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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Lexington Public Library

Lexington, Nebraska

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

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10Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1874 to 1999Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

227,832Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Lexington, Nebraska.

Discover another side of Lexington, Nebraska through newspapers preserved in the Lexington Public Library's digital archive. Its ten titles include material from 1874 to 1999.

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

    The collection from Lexington Public Library includes “Dawson County Gazette” and “The Overton Herald”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • 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.

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 ten titles and 227,832 digitized pages, with material from 1874 to 1999. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Lexington Public Library shares these sources from the past. 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.

Dawson County Gazette

884 pages from 1889 to 1890

Dawson County Pioneer

20,206 pages from 1874 to 1925

Lexington Clipper-Herald

30,918 pages from 1991 to 1999

Protection And Reciprocity

10 pages in 1892

The Clipper-Citizen

24,274 pages from 1893 to 1922

The Lexington Clipper

132,780 pages from 1892 to 1991

The Lexington Gazette

2,812 pages from 1890 to 1893

The Lexington News

1,512 pages from 1897 to 1899

The Overton Herald

11,402 pages from 1912 to 1933

The Plum Creek Gazette

3,034 pages from 1884 to 1889

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About the Archive

About the Lexington Public Library's History Archives

The Lexington Public Library offers free access to historical resources through its digital archives, provided in partnership with Advantage Archives . The Lexington Public Library has digitized thousands of pages from local newspapers, allowing the public to freely explore the rich history of Lexington, Nebraska.

Lexington Public Library photo 1

About the Library

About the Lexington Public Library

The Lexington Public Library serves as a cornerstone of the community, offering a welcoming space for learning, exploration, and personal growth. By providing access to books, technology, and programs, the library enriches the lives of its patrons and fosters a sense of belonging.

Library History

The History of the Lexington Public Library

The Lexington Public Library has been a vital part of the community since its founding. Over the years, it has adapted to the evolving needs of its patrons, expanding its offerings to include digital resources and community-centered programs.

About the Community

About Lexington, Nebraska

Lexington, located in Dawson County, Nebraska, is known for its rich agricultural heritage and vibrant community. With a history deeply tied to the railroad and farming industries, Lexington has grown into a diverse and thriving town.

Local History

Did You Know?

  • Lexington was originally named Plum Creek and played a significant role in Nebraska’s railroad development.
  • The Lexington Public Library continues to be a community hub, offering programs that inspire learning and creativity for all ages.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Trace a name across nearby issues

The history of Lexington includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Lexington Public Library, 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.

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.

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Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Lexington 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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