15Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Burlington Public Library
Burlington, Wisconsin
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Burlington.
1835 to 2005Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
539,152Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Burlington, Wisconsin.
Get to know Burlington, Wisconsin in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Burlington Public Library's digital archive. Its fifteen titles include material from 1835 to 2005.
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Selected titles
Burlington Public Library shares titles including “American Freeman” and “Zions Reveille”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
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.
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 fifteen titles and 539,152 digitized pages, with material from 1835 to 2005. A partnership between Burlington 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.
American Freeman
388 pages from 1844 to 1848
Burlington Free Press
61,124 pages from 1881 to 1955
Burlington Gazette
692 pages from 1859 to 1860
Burlington Standard
10,614 pages from 1863 to 1886
Burlington Standard Press
384,684 pages from 1955 to 2005
Der Standard Demokrat
16 pages in 1899
Family Register
2 pages in 1835
Gospel Herald
1,672 pages from 1847 to 1850
Mormon Papers
730 pages in 1841
Peach Classified Section
5,422 pages from 1963 to 1986
Pictorial News Advertiser
5,650 pages from 1965 to 1967
The Northern Islander
586 pages from 1850 to 1856
The Standard Democrat
67,244 pages from 1886 to 1955
Voree Herald
88 pages in 1846
Zions Reveille
240 pages from 1846 to 1847
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About the Archive
About The Madison County, New York History Archives
Madison County, New York provides free and open access to its historical records through the Madison County History Archives, allowing residents, researchers, genealogists, and historians to explore the people, places, and events that have shaped the county for more than two centuries. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives , the county's Community History Archive offers practical online access to historical newspapers and other primary source materials through a searchable digital platform available at no cost. The archive preserves newspapers and historical records spanning the early nineteenth century through the modern era, providing firsthand accounts and a snapshot of time that reflects "history as it happened" across Madison County. These digitized collections support genealogy, educational research, and community engagement while improving accessibility to the county's collective history.
About the Community
About Madison County, New York
Madison County serves residents through a variety of departments dedicated to preserving government records, supporting historical research, and improving public access to information. The County Historian's Office and Madison County Archives maintain historical documents, photographs, maps, census records, school records, military records, deeds, and other archival materials that document the county's development. The county also sponsors educational programs, Archives Day events, and preservation initiatives that encourage community engagement while helping safeguard important historical resources for future generations.
Partner Story
The History Of Madison County, New York
Madison County was established in 1806 from Chenango County and was named in honor of James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States. Long before European settlement, the region was home to the Oneida Nation, one of the original members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. During the nineteenth century, the county developed through agriculture, canal transportation, railroads, manufacturing, and education. Communities such as Oneida, Hamilton, Cazenovia, and Canastota became important commercial and cultural centers, while county government continued preserving records that document more than two centuries of local history. Today, the Madison County Historian and Archives continue collecting and preserving documents that reflect the county's evolving story.
About the Community
About Wampsville, New York
Wampsville is the county seat of Madison County and has served as the center of county government since 1907. Located within the Town of Lenox, the village was selected as the county seat after neighboring communities could not agree on a permanent location for county government. The village is home to the Madison County Government Center, County Historian's Office, County Clerk, and the county archives, making it the focal point for preserving and providing access to the county's historical records. Although small in population, Wampsville plays an important role in protecting the documentary history of Madison County and supporting historical research throughout central New York.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Madison County Archives preserves records dating back to the county's creation in 1806? The collection includes deeds, naturalization records, school records, military records, marriage records, census data, and thousands of historical photographs, providing one of central New York's most valuable collections of primary source documents for genealogy and local history research.
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 Burlington. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Burlington 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.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Burlington 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.
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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