56Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Coles County Genealogical Society
Charleston, Illinois
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Charleston.
1841 to 2011Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
1,095,904Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Charleston, Illinois.
Get to know Charleston, Illinois in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Coles County Genealogical Society's digital archive. Its fifty-six titles include material from 1841 to 2011.
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Selected titles
Coles County Genealogical Society shares titles including “Ashmore Republican” and “Willow Hill Echo”.
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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 fifty-six titles and 1,095,904 digitized pages, with material from 1841 to 2011. A partnership between Coles County Genealogical Society 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.
Ashmore Republican
8 pages in 1910
Charleston Daily Plaindealer
460 pages from 1908 to 1911
Charleston Plaindealer
264 pages from 1864 to 1897
Charleston Weekly Times
128 pages in 1933
Coles County Daily Times
60 pages from 1966 to 1968
Coles County Ledger
10,354 pages from 1861 to 1946
Daily Times
24 pages in 1969
Kansas Herald
120 pages from 1888 to 1891
Ledger Messenger
28 pages from 1963 to 1967
Lerna Weekly Eagle
11,386 pages from 1918 to 1943
Mattoon Commercial Star
756 pages in 1916
Mattoon Morning Star
1,150 pages in 1908
Oakland Hindsboro Prairie Sun
178 pages from 1987 to 1990
Oakland Ledger Messenger
32 pages in 1976
Rough And Ready
32 pages in 1847
Salt
16 pages from 1889 to 1890
The Arcola Record Herald
4 pages in 1917
The Arcolian
8 pages in 1917
The Casey Commercial
64 pages in 1910
The Charleston Courier
1,286 pages from 1841 to 1917
The Charleston Courier News
64,540 pages from 1960 to 1969
The Charleston Daily Courier
217,436 pages from 1897 to 1963
The Charleston Daily News
39,000 pages from 1903 to 1952
The Charleston Plaindealer
14 pages in 1913
The Charleston Tribune
656 pages in 1915
The Charleston Weekly Courier
1,540 pages from 1912 to 1913
The Charleston Weekly News
3,340 pages from 1899 to 1915
The Charleston Weekly Times
160 pages from 1933 to 1934
The Courier
44 pages in 1844
The Daily Courier
4,516 pages from 1895 to 1897
The Daily Plaindealer Herald
8 pages from 1903 to 1904
The Evening Courier
2,460 pages in 1895
The Hindsboro News
12 pages in 1938
The Humbolt News
16 pages in 1913
The Humbolt Press
16 pages in 1895
The Illinois Globe
118 pages from 1842 to 1851
The Kansas Citizen
8 pages in 1873
The Kansas Journal
54,930 pages from 1892 to 1977
The Kansas News
24 pages from 1876 to 1878
The Kansas Weekly Journal
136 pages from 1882 to 1888
The Kansas Weekly Sun
50 pages in 1880
The Marshall Herald
80 pages in 1910
The Marshall Messenger
16 pages in 1888
The Neoga News
16 pages in 1966
The Oakland Daily Messenger
372 pages in 1900
The Oakland Herald
32 pages in 1877
The Oakland Messenger
24,054 pages from 1896 to 1951
The Oakland Weekly Ledger
1,650 pages from 1916 to 1919
The Republican
108 pages from 1845 to 1847
The Republican Sun
24 pages in 1879
The Toledo Democrat
244 pages from 1908 to 1926
The Toledo Republican
8 pages in 1908
The Westfield Review
60 pages from 1910 to 1938
Times Courier
653,412 pages from 1969 to 2011
Toledo Democrat
430 pages from 1926 to 1973
Willow Hill Echo
16 pages in 1918
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About the Archive
About The Coles County Genealogical Society’s History Archives
The Coles County Genealogical Society provides free and open access to genealogical and local history resources that help researchers, family historians, and community members discover the people, places, and events that shaped Coles County, Illinois. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives , the Society makes historical content more discoverable through a searchable digital archive that serves as a valuable research and engagement tool. The archive includes local history publications, genealogical records, family histories, cemetery documentation, historical newspapers, and other primary source materials spanning the early 19th century through the present. These collections preserve firsthand accounts and local records that support genealogy research while improving accessibility to Coles County’s collective history.
Partner Story
Family History and Genealogical Records
- The Coles County Cemetery Records (19th century–present)
- The Coles County Family Histories (varied years)
- The Coles County Marriage Records (1831–present)
- The Coles County Census Records (1840–1940)
Local History
Local History Resources
- The Coles County Historical Directories (1910–1918)
- The Coles County Newspapers (19th century–present)
- The Coles County Land Records (1830–present)
- The Coles County Local History Collections (varied years)
The Society’s collections provide access to local primary source documents that help researchers trace family connections, property ownership, migration patterns, and community development throughout Coles County. Materials such as cemetery records, family histories, county directories, newspapers, and land records preserve a unique snapshot of time and provide valuable insight into the lives of residents who witnessed and recorded local history as it happened.
About the Society
About The Coles County Genealogical Society
The Coles County Genealogical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing genealogical information related to Coles County and surrounding areas of east-central Illinois. Headquartered in Charleston, Illinois, the Society works closely with libraries, archives, and historical organizations to improve access to family history resources and local historical records. Members and volunteers assist researchers through educational programs, publications, research assistance, and preservation projects that help make historical information accessible and discoverable for future generations. The Society also supports community engagement by encouraging the collection and preservation of family histories and local historical documentation.
Institution History
The History Of The Coles County Genealogical Society
The Coles County Genealogical Society was established in 1975 to promote genealogical research and preserve family and local history records throughout Coles County. Since its founding, the organization has assembled a significant collection of genealogical resources through donations, acquisitions, indexing projects, and volunteer efforts. The Society's collections are housed in partnership with the Charleston Carnegie Public Library, where trained volunteers assist researchers in exploring local history and genealogy resources. Through decades of preservation work, the Society has helped ensure that records documenting the county’s families, communities, and institutions remain accessible to researchers around the world.
About the Community
About Coles County, Illinois
Coles County is located in east-central Illinois and was established on December 25, 1830, from portions of Clark and Edgar counties. Named for Edward Coles, the second Governor of Illinois, the county developed through agriculture, transportation, education, and commerce. Early settlers were largely migrants from New England and New York who brought strong traditions of education, civic involvement, and community development. Today, Coles County is home to Charleston, Mattoon, and Eastern Illinois University, while local libraries, archives, and historical organizations continue preserving the stories and records that document the county’s growth and development.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that Coles County is home to one of Illinois’ most active local genealogy communities? Since 1975, volunteers with the Coles County Genealogical Society have indexed records, documented cemeteries, collected family histories, and assisted researchers tracing ancestors from across the United States and around the world. Their work has helped preserve thousands of records that might otherwise have remained difficult to access or discover.
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 Charleston. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Coles County Genealogical Society 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 Coles County Genealogical Society, 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
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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
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March 24, 2025
This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
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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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