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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Lambertville Free Public Library

Lambertville, New Jersey

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Lambertville.

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6Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1860 to 1978Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

16,497Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Lambertville, New Jersey.

Get to know Lambertville, New Jersey in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Lambertville Free Public Library's digital archive. Its six titles include material from 1860 to 1978.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    A selection from Lambertville Free Public Library: “Beacon” as well as “Beacon and Lambertville Record”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • 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 six titles and 16,497 digitized pages, with material from 1860 to 1978. A partnership between Lambertville Free Public 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.

Beacon

225 pages from 1862 to 1863

Beacon and Lambertville Record

1,129 pages from 1977 to 1978

Lambertville Beacon

7,098 pages from 1865 to 1911

Peoples Beacon

573 pages from 1860 to 1862

The Beacon

322 pages in 1937

The Lambertville Beacon

7,150 pages from 1901 to 1937

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About the Archive

About The Lambertville Free Public Library’s History Archives

Explore the Lambertville Free Public Library ’s historical collection of local newspapers, available through our partnership with Advantage Archives . This archive provides free access to thousands of pages, offering a rich look into Lambertville’s history from 1860 to 1978. By preserving these valuable documents, the library ensures that the history of Lambertville remains accessible to the public for research, genealogy, and educational purposes.

Lambertville Free Public Library photo 1

About the Library

About The Lambertville Free Public Library

The Public Library has proudly served the community since 1882, providing access to a wide range of resources, including books, newspapers, historical documents, and digital resources. The library is committed to fostering a love of reading and supporting the educational, informational, and cultural needs of the diverse Lambertville community.

Library History

The History Of The Lambertville Free Public Library

Founded in 1882, the library has grown to become a vital resource for the local community. Located in the heart of Lambertville, the library offers a welcoming space for patrons to explore, learn, and connect with a variety of materials, from historical documents to modern multimedia collections.

About the Community

About Lambertville, New Jersey

Lambertville, New Jersey , is a small town known for its vibrant arts scene, historical architecture, and close-knit community. Nestled along the Delaware River, the town has a rich history dating back to the early 18th century. The Lambertville Free Public Library plays an important role in preserving and sharing this history with residents and visitors alike.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the library’s archives include rare issues of "The Lambertville Beacon" dating back to 1860? These archives provide invaluable insight into the town’s history and community life over the past century and beyond.

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 Lambertville. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Lambertville Free 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. 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.

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Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Lambertville Free 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
Read All About It

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.

Newest published articles

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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