72Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
James V. Brown Library
Bastress, Pennsylvania
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Bastress.
1778 to 2026Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
4,198,374Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Bastress, Pennsylvania.
Explore the past of Bastress, Pennsylvania through newspapers and directories in the community archive shared by the James V. Brown Library. Its seventy-two titles include material from 1778 to 2026. Alongside these sources, the collection includes maps and atlases; cemetery and funeral home records; vital records; financial and tax records; journals and diaries; local history resources; meeting agendas and minutes; religious organization documents; land and property records; and personal writings.
Free access is available at the institution
Bring the names, dates, or questions you hope to investigate when you consult the collection.
Confirm access arrangements before planning an in-person visit.
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Selected titles
Explore titles such as “Bastress Church Records” and “Williamsport Sun-Gazette”, shared by James V. Brown Library.
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In-person access
Visit or contact the institution for access details.
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Ways to explore
A familiar place or family connection in Bastress can lead to another source and a new question.
A detail passed down through a family can lead beyond the first source you find. Read accounts alongside one another to explore what they preserve, where they differ, and what remains unknown. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse seventy-two titles and 4,198,374 digitized pages, with material from 1778 to 2026. This collection is shared through James V. Brown Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown. The title list can help you plan in-person research. Contact the institution to confirm access before your visit.
Bring a person, place or date you recognize, and browse the titles below for a first clue in the story you want to follow.
Bastress Church Records
538 pages in 1983
Birth Records
860 pages in 1917
Church Records Montoursville
634 pages in 1867
City Death Records
2,060 pages from 1872 to 1920
City Directories
75,050 pages from 1866 to 1933
County Atlas Of Tioga
210 pages in 1875
Daily Banner
3,922 pages from 1879 to 1881
Daily Gazette And Bulletin
146,410 pages from 1869 to 1909
Daily Morning Standard
1,376 pages in 1872
Eagle Eye
1,496 pages from 2006 to 2010
East Lycoming Shopper
53,158 pages from 2009 to 2026
East Lycoming Shopper
1,472 pages from 2021 to 2022
Gameday
566 pages from 2009 to 2010
Gazette And Bulletin
389,876 pages from 1901 to 1955
Grit
661,966 pages from 1907 to 1983
Grit Daily Sun And Banner
1,564 pages from 1882 to 1884
Immanuel German Reformed Church
398 pages in 1839
Industrial Union
32 pages in 1891
Knights Funeral Home
8,656 pages from 1900 to 1936
Lycoming Daily Gazette
2,444 pages in 1868
Lycoming Gazette
6,324 pages from 1809 to 1864
Lycoming Recorder
824 pages from 1887 to 1888
LyCourier
424 pages from 2006 to 2010
Marriage Licenses
2,934 pages in 1901
Muncy Meeting
1,076 pages from 1778 to 1944
News-Mirror
592 pages in 1933
Pennsylvania Grit
31,336 pages from 1887 to 1907
Port Byron Chronicle And Cayuga County News
2,678 pages from 1951 to 1953
Real Estate Tax Record
2,130 pages from 1808 to 1826
Shopper
624 pages in 2021
Showcase
4,206 pages from 2009 to 2010
Star Of Hope
926 pages from 1879 to 1882
Sun Saver
80 pages in 2012
Sun Saver
7,120 pages from 2011 to 2021
Sunday Grit
59,552 pages from 1884 to 1990
The Citizen Press
17,790 pages from 1974 to 1979
The Daily Sun And Banner
21,366 pages from 1881 to 1890
The Daily Truth
732 pages from 1898 to 1901
The Democratic Banner
792 pages from 1874 to 1876
The Evening News
34,968 pages from 1894 to 1906
The Grip
8 pages in 1889
The Holiday Grit
176 pages in 1988
The Item
10 pages in 1888
The Labor Record
16 pages in 1886
The Luminary
85,300 pages from 1841 to 2026
The Lycoming Chronicle
1,726 pages from 1833 to 1837
The Lycoming Chronicle And West Branch Record
1,336 pages from 1829 to 1833
The Lycoming Gazette And Chronicle
394 pages from 1837 to 1838
The Morning News
120 pages in 1894
The Muncy Luminary And Lycoming County Advertiser
50,816 pages from 1844 to 1939
The Port Byron Chronicle
6,134 pages from 1900 to 1917
The Times
34 pages from 1894 to 1897
The West Branch Bulletin
2,464 pages from 1863 to 1868
The Williamsport Examiner
1,128 pages from 1955 to 1956
The Williamsport News
32,448 pages from 1889 to 1912
The Williamsport Sun
512,968 pages from 1900 to 1955
The Williamsport Sun And Banner
26,054 pages from 1890 to 1900
The Williamsport Sun And Lycoming Democrat
7,990 pages from 1870 to 1880
The Williamsport Times
50 pages from 1884 to 1932
Tri-Weekly Gazette And Bulletin
16 pages in 1908
Voices
548 pages from 2006 to 2010
Weekly Democratic Banner
16 pages in 1881
Weekly Sun And Banner
3,118 pages from 1881 to 1886
West Branch Beobachter
3,770 pages from 1883 to 1895
West Branch Republican
564 pages from 1838 to 1839
West-Branch Democrat
420 pages from 1864 to 1865
Williamsport Daily Standard
2,128 pages from 1868 to 1869
Williamsport Guardian
460 pages from 2006 to 2010
Williamsport Meginnes Diaries
4,630 pages in 1901
Williamsport Morning Standard
480 pages in 1868
Williamsport Republican
12 pages from 1891 to 1892
Williamsport Sun-Gazette
1,903,878 pages from 1955 to 2026
Visit or contact the institution for access details.
Partner Story
This Resource Is Only Accessible At The Library
While access to these archives is free, visitors must visit the library to view them. We encourage you to visit the James V. Brown Library to explore these archives and take advantage of their other services and resources. Whether you are researching family history, delving into local history, or seeking a quiet place to read and learn, the library provides a welcoming environment and extensive support to meet your needs.
The James V. Brown Library also offers a sizable collection of public domain content that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, and on any device.
About the Archive
Click Here To Access The James V. Brown History Archives Public Domain Archive
You can explore the community's rich history for free and connect with the past in a meaningful way, no matter where you are.
About the Library
About This In-Library Research Resource
The James V. Brown Library offers a comprehensive collection of digital archives accessible only within the library premises. This restricted access is due to respecting copyright laws and the wishes of copyright holders. We invite you to visit the library to explore these valuable resources and all the other services the library makes available. These historical newspapers and other local history resources are made possible through its partnership with Advantage Archives with significant and generous grant funding from the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania, the Williamsport Lycoming Community Fund, and the Randall F. Hipple Fund to digitize its local newspaper microfilm collection. The Lycoming County Genealogy Society also provided additional funding support. This valuable resource for researchers, genealogists, and history enthusiasts is only possible thanks to these partnerships.
About the Library
About The James V. Brown Library
The James V. Brown Library , located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania , serves the community with a wide range of resources and services. Established in 1907, it was a bequest to the city from lumber baron and philanthropist James VanDuzee Brown. The library's mission is to be a place for learning, connection, and growth, and it continues to uphold this mission by providing access to books, technology, and various programs.
Library History
The History Of The James V. Brown Library
The James V. Brown Library opened in June 1907 and was the result of a bequest from James VanDuzee Brown, a lumber baron who wished to provide a free public library for the people of Williamsport. The library was designed to serve as a center for community learning and engagement. Over the years, it has expanded its services and facilities, including branches and reading stations in Montoursville, Newberry, and other locations. The library has been a vital part of the community, offering a variety of programs and resources. It was one of the first libraries in the region to provide access to the internet and continues to be a leader in digital innovation. The library's collection includes over 225,000 items, and it serves more than 225,000 visitors annually.
About the Community
About The Williamsport Area
Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is known for its rich history and cultural heritage. It is the birthplace of Little League Baseball and has a strong tradition of community and civic engagement. The city played a significant role in the lumber industry during the 19th century, which contributed to its growth and prosperity. Today, Williamsport is home to a diverse population and offers a variety of cultural and recreational opportunities.
Local History
Did You Know?
- Williamsport is known as the birthplace of Little League Baseball, with the first game played in 1939.
- The James V. Brown Library was established in 1907, thanks to a generous bequest from James VanDuzee Brown.
- Williamsport was once the lumber capital of the world, with more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States during the late 1800s.
- The city is home to the World of Little League Museum, which attracts visitors from all over the world.
If your area does not currently have a Community History Archive and you would like to see more local history available online, please reach out to your local library, newspaper publisher, genealogical society, historical society, or educational institution and encourage them to call (888) 647-0825 to explore a partnership with Advantage Archives.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Read the sources alongside one another
A story connected with Bastress may take shape across the different materials shared by James V. Brown Library. Use the descriptions here to identify materials to ask the institution about; access and availability must be confirmed with the institution. Note whether a detail comes from a marker, cemetery register, funeral record, or another item. Preserve the name, date, and plot or page reference where supplied; an inscription or notice alone may not establish a family relationship.
Keep the organization, date, role, and document type tied to the wording the source provides. Historical terminology and institutional boundaries can change; a past record does not establish a present-day status or affiliation. A second source may confirm a detail, complicate it, or leave it open. Compare its date and context before joining the accounts into one story.
Record which title, date, page, or item supports a useful lead. Mark unanswered questions before connecting it to a family or community story. A similar name can point you toward another source, but it is not proof of identity. If the institution suggests another source, note why it may help and whether you have had a chance to consult it. Keep its reference beside the question it may answer.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the James V. Brown 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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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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