1Title
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Crane County Public Library
Crane, Texas
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Crane.
1964 to 2023Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
46,096Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Crane, Texas.
Discover another side of Crane, Texas through newspapers preserved in the Crane County Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes Crane News, with material from 1964 to 2023.
Opens in a new tab.
-
Selected title
Discover “Crane News” in Crane County Public Library’s collection.
-
Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
-
Ways to explore
Notice the details that interest you, and record any date or description provided so you can revisit them.
The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Explore Crane News through 46,096 digitized pages, with material from 1964 to 2023. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Crane County Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Follow the details that speak to your question, and keep the source and its date close to what you find.
Crane News
46,096 pages from 1964 to 2023
Opens in a new tab.
About the Library
About The Crane County Public Library
The Crane County Public Library has a rich history of serving the community since its establishment. Over the years, the library has evolved to meet the changing needs of its patrons, expanding its collection and services to include digital resources, community programs, and educational workshops. The support of the local community and the dedication of the library staff have been crucial to its growth and success. The Crane County Public Library serves as a vital resource for the community, providing free and open access to information and promoting literacy, lifelong learning, and cultural enrichment. Located in Crane, Texas, the library is committed to preserving the history of the area while supporting the present and anticipating future needs. The library's mission is to provide high-quality library services to all citizens, fostering a love of reading and learning in a welcoming environment. The library offers a variety of resources, including books, e-books, audiobooks, DVDs, and public computer access. In addition to these materials, the library provides free WiFi, printing and copying services, and a range of programs for children, teens, and adults. The Crane County Public Library remains a cornerstone of the community, committed to supporting lifelong learning and personal growth.
About the Community
About Crane, Texas
Crane, Texas, is a city with a storied past, heavily influenced by the regional oil boom that also spurred the growth of nearby towns like Wink, McCamey, Iraan, and Notrees. The influx of land speculators, workers, and their families rapidly increased the population, leading to the establishment of essential city amenities. In 1927, the need for a courthouse was addressed, coinciding with the county's organization. Water was so scarce at one point that residents sent their laundry to El Paso by train. Farming has never been a significant industry in Crane County, with cattle ranching as a distant second source of revenue. Crane was incorporated as a city in 1933, and the current Crane County Courthouse, built in 1948, replaced the original 1927 structure. Today, Crane continues to reflect its historical roots while looking toward the future.
Local History
Did You Know?
Crane County was one of the few places where water scarcity was so severe that residents had to send their laundry to El Paso by train. The area is also famous for the "Horsehead Crossing of the Pecos," a historic crossing point that was vital for stagecoaches, cattle herds, and even Native American trails before the establishment of the railroad. The name comes from the numerous horse and mule skulls found in the area, remnants of animals that perished from drinking too much water too quickly.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Check a text match against the page
The history of Crane includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Crane County Public Library, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. 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. If a search result looks incomplete or misspelled, inspect the scanned page when available. Record the issue date and page, then distinguish the printed wording from search text before following the story to another mention.
If a text match looks incomplete, compare it with the scanned newspaper page when available. Check whether wording or names differ, then record the page's printed wording with the issue date and page. Keep the search result distinct from what the page itself shows.
As you connect materials, note where each detail came from and what it can support. Record the title, date, and page or item reference where available. Keep names and relationships tentative until the evidence is strong enough to connect them, and mark which words come from the record and which are your interpretation.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Crane 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.
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…
Read article
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…
Read article
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…
Read article
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…
Read article
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,…
Read article
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.
Read article