13Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Knox County Public Library
Vincennes, Indiana
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Vincennes.
1835 to 2026Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
924,922Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Vincennes, Indiana.
Explore the past of Vincennes, Indiana through newspapers in the Knox County Public Library's digital archive. Its thirteen titles include material from 1835 to 2026.
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Selected titles
The collection from Knox County Public Library includes “The Vincennes Commercial” and “Western Sun”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.
Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. 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 archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse thirteen titles and 924,922 digitized pages, with material from 1835 to 2026. This collection is shared through Knox County Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Explore the titles below for a closer look at the places, people and everyday life of earlier generations.
The Vincennes Commercial
124,116 pages from 1906 to 1931
The Vincennes Sun
1,868 pages from 1931 to 1935
The Vincennes Sun-Commercial
433,156 pages from 1930 to 2021
The Vincennes Times
3,284 pages from 1865 to 1873
The Vincennes Weekly Sun
11,956 pages from 1856 to 1878
The Weekly Western Sun
4,384 pages from 1875 to 1883
The Western Sun
30,192 pages from 1882 to 1919
The Western Sun and General Advertiser
8,206 pages from 1835 to 1924
Vincennes Commercial
52,756 pages from 1886 to 1909
Vincennes Daily Commercial
35,158 pages from 1884 to 1909
Vincennes Sun-Commercial
219,828 pages from 1973 to 2026
Vincennes Weekly Sun
10 pages in 1875
Western Sun
8 pages in 1919
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About the Library
About Knox County Public Library
The Knox County Public Library, established in 1889 on the second floor of Vincennes City Hall, has played a significant role in the community’s educational and cultural development. The library's original Collegiate Gothic-style building, funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, was dedicated to the public in 1919. Today, it continues to be a beacon of enlightenment, offering a wealth of programs, services, and materials for all ages. In 1978, the library became the Knox County Public Library, and a modern addition was dedicated in 1976 to accommodate the growing community needs.
Library History
The History Of Knox County Public Library
The library has stood as a cornerstone in Knox County for over a century. Its rich history began in Vincennes City Hall, and it grew to become a vital resource for the community with the help of Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropy. In 2015, it won the Regional Preservation Award from Indiana Landmarks, further cementing its role in preserving and promoting local history. Today, it continues to enrich the lives of local residents through its extensive archives, public programs, and services.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that Knox County Public Library was the recipient of the Indiana Historical Society's 2012 Outstanding Historical Organization Award? The award highlights the library’s dedication to providing exemplary public service and community engagement through its programs.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Trace a name across nearby issues
A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Vincennes. The digital archive shared by the Knox County Public Library offers a place to begin. 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 name does not appear, try an alternate spelling or a related term, then read around any match. Note the issue date and page so a result stays connected to its context. Use those details to follow a story without treating one search result as a complete answer.
Build a trail through the past that someone else can follow: record the title, date, page or item reference, and a link when available. Keep historical quotations distinct from your own interpretation. If accounts disagree, note what each source supports before deciding how the details fit together in a family or community story.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Knox 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…
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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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