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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Billings Public Library

Billings, Montana

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Billings.

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3Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1909 to 2026Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

455,528Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Billings, Montana.

Get to know Billings, Montana in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Billings Public Library's digital archive. Its three titles include material from 1909 to 2026.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    Billings Public Library shares titles including “Billings Gazette” and “The Billings Daily Gazette”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue.

Historical newspapers can connect a family name with the events and everyday concerns of an earlier time, offering more than a date or a name on its own. Bring a family connection, a question about a familiar place or an interest in local history, and see where the sources lead. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse three titles and 455,528 digitized pages, with material from 1909 to 2026. A partnership between Billings Public Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

A familiar name or place can be the beginning of a story. Explore the titles below to see where that connection leads.

Billings Gazette

394,988 pages from 1918 to 2026

The Billings Daily Gazette

2,796 pages in 1909

The Billings Gazette

57,744 pages from 1929 to 2021

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About the Library

About The Billings Public Library

The Billings Public Library, located in downtown Billings, MT, serves as a hub for exploration, education, and inclusiveness. The library provides entertainment, research resources, cutting-edge technology, digitization services, and educational opportunities to the community. Open to the public Monday through Saturday, the library offers a wide array of services, including free internet access, meeting spaces, and special programs like the BPL Memory Lab, which helps patrons convert old media formats into digital files.

Billings Public Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of The Billings Public Library

The Billings Public Library has been an integral part of the community for many years, evolving to meet the needs of its patrons. Through continuous improvements, including the addition of modern technology, digitization services, and the elimination of late fees, the library remains committed to making access happen for all. The library’s archives, which include local newspapers dating back over a century, preserve the history of Billings and ensure that future generations have access to these valuable resources.

About the Community

About Billings, Montana

Billings, Montana, known as the "Magic City," is the largest city in the state and a vibrant community with a rich history. Located in the Yellowstone Valley, Billings has grown into a cultural and economic hub for the region. The Billings Public Library plays a key role in preserving the city’s history, offering residents and visitors access to historical archives that document the city’s development over the last century and beyond.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Billings Daily Gazette , one of the city’s earliest newspapers, was first published in 1909? These archives offer a fascinating glimpse into the early history of Billings, capturing the stories and events that shaped the community.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Follow a story beyond the first mention

Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Billings. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Billings Public Library to follow that question into the historical record. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story.

When a promising newspaper lead runs out, check the dates and titles represented before trying another name, place, or nearby issue. Keep unsuccessful searches with useful findings; gaps in coverage can limit what a search reveals. Use the dates and references to shape your next question, not as proof a missing result never existed.

As you piece together a story from the past, note where each detail came from and why it matters. Include the title, date, and page or item reference. Mark uncertain identifications and unanswered questions so a promising connection does not become an unsupported fact.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Billings 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
Read All About It

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.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

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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