are Looking At<\/strong><\/p>\n

To begin the study of my ancestor\u2019s newspaper I went to the Newspapers by Title<\/strong> section of GenealogyBank (found at the top of the GenealogyBank website under the Browse<\/strong> link) and searched by State<\/strong> (Arizona) and then I browsed by City<\/strong> (Snowflake) to find the relevant newspaper title. My ancestors lived in that part of Arizona, and I wanted to find their local newspaper.<\/p>\n

The GenealogyBank Arizona newspaper collection includes the Snowflake Herald<\/em> for a 10-year period (1913-1923). For my research, I\u2019ll want to search those dates because they correspond to my ancestors\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

If I click on the name of the newspaper in this listing, it will bring me to its search engine. I want to \u201cread\u201d some sample issues of the newspaper, so I just decided to search \u201cSnowflake\u201d in the Include These Keywords<\/strong> box (that word will appear in each newspaper issue) and then sort my results by the Oldest<\/strong> so I could choose some early issues. Keep in mind that newspaper formats change over time, so you\u2019ll want to look at a few issues over time.<\/p>\n

Reading the Newspaper<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Snowflake<\/a>
Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 27 June 1913, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I looked up the newspaper in Library of Congress\u2019 Chronicling America<\/a> and learned that this is the premier issue of the weekly newspaper.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Genealogy Tip:<\/em><\/strong> To read all the pages in a particular newspaper issue, click on Pages<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

\"Snowflake<\/a>
Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 27 June 1913, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2019d most be interested in the advertising which may include an ancestor\u2019s 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\u2019s FAN Club (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors) and the records they left behind that might include an ancestral name.<\/p>\n

\"Snowflake<\/a>
Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 27 June 1913, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Page 3 includes more advertisements and a section titled \u201cLivestock, Ranching, and Kindred News Items.\u201d This location was populated by farmers so it makes sense this would be important news for readers. While it\u2019s most likely these columns have no personal genealogically relevant information, they may provide historical context.<\/p>\n

\"Snowflake<\/a>
Snowflake Herald (Snowflake, Arizona), 27 June 1913, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I\u2019m reading the newspaper, I\u2019m 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Notice that in the 5th column there is a short article about a local wedding (\u201cPopular Couple Get Married\u201d) 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.<\/p>\n

Continuing My Study<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s brands and range addresses, and classified ads that included homestead entries.<\/p>\n

The Snowflake Herald<\/em> grew, adding pages (that did not last however) and including national news, national advertisements, syndicated stories, and \u201cwomen\u2019s interest\u201d articles about cooking and the home. The newspaper also added photographs and images.<\/p>\n

What I didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

Lessons Learned<\/strong><\/p>\n

By reading my ancestor\u2019s 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\u2019t look for a section titled \u201cObituaries,\u201d for example, and use name variations).<\/p>\n

By studying Snowflake\u2019s local newspaper, I now have a better idea how to search this paper and what may or may not be available.<\/p>\n

Create a free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.<\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> a newspaper, glasses, and a computer. Credit: https:\/\/depositphotos.com\/home.html<\/a><\/p>\n

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