10Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Beresford Public Library
Beresford, South Dakota
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Beresford.
1897 to 2014Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
127,388Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Beresford, South Dakota.
Discover another side of Beresford, South Dakota through newspapers as well as photographs and illustrations preserved in the Beresford Public Library's digital archive. Its ten titles include material from 1897 to 2014. The collection also includes local history resources as well as programs and souvenirs.
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Selected titles
Explore titles such as “Beresford 100 Years” and “Union County Republic”, shared by Beresford Public Library.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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Different views of the past
An image adds a visual perspective on the past. Look at what it actually shows, keeping any caption or date with the detail that draws you in. An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.
The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse ten titles and 127,388 digitized pages, with material from 1897 to 2014. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Beresford Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Bring a person, place or date you recognize, and browse the titles below for a first clue in the story you want to follow.
Beresford 100 Years
1,048 pages in 1984
Beresford 75th Diamond Jubilee
184 pages in 1959
Beresford High School Title
16 pages from 1975 to 1989
Beresford News
22,926 pages from 1899 to 1926
Beresford Republic
100,184 pages from 1898 to 2014
Beresford Union County Republic
16 pages in 1898
Beresford Weekly News
184 pages from 1908 to 1909
Francis and Dorothy Kelly Photo Collection
2,434 pages in 1950
Republic Beresford
32 pages in 1898
Union County Republic
364 pages in 1897
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Local History
Local History Resources
- The Francis and Dorothy Kelly Photo Collection (1950-1950)
- The Beresford 75th Diamond Jubilee (1959-1959)
- The Beresford 100 Years (1984-1984)
- The Beresford High School All Class Reunions (1975-1989)
About the Library
About The Beresford Public Library
The Beresford Public Library is committed to timely access to materials and services that help residents of all ages meet their personal, professional, and educational needs. The library promotes lifelong learning in a welcoming and respectful atmosphere. Initially conceived by the Beresford Study Club in 1923, the library began with forty books from a book shower. Public contributions soon added another hundred books, and the Study Club raised $300 for further purchases. By 1924, the library had grown too large for the club to manage, leading to its official handover to the city. Originally located on the second floor of the fire station, the library housed approximately 10,000 volumes by 1959. In 1963, it moved to the former Post Office building with the help of local Boy Scouts, adding new media like talking books and film strips. The youth library was established in the basement in 1972. By 1983, the collection had grown to around 20,000 books. In 1992, the library moved to its current location on 3rd Street, now holding nearly 30,000 items.
About the Community
About The City of Beresford
Beresford, originally called Paris, was laid out in 1873 and renamed after Lord Charles Beresford. The city was formally incorporated on July 12, 1884. Following the Civil War, many settlers moved to Dakota Territory under the Homestead Act of 1862, transforming the area into a productive agricultural region. The town's first settler was Eli Ricard in 1872. The settlement, then known as Paris, grew with the arrival of the railroad in 1883. Early businesses included a saloon, drug store, and other enterprises, establishing Beresford as a thriving community.
Local History
Did You Know?
Beresford was initially named Paris before being renamed after Lord Charles Beresford. The city's first structure was a saloon built by D.C. Choquette. J.R. Carleton established its first newspaper, the “Beresford News,” in 1883. The Beresford Public Library's original collection began with just forty books donated by the Beresford Study Club members.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Follow a report into its setting
A question about the people or places that shaped Beresford can begin with one dated account. Use the newspaper titles shared by the Beresford Public Library to follow a family name, familiar street, or local event into the newspaper record, then keep the report tied to its issue and surrounding context. Read the headline and neighboring articles as well as the matching lines. The surrounding page can show whether a report is local news, an editorial, or another kind of account; compare its details with later coverage where available.
Take a place or institution mentioned in a report as a new search lead. Check the issue date and read nearby articles to see how the setting is described. Preserve historical names and boundaries as written, and compare another dated reference before connecting the place to a present-day location.
Record which title, date, page, or item supports a useful lead. Mark unanswered questions before connecting it to a family or community story. A similar name can point you toward another source, but it is not proof of identity.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Beresford Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.
Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.
Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.
Learn about partnerships
Stories, research tips, and archive news
Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.
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It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?
We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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