17Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Gilbreath Memorial Library
Quitman, Texas
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Quitman.
1893 to 2023Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
181,294Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Quitman, Texas.
Get to know Quitman, Texas in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Gilbreath Memorial Library's digital archive. Its seventeen titles include material from 1893 to 2023.
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Selected titles
A selection from Gilbreath Memorial Library: “Chicago Daily News” and “Wood County Democrat”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
Newspaper pages connect individual accounts with a wider story, preserving how events were reported and presented to the readers of the day.
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 seventeen titles and 181,294 digitized pages, with material from 1893 to 2023. A partnership between Gilbreath Memorial Library 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.
Chicago Daily News
72 pages from 1917 to 1918
Chicago Daily Tribune
126 pages from 1897 to 1941
Chicago Examiner
24 pages in 1917
Chicago Herald and Examiner
48 pages in 1918
Hopkins County Echo
8 pages in 1962
Lewiston Daily Tribune
2 pages in 1898
Morning Advertiser
28 pages in 1926
The Lewiston Morning Tribune
350 pages from 1900 to 1971
The Lewiston Tribune
10 pages from 1893 to 1897
The Morning Tribune
2 pages in 1899
The Spokesman-Review
76 pages from 1945 to 1969
The Winnsboro News
4,224 pages from 2020 to 2023
The Winnsboro News
2,166 pages from 2018 to 2019
Whitesboro News Record
28 pages in 1982
Winnsboro News
144,578 pages from 1952 to 2017
Winnsboro Weekly News
29,536 pages from 1920 to 1951
Wood County Democrat
16 pages in 1944
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About the Archive
About The Gilbreath Memorial Library’s History Archives
The Gilbreath Memorial Library offers free access to a comprehensive digital archive featuring various historical newspapers from Wood, Hopkins, and Franklin counties. In partnership with Advantage Archives , the library provides access to a vast collection of historical content, supporting the research needs of the community and beyond. This valuable resource allows the community to explore, discover, and connect with the stories of the people, places, and events that have shaped Quitman, Texas, and the surrounding areas.
- Morning Advertiser (1926-1926)
- The Lewiston Tribune (1893-1897)
- Lewiston Daily Tribune (1898-1898)
- The Morning Tribune (1899-1899)
- The Lewiston Morning Tribune (1900-1971)
- Chicago Daily Tribune (1897-1941)
- Chicago Daily News (1917-1918)
- Chicago Herald and Examiner (1918-1918)
- The Spokesman-Review (1945-1969)
- Whitesboro News Record (1982-1982)
- Chicago Examiner (1917-1917)
- Winnsboro Weekly News (1920-1951)
- Winnsboro News (1952-2017)
- The Winnsboro News (2018-2022)
- Wood County Democrat (1944-1944)
- Hopkins County Echo (1962-1962)
About the Library
About The Gilbreath Memorial Library
The goal of the Gilbreath Memorial Library is to continue to grow and meet the needs of our community. The library serves a tri-county area of Wood, Hopkins, and Franklin counties, providing access to a wide range of informational, educational, and recreational resources.
Library History
The History Of The Gilbreath Memorial Library
The Andrew Carnegie Library in Winnsboro, Texas, opened in 1909 but did not commence official services until 1910. Initially, it was operated by the Standard Club of Winnsboro for eight months. The City of Winnsboro took over its operation thereafter, with Ms. T.U. Bozeman served as the first librarian. The city has been supporting the library by providing funds for books and operating expenses.
In 1967, the library relocated to a new building on West Broadway. Despite initial reluctance to leave the historical site, the town took pride in the new library, built entirely with city funds, without using bond elections or external funds. This marked the beginning of a period of rapid growth for the library.
A $60,000 bequest in 1985 from the estate of Fern Gilbreath ignited interest in developing a new, more extensive library. In the same year, Judge T.C. Chadick, a former resident and retired associate judge of the Supreme Court, donated a lot for the new library at 916 N. Main. A significant fundraiser followed, and the funds soon reached $687,000. In May 1986, the city received a $100,000 grant through the LSCA Title II grant program, ranking third out of thirty applicants. Construction on the 6,000-square-foot Gilbreath Memorial Library began in September 1986 and was completed shortly after.
Following this, the library received a grant from the North East Texas Library System for a new computer system, and a copy machine was donated by Lee Ray, giving the office an official look. The Gilbreath Memorial Library continues to plan and focus on future needs while addressing the present ever-changing needs of the community through grants and support from individuals and organizations. The library is committed to following the vision of the Standard Club, which recognized the need to enrich the lives of others in the community many years ago.
About the Community
About Quitman, Texas
Quitman, the county seat of Wood County, Texas, is a small town with a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1850. Named after John A. Quitman, a hero of the Mexican-American War, the town has preserved much of its historical charm while adapting to modern times. Quitman is known for its scenic beauty, with several parks and lakes providing recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. The town hosts various community events throughout the year, celebrating its heritage and fostering a close-knit community spirit. The area around Quitman is predominantly rural, with agriculture playing a significant role in the local economy. Over the years, Quitman has maintained a balance between growth and preserving its historical roots, making it a unique and appealing place to live and visit.
Local History
Did You Know?
Quitman is the birthplace of Academy Award-winning actress Sissy Spacek. She spent her early years in Quitman before moving to New York City to pursue her acting career. The Quitman Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, located in Hogg Park, features a variety of native plants and serves as a peaceful retreat for nature lovers and an educational resource for the community. Lake Fork, one of Texas's premier bass fishing lakes, is just a short drive from Quitman. The lake attracts anglers from all over the country and hosts numerous fishing tournaments throughout the year.
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 Quitman. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Gilbreath Memorial 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. 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 Gilbreath Memorial 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.
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Why Microfilm is still important in 2023
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Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”
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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
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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