Breathitt County Public Library

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Jackson, Kentucky.

Explore the past of Jackson, Kentucky through newspapers in the community archive shared by the Breathitt County Public Library. Its eleven titles include material from 1891 to 2024.

Free access is available at the institution

Bring the names, dates, or questions you hope to investigate when you consult the collection.

Confirm access arrangements before planning an in-person visit.

• Selected titles

  Explore titles such as “Breathitt Advocate” and “The Hazard Leader”, shared by Breathitt County Public Library.

• In-person access

  Visit or contact the institution for access details.

• Ways to explore

  A familiar place or family connection in Jackson can lead to another source and a new question.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse eleven titles and 207,560 digitized pages, with material from 1891 to 2024. This collection is shared through Breathitt County Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown. The title list can help you plan in-person research. Contact the institution to confirm access before your visit.

Bring a person, place or date you recognize, and browse the titles below for a first clue in the story you want to follow.

Breathitt Advocate

2,556 pages from 2023 to 2024

Breathitt Co Enquirer

1,846 pages from 1971 to 1972

Jackson Hustler

96 pages in 1891

Jackson Times

124,302 pages from 1901 to 2009

Jackson Times

8 pages in 1936

The Beattyville Enterprise And The Jackson Times

86 pages in 1981

The Breathitt County Banner

360 pages from 1986 to 1987

The Breathitt County Voice

33,382 pages from 1992 to 2008

The Hazard Herald

19,562 pages from 1911 to 1940

The Hazard Leader

56 pages from 1921 to 1931

The Jackson-Breathitt County Times Voice

25,306 pages from 2009 to 2024

Visit or contact the institution for access details.

About the Archive

About the Breathitt County Public Library’s Digital Archives

The Breathitt County Public Library offers free and open access to its digitized collection of historical newspapers, genealogical records, and local documents, serving as an educational resource for researchers, genealogists, and community members exploring Breathitt County’s collective history. In partnership with Advantage Archives , the library preserves firsthand community perspectives that document history as it happened. Access is provided through collections like PastPerfect and links to Chronicling America and the Community History Archives.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

About the Library

About the Breathitt County Public Library

Located at 1024 College Avenue in Jackson, Kentucky, the Breathitt County Public Library serves a community of approximately 13,800 residents. The library holds around 28,900 volumes and circulates over 72,800 items annually. It offers public computers, Wi‑Fi, digital media, meeting spaces, and special programs, including genealogy support and children’s activities.:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Library History

The History of the Breathitt County Public Library

Public library services began in Breathitt County in 1894 via the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs’ Traveling Library program. In 1930, the library purchased the old Hargis Commercial Bank Building on Main Street. In 1967, it became a tax-supported district library, and in 1972 it moved to College Avenue. An annex was added in 2012 using a former technical college building.:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

About the Community

About Jackson & Breathitt County, Kentucky

Jackson, incorporated in 1845, is the county seat of Breathitt County and home to roughly 2,237 residents as of 2020. Breathitt County, formed in 1839 and named for Governor John Breathitt, is nestled in eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian region.:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Local History

Did You Know?

Breathitt County was a notable site for the New Deal–era Pack Horse Library Project, which delivered books to remote Appalachian households via horseback—underscoring the region’s enduring commitment to shared access to history and literacy.:contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7} To explore these collections, visit the Digital Archives: Explore the Breathitt County Public Library Digital Archives .

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Start with a clear research question

A person, place, or event connected with Jackson can give your research visit a focus. Review the collection information from the Breathitt County Public Library, then confirm current access arrangements and how the collection may be consulted with the institution. Record which description you used and what it leaves unanswered, so your notes remain a question to investigate rather than a conclusion.

If the first description does not answer your question, explain what you have already checked and ask whether another source or catalog may be useful. Keep the description or catalog named in the reply with your notes, and ask which details the institution needs to locate a possible item.

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. If the institution suggests another source, note why it may help and whether you have had a chance to consult it. Keep its reference beside the question it may answer.

Review collection titles →

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Breathitt County 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.

Newest published articles

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May 7, 2025

Why Microfilm is still important in 2023

Preserving documents on microfilm has been a popular method of storage for many years, and it still holds many benefits today. Here…

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May 7, 2025

Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”

In the quest to trace our roots and understand our heritage, obituaries often serve as a crucial starting point. Obituaries are undoubtedly…

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April 9, 2025

Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues

Even the most esteemed police forces in the county encounter perplexing cold case files. These unsolved mysteries often leave investigators and genealogists…

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April 1, 2025

This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th

Discover History in The Community History Archives.   This week in history, there is absolutely nothing to talk about… April Fools! April…

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March 24, 2025

This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th

Discover History in The Community History Archives.   It has officially been a year since I started writing This Week in History,…

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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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