19Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Moline Public Library
Moline, Illinois
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Moline.
1854 to 1993Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
1,831,992Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Moline, Illinois.
Discover another side of Moline, Illinois through newspapers preserved in the Moline Public Library's digital archive. Its nineteen titles include material from 1854 to 1993.
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Selected titles
Examples from Moline Public Library’s collection include “Daily Dispatch” and “Weekly Mail”.
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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 nineteen titles and 1,831,992 digitized pages, with material from 1854 to 1993. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Moline Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Start with a detail you already know, then browse the titles below for another perspective on the people and places connected with this collection.
Daily Dispatch
29,188 pages from 1969 to 1980
Daily Journal
396 pages in 1904
Evening Mail
13,868 pages from 1900 to 1914
Moline Daily Dispatch
954,284 pages from 1895 to 1969
Moline Daily Journal
8,046 pages from 1901 to 1907
Moline Evening Mail And Journal
26,042 pages from 1909 to 1913
Moline Independent
24 pages in 1858
Moline Mail And Journal
13,914 pages from 1907 to 1909
Moline Review
3,852 pages from 1873 to 1880
Moline Review Dispatch
4,988 pages from 1891 to 1910
Moline Sunday Mail And Journal
888 pages from 1910 to 1911
Moline Weekly Journal
2,700 pages from 1903 to 1906
Moline Weekly Mail
336 pages in 1902
Moline Workman
1,028 pages from 1854 to 1857
Review Dispatch
3,828 pages from 1880 to 1889
Sunday Mail
2,736 pages from 1900 to 1902
The Daily Dispatch
722,486 pages from 1970 to 1992
The Dispatch
42,116 pages from 1992 to 1993
Weekly Mail
1,272 pages from 1899 to 1902
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About the Archive
About The Moline Public Library's History Archives
The Moline Public Library provides free access to a vast collection of historical newspapers through its archives. In collaboration with Advantage Archives , the library offers over 1.1 million pages of digitized content spanning from 1854 to 1993. This rich selection of historical newspapers allows the community to engage with their collective history and access valuable primary sources. The digitization project was made possible through grants and community donations, reflecting a shared commitment to enhancing accessibility to historical content.
About the Library
About The Moline Public Library
The Moline Public Library inspires lifelong learning, creates community, and transforms lives with quality resources and services. Established to serve as a vital educational resource, the library continually adapts to meet the diverse needs of its patrons through innovative programming and access to historical materials. By promoting information literacy and providing a welcoming space, the library plays a crucial role in enriching the lives of individuals in the community.
Library History
The History Of The Moline Public Library
Founded in the late 19th century, the Moline Public Library has a rich history marked by growth and evolution. Originally starting as a small collection of books, it has expanded significantly over the decades, adapting to the technological advancements and changing needs of the community. The library has celebrated numerous milestones, including its centennial anniversary, showcasing its long-standing commitment to serving the public. Today, the library stands as a beacon of knowledge and community engagement, continuing to innovate and provide access to resources for generations to come.
About the Community
About Moline, Illinois
Moline, located in Rock Island County, Illinois, has a vibrant history that dates back to the early 1800s. Once a significant hub for manufacturing and transportation, Moline has developed into a community that values its historical roots and cultural offerings. The city's institutions, including the Moline Public Library, reflect the stories and contributions of its residents. As a community dedicated to preserving its history, Moline offers access to numerous historical documents and resources, connecting residents with their heritage.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Moline Public Library was one of the first libraries in Illinois to integrate technology into its services? This initiative, which began in the late 20th century, significantly enhanced the accessibility of information for patrons. Additionally, the library's historical archives are an invaluable resource for researchers and local history enthusiasts, providing insight into the rich past of Moline and its residents.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Check a text match against the page
The history of Moline includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Moline 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 search result looks incomplete or misspelled, inspect the scanned page when available. Record the issue date and page, then distinguish the printed wording from search text before following the story to another mention.
If a text match looks incomplete, compare it with the scanned newspaper page when available. Check whether wording or names differ, then record the page's printed wording with the issue date and page. Keep the search result distinct from what the page itself shows.
As you connect materials, note where each detail came from and what it can support. Record the title, date, and page or item reference where available. Keep names and relationships tentative until the evidence is strong enough to connect them, and mark which words come from the record and which are your interpretation.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Moline 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
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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
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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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