19Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Cortland Standard
Cortland, New York
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Cortland.
1814 to 1949Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
133,628Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Cortland, New York.
Get to know Cortland, New York in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Cortland Standard's digital archive. Its nineteen titles include material from 1814 to 1949.
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Selected titles
A selection from Cortland Standard: “Cortland Advocate” and “The Republican Banner”.
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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 nineteen titles and 133,628 digitized pages, with material from 1814 to 1949. A partnership between Cortland Standard and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A family story or a question about a familiar place can lead somewhere unexpected. Browse the titles below and see which detail draws you in.
Cortland Advocate
1,320 pages from 1831 to 1837
Cortland County Republican
1,624 pages from 1855 to 1877
Cortland County Whig
232 pages from 1840 to 1843
Cortland County Whig
746 pages from 1844 to 1846
Cortland County Whig
2,466 pages from 1846 to 1855
Cortland Message
8 pages in 1889
Cortland Observer
2,920 pages from 1825 to 1832
Cortland Repository
168 pages from 1814 to 1825
Cortland Republican
3,768 pages from 1815 to 1836
Cortland Standard
102,874 pages from 1885 to 1912
Cortland Standard And Cortland Daily Journal
2,308 pages in 1892
Cortland Standard And Journal
2,092 pages from 1872 to 1877
Republican and Eagle
1,572 pages from 1836 to 1840
The Cortland County Standard
2,018 pages from 1867 to 1872
The Cortland Democrat
4,184 pages from 1840 to 1949
The Cortland Standard
3,594 pages from 1877 to 1885
The Gazette and Banner
490 pages from 1861 to 1869
The Ithaca Journal
8 pages in 1917
The Republican Banner
1,236 pages from 1858 to 1861
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About the Library
About The Cortland Free Library
A non-profit (501c3) association library with roots dating back to 1886, the Cortland Free Library was chartered by the NYS Department of Education in 1925. Today its chartered service area includes the City of Cortland, Town of Cortlandville, and Town of Virgil. Regulated by New York State with oversight from a 15-member volunteer Board of Trustees. The library is funded through an annual library tax, an endowment, grants, charitable contributions, and support from the Friends of the Cortland Free Library. The Cortland Free Library is an architectural treasure that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been carefully expanded and renovated (as funds allow) to enhance the institution’s offerings, improve sustainability, and increase accessibility.
About the Community
About Cortland, New York
Cortland, New York, located in the picturesque Finger Lakes region, is known for its vibrant community and rich history. Founded in 1791, Cortland has grown into a city with a blend of historical charm and modern amenities. It is home to SUNY Cortland, a prominent institution of higher education, and offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities for residents and visitors alike.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Cortland Free Library was originally housed in the former county jail and courthouse site? This unique location adds to the historical significance of the library, which has been serving the community for over a century.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Compare accounts as you trace a story
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Cortland. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Cortland Standard 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. Use a report's date to look for earlier or later coverage where those issues are available. Compare what each account says and what it leaves out, treating a related mention as a lead rather than a complete history.
Compare each newspaper account with a nearby dated issue where available, noting what changes or stays consistent. Keep alternate versions and unresolved details visible rather than blending distinct sources into one story. Use those differences to frame a next question, not to settle the account before the sources support it.
Keep source details beside each quotation or observation. If accounts differ, preserve both references and note what remains unresolved. Let the evidence, rather than a smooth retelling, show where the sources agree and where the story is still open.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Cortland Standard, 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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