11Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Lincoln County
Lincoln, Maine
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Lincoln.
1851 to 2008Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
220,548Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Lincoln, Maine.
Discover another side of Lincoln, Maine through newspapers preserved in Lincoln County's digital archive. Its eleven titles include material from 1851 to 2008.
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Selected titles
In the collection shared by Lincoln County, you will find “Boothbay Register” and “Waldoboro Press”.
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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 eleven titles and 220,548 digitized pages, with material from 1851 to 2008. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Lincoln County shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
If you are tracing a family connection or exploring local history, the titles below offer a place to begin and a thread to follow.
Boothbay Register
16 pages in 1954
Damariscotta Holiday Review
16 pages in 1883
Democrat and Free Press
8 pages in 1860
Herald and Record
524 pages from 1877 to 1878
Independent Reporter
16 pages in 1950
Lincoln County News
168,990 pages from 1919 to 2008
Lincoln County News
15,058 pages from 1874 to 1909
Lincoln Democrat
32 pages from 1851 to 1853
Sheepscot Echo
6,422 pages from 1891 to 1918
Village Herald
324 pages from 1876 to 1877
Waldoboro Press
29,142 pages from 1939 to 1968
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About the Community
About The Lincoln County News
The Lincoln County News is an integral part of the local community, providing in-depth coverage of Lincoln County's news and events. Established in 1875, the newspaper has been a trusted source for over a century. From local politics to cultural stories, the paper continues to serve as a vital resource for residents, preserving the history of the county with its weekly publication.
Partner Story
The History Of The Lincoln County News
The history of The Lincoln County News dates back to 1854 when it was first published as the Lincoln Advertiser. In 1875, E.E. Dunbar took over the publication, marking the official founding of The Lincoln County News. Over the decades, the newspaper has adapted to the changing times, growing in circulation and expanding its coverage. Its archives, now digitized, provide an invaluable resource for those researching local history, reflecting the changes and developments of the region over more than a century.
About the Community
About Lincoln County, Maine
Located along the mid-coast region of Maine, Lincoln County is known for its picturesque landscapes and maritime heritage. Established in 1760, the county has a long tradition of shipbuilding, fishing, and agriculture, which continue to play important roles in its economy today. The county's small towns and rich history make it a unique place with a deep sense of community.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that Lincoln County is home to the Damariscotta River oyster shell middens, some of the largest shell heaps in North America? These ancient sites offer a glimpse into the lives of Native Americans who lived in the region thousands of years ago.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Look for the story behind a result
The history of Lincoln includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by Lincoln County, 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. Search a person, place, or event with a second term, then compare the date and context of each result. A repeated name needs more evidence before it identifies the same person or connects two parts of a story.
After recording the issue and page, search a second term tied to the result and compare the surrounding dates and accounts. Keep matching names provisional until the place and context fit. This can turn one result into a better question without turning a repeated name into a confirmed story.
Capture the title, date, and page or item location for a detail you may want to revisit. Label your interpretation as your reading, not the source's own words. Keep enough context with the note that another reader can retrace it.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of Lincoln County, 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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