19Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Fairfield Public Library
Fairfield, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Fairfield.
1847 to 1967Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
262,072Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Fairfield, Iowa.
Get to know Fairfield, Iowa in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Fairfield Public Library's digital archive. Its nineteen titles include material from 1847 to 1967.
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Selected titles
The titles shared by Fairfield Public Library include “Daily Ledger Journal” and “The Lockridge Times”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
A familiar name or event takes on another dimension in the newspaper coverage of its time, alongside the stories that mattered to the readers of that issue.
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 262,072 digitized pages, with material from 1847 to 1967. A partnership between Fairfield Public Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Every search for the past starts with a question. Explore the titles below, follow the sources that speak to it, and see what new detail appears.
Daily Ledger Journal
8,954 pages from 1921 to 1923
Fairfield Daily Journal
36,110 pages from 1901 to 1921
Fairfield Daily Ledger
78,824 pages from 1923 to 1939
Fairfield Daily Tribune
56 pages from 1887 to 1888
Fairfield Ledger
28,470 pages from 1853 to 1921
Fairfield Weekly Journal
11,004 pages from 1884 to 1904
Iowa Sentinel
808 pages from 1847 to 1849
Jefferson County Republican
14,672 pages from 1897 to 1917
The Batavia News
13,630 pages from 1916 to 1936
The Evening Journal
3,372 pages from 1880 to 1882
The Evening Tribune
432 pages in 1913
The Fairfield Daily Ledger And Journal And Tribune
48 pages in 1923
The Fairfield Journal
12,956 pages from 1880 to 1919
The Fairfield Tribune
25,098 pages from 1879 to 1923
The Fairfield Tribunette
16 pages in 1935
The Industrial Era
374 pages from 1874 to 1875
The Lockridge Herald
4,188 pages from 1901 to 1915
The Lockridge Times
16,906 pages from 1916 to 1967
The Weekly Ledger Journal
6,154 pages from 1921 to 1928
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About the Library
About The Fairfield Public Library
The Fairfield Public Library, located in Fairfield, Iowa, is a cornerstone of the community, offering a wide range of resources and services to residents. Established in 1853 by Ward Lamson and Christian Slagle, it holds the distinction of being the first lending library in the State of Iowa. The library's ongoing commitment to serving the community is evident in its comprehensive genealogy and local history resources, including free onsite access to Ancestry.com and the Southeast Iowa Digital Archive.
Library History
The History Of The Fairfield Public Library
The Fairfield Public Library has a rich history that dates back to its founding in 1853 by Ward Lamson and Christian Slagle in a downtown storefront. It was the first lending library in Iowa and also became the first Carnegie library west of Philadelphia when it opened its doors in 1893. The original Carnegie Library of Jefferson County now serves as the Carnegie Historical Museum. Over the years, the library has continually expanded its services and resources to meet the needs of the community, with a strong focus on preserving local history and providing access to a wealth of historical information.
About the Community
About Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield, Iowa, is a city with a deep sense of history and community. Known for its historical significance and vibrant cultural scene, Fairfield has been a hub of activity since its incorporation in 1839. The city is home to several historical landmarks and institutions, including the Fairfield Public Library, which plays a crucial role in preserving and sharing the area's rich heritage. Fairfield's commitment to education, culture, and community engagement is reflected in its many festivals, events, and educational resources.
Local History
Did You Know?
• The Fairfield Public Library was the first lending library in the State of Iowa, established in 1853. • The library also holds the distinction of being the first Carnegie library west of Philadelphia, opening in 1893. • The original Carnegie Library of Jefferson County now serves as the Carnegie Historical Museum, preserving the history and heritage of Fairfield and Jefferson County.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Keep publication context with a finding
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Fairfield. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Fairfield 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. Note the newspaper title, issue date, and page for a useful report. Compare another account where available, and keep differences in timing or perspective visible rather than blending them into a single version.
Save the newspaper title, issue date, and page, then compare another dated account where available. Keep differences in timing and perspective visible so the source context is not lost. If the accounts disagree, record what each source supports and use the difference to shape a further search rather than smoothing them into one version.
A research trail is most useful when it leaves room for what is not yet known. Record the title, date, and page or item reference where available, along with what remains uncertain and which question you want to follow next. Those details help keep a possible connection from becoming an unsupported conclusion.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Fairfield 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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