20Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich
Norwich, New York
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Norwich.
1816 to 2026Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
997,284Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Norwich, New York.
Discover another side of Norwich, New York through newspapers preserved in the Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich's digital archive. Its twenty titles include material from 1816 to 2026.
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Selected titles
A selection from Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich: “Anti Masonic Telegraph” and “The Smyrna Citizen”.
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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.
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
Browse twenty titles and 997,284 digitized pages, with material from 1816 to 2026. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich shares these sources from the past. 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.
Anti Masonic Telegraph
2,492 pages from 1829 to 1835
Chenango Community
6,618 pages from 1996 to 2004
Chenango This Week
1,110 pages in 1981
Chenango Union
77,726 pages from 1847 to 1975
Norwich Journal
3,398 pages from 1816 to 1830
Oxford Times
378 pages from 1844 to 1845
Quill and Press
2,162 pages from 1881 to 1885
Syracuse Herald
12 pages in 1924
Telegraph
101,686 pages from 1835 to 1951
Telegraph And Chronicle
1,372 pages from 1865 to 1869
The Chenango Tribune
870 pages from 1881 to 1883
The County Review
282 pages from 1999 to 2000
The Evening Sun
495,286 pages from 1961 to 2026
The Evening Sun Anniversary Paper
12 pages in 2002
The Morning Sun
32,900 pages from 1891 to 1904
The Norwich Evening Telegraph
224 pages in 1879
The Norwich Sun
267,930 pages from 1904 to 1961
The Oxford Review Times
424 pages from 2013 to 2014
The Smyrna Citizen
798 pages from 1875 to 1876
The Telegraph And Chronicle
1,604 pages from 1868 to 1871
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About the Library
About The Guernsey Memorial Library
The Guernsey Memorial Library was first housed in the Guernsey Homestead, the oldest and first frame house built in Norwich. Erected in 1799 by Deacon Elisha Smith, the house was sold to Peter B. Garnsey in 1804. In 1807, Peter and a neighbor donated two acres of land for the courthouse and parks, moving the Garnsey House to the library's present location. The home was occupied by the family until 1901, when it became public property per the will of Mrs. William B. Guernsey. The legal title was passed to the Board of Education of Union Free School District Number One of the Town of Norwich. The terms of the will stated, “That they shall take and forever keep and maintain the property known as the Guernsey Homestead... For the establishment and maintenance of a free public library and park... and to be forever held by said Corporation and its successors for such purpose and no other and to be known and designated the Guernsey Homestead Memorial Library...” In 1967, the Guernsey Homestead was razed for safety reasons, and a new library was built on the same site, dedicated on March 8, 1969. The Park was dedicated on August 1, 1982.
Library History
The History Of The Guernsey Memorial Library
The Guernsey Memorial Library has a rich history, beginning with its establishment in the Guernsey Homestead, the oldest house in Norwich. The library has grown and evolved over the years, continuing to serve the community with a wide range of resources and services. From its early days in the historic homestead to its current location, the library remains committed to providing information, education, and recreation to the residents of Norwich.
About the Community
About Norwich, New York
Norwich, located in Chenango County, New York, is a town with a rich history and a strong sense of community. Known for its picturesque landscapes and historical significance, Norwich has played an important role in the region's development. The Guernsey Memorial Library serves as a key resource for residents, offering access to a wealth of historical documents and supporting educational and recreational needs.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Guernsey Memorial Library's digital archive includes The Evening Sun, which has been in publication from 1961 to 2024? This extensive collection provides a valuable window into the past of Norwich and its surrounding areas, offering invaluable resources for historians and genealogists.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Compare accounts as you trace a story
The history of Norwich includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich, 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. 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 Guernsey Memorial Library of Norwich, 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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Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”
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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
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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