Contents: Newspapers | Newspaper Lists | Abstracts | For More Information

Newspapers

News Journal (Morning News, Morning Herald, etc.). Wilmington, DE: News-Journal Co. 1875-.
Location: Library Databases (1999-) [restricted to UD]
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S7) 1875-
Location: Morris Library - Periodicals Room (current weeks only)
Location: Internet (http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/) from www.delawareonline.com

The major daily newspaper for northern Delaware. In existence since 1875, the paper has had several changes in title and some mergers with other newspapers. For more complete information, see the guide "A Chronology of the Wilmington News Journal." The Library Database version covers 1999 to present. It is text only -- no advertisements or graphics. The Internet version (www.delawareonline.com) is the newspaper's official website. It provides articles from the current newspaper and some articles that are web-only. It covers today's news and a seven-day searchable archive, with selected archives. The Obituaries section contains obituaries back to April 1999. There is no official index to the News Journal.

Newspaper Index: Wilmington News Journal. Wilmington Library.
Location: Internet (http://www.wilmlib.org/)

The Wilmington Library has created a selective index to the News Journal (1988-) and Delaware Today (1988-). Indexing is limited to major local or state articles. No national articles are included unless a local aspect is covered. Obituaries are not indexed unless it is a person of major importance. An average of six articles are indexed each day. To search the Newspaper Index, go to the Library website at http://www.wilmlib.org/ and select "Library Catalog" and then "Community Resources." Open the search menu. Available are: Newspaper Author browse; Newspaper Author keyword, Newspaper General keyword, Newspaper Subject browse, Newspaper Subject keyword, Newspaper Title browse, and Newspaper Title keyword.

The Wilmington Public Library also has a card file called the "Delaware Index," a subject and biographical index to Wilmington Morning News and Evening Journal articles and selected Delaware history books. It has extensive indexing from the 1920s to 1979, with limited indexing from the 1880s to the 1920s. Obituaries are included for prominent Delawareans. There is a clippings file which accompanies the Index and provides the text of about a third of the entries. The Delaware Index is available only at the Wilmington Library.

Evening Journal (Journal-Every Evening; Evening Journal and Every Evening). Wilmington, DE: J. Milton Davidson; News Journal. 1888-1989.
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S 39) 1888-1989

An evening paper published daily except Sundays.

NewArk Post (Newark Post Weekly; Weekly Post). Weekly. 1910-.
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S 55)
Location: Internet (http://www.newarkpostonline.com/)

A weekly paper published since 1910. Title has varied. There is no index to the NewArk Post. The Internet version offers access to the current week's article headlines; full articles can be viewed with free registration.

Sunday Morning Star (Sunday Star, Wilmington Sunday Star). Wilmington, DE: J. B. Bell; Star Pub. Co. 1881-1954.
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S 37)

Delaware State News (and Maryland State News). Dover, DE: J. Smyth. 1901-.
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S 52) 1944-
Location: Morris Library - Periodicals Room (current weeks only)

The major daily newspaper for southern Delaware. There is no index. The Delaware State News is available online by subscription.

Pennsylvania Gazette.
Location: Library Databases (via Accessible Archives) [restricted to UD]
Location: Library Databases (via America’s Historical Newspapers) [restricted to UD]
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S 26 and S 483)
Location: Morris Library (AN2 .A2 P45)

In colonial times, Delaware was part of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Inquirer (Public Ledger).
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfilm S 410) 1940-.
Location: Morris Library - Periodicals Room (current weeks only)
Location: Internet (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/) current week
Location: Library Databases (via LexisNexis Academic) selected text [restricted to UD]
Location: Library Databases (via America’s Historical Newspapers) 1834-1922 [restricted to UD]
Location: Microforms (CD-ROM 169) 1987-2002

Many Delaware stories are covered in the Philadelphia papers. LexisNexis Academic contains full text of most articles from 1996 to present and abstracts of selected articles from 1989 to 1999.

America’s Historical Newspapers (Early American Newspapers). Readex/NewsBank.
Location: Library Databases

Searchable full text collection of hundreds of historic newspapers, covers the 1690s-1922. Some newspapers published in Delaware are included. Note: newspaper issues available in this collection differ from the Library's microfilm holdings of the same newspapers. Delaware State Reporter, Peninsular News and Advertiser, American Watchman, Delaware and Eastern-Shore Advertiser, Delaware Gazette, Delaware Patriot, and Mirror of the Times. Also includes: the Pennsylvania Gazette 1736-1745 (colonial Delaware was part of Pennsylvania) and the Philadelphia Inquirer 1834-1922.

Delaware Newspaper Lists

Delaware Newspapers in the University of Delaware Library.
Location: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/hist/resguide/delnews/)

Lists Delaware newspapers on microfilm at the University of Delaware Library. Lists are arranged by title, by place, and by date.

Union List of Newspapers in Delaware. Newark, DE: Delaware Newspaper Project, 1990.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z6952 .D3 U54 1990) At Reference Desk

Lists detailed holdings of newspapers in libraries in Delaware, including the Delaware papers filmed for the Delaware United States Newspaper Program (USNP). Also see the Chronicling America: Delaware page (Library of Congress). The University of Delaware Library has no index to historic Delaware newspapers, except for the partial ones (abstracts) listed below.

Abstracts

Delaware Genealogical Abstracts from Newspapers (DGAN). Wilmington, DE: Delaware Genealogical Society, 1995-.
Location: Morris Library (F163 .D45x)
Location: Morris Library - Special Collections (Del F163 .D45x)

Compilation of death and marriage notices. Covers 1729-1859 and 1861-1879; the 1860 Delaware Gazette is not available. Vol. 1. Deaths from the Delaware Gazette 1854-59, 61-64. Vol. 2. Marriages from the Delaware Gazette 1854-59, 1861-64. Vol. 3. Delaware Marriages and Deaths from Newspapers, 1729-1853. Vol. 4. Marriages and Deaths from the Delaware Gazette 1865-74. Vol. 5. Marriages and Deaths from the Delaware Gazette 1875-79.

Frazier, Margaret Mendenhall. Delaware Advertiser, 1827-1831: Genealogical Abstracts. Newhall, CA: C. Boyer, 1987.
Location: Morris Library (F163 .F73 1987)
Location: Morris Library - Special Collections (Del F163 .F73 1987)

Hocker, Edward W. Genealogical Data Relating to the German Settlers of Pennsylvania and Adjacent Territory: From Advertisements in German Newspapers Published in Philadelphia and Germantown, 1743-1800. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980.
Location: Morris Library (F160 .G3 H6 1980)

Scott, Kenneth. Abstracts from Ben Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette, 1728-1748. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1975.
Location: Morris Library (F148 .S36 1975)

Items of genealogical interest relating to Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Scott, Kenneth. Abstracts (Mainly Deaths) from the Pennsylvania Gazette, 1775-1783. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1976 (1991 printing).
Location: Morris Library (F148 .A27 1976)

Scott, Kenneth. Buried Genealogical Data: A Complete List of Addressed Letters Left in the Post Offices of Philadelphia, Chester, Lancaster, Trenton, New Castle and Wilmington between 1748 and 1780, Abstracted from the Pennsylvania Gazette. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977.
Location: Morris Library (F148 .S37)

For More Information

For holdings of newspapers in other libraries, see:

• Union List of Newspapers in Delaware (Ref Z6952 .D3 U54 1990)
• and Chronicling America (http://www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/)

A Chronology of the Wilmington News Journal.
Location: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/hist/resguide/delnews/wilm.htm)

Delaware Newspaper Project.
Location: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/delnews/)

Description of the historic newspapers microfilming project. From the University of Delaware Library.

Delaware Newspapers. (USNPL).
Location: Internet (http://www.usnpl.com/denews.php)

Provides links to online sites for all the smaller newspapers in Delaware. Most have access to current news only.

Some Information about Early Delaware Newspapers.
Location: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/hist/resguide/delnews/info.htm)

United States Newspaper Program National Union List. Dublin, OH: OCLC, 1993.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z6945 .U55x 1993) At Reference Desk

A microfiche list of detailed holdings for microfilmed newspapers in libraries across the country. Note: catalogs and online union lists, such as WorldCat, do not have the detailed holdings that the United States Newspaper Program (USNP) publications have. Also see the Chronicling America project at the Library of Congress.

Chronicling America - The Library of Congress
Location: Internet (http://www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/index.html)

Listing of all known newspapers, their publishing histories, library locations and holdings. Includes a Delaware list.

Delaware Genealogical Research Guide. 3rd ed. Wilmington, DE: Delaware Genealogical Society, 2002.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref F163 .D349 2002)
Location: Morris Library - Special Collections (Del F163 .D349 2002)

The most important guide for doing genealogical research in Delaware. It covers specific types of records and where they can be found in the state. Edited by Thomas P. Doherty and published by the Delaware Genealogical Society (http://delgensoc.org). See especially information about the "Wilmington Death Register" (circa 1847-1954) at Delaware Public Archives, p. 14.

Delaware Genealogical Society. Journal. Semiannual.
Location: Morris Library (F163 .D35x)

Publishes transcripts of original records. Published since 1980. The Tables of Contents and name indexes are browsable online.

Spurgeon, Jennie Akard. Micromedia in Morris Library: An Analytical Survey. 2nd ed. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Library, 1980.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z1033 .M5 S68)
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Z1033 .M5 S68)

List of newspapers on microfilm, pages 97-102. The Index is at the end of volume 2. Note: not all the microform holdings of the Library are in DELCAT.

Your Guide to Using Newspapers for Genealogical Research.
Location: Internet (http://www.barbsnow.net/Newspapers.htm)