5Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Morrill Memorial Library
Norwood, Massachusetts
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Norwood.
1887 to 1965Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
39,652Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Norwood, Massachusetts.
Get to know Norwood, Massachusetts in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Morrill Memorial Library's digital archive. Its five titles include material from 1887 to 1965.
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Selected titles
The collection from Morrill Memorial Library includes “Advertiser and Review” as well as “Norwood Free Press”.
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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.
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 five titles and 39,652 digitized pages, with material from 1887 to 1965. A partnership between Morrill Memorial Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. 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.
Advertiser and Review
4,256 pages from 1887 to 1894
Norfolk County Free Press
8,894 pages from 1950 to 1962
Norfolk County Press
6,454 pages from 1962 to 1965
Norwood Advertiser
9,056 pages from 1894 to 1905
Norwood Free Press
10,992 pages from 1937 to 1950
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About the Library
About The Morrill Memorial Library
The Morrill Memorial Library is the free public lending library of the town of Norwood, Massachusetts. Within its walls, borrowers can access over 93,300 physical items, including books, DVDs, audiobooks, and objects such as games, tools, and electronics. The library also hosts extensive collections of downloadable e-books and audiobooks, streaming video and music, and online databases. Every year, hundreds of programs take place in the library, including lectures, concerts, and children’s storytimes. The library's mission is to enrich the lives of all users with cultural, educational, and recreational programs and materials.
Library History
The History Of The Morrill Memorial Library
The Morrill Memorial Library has a rich history of serving the Norwood community. As the free public lending library of Norwood, it has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of its patrons. The library provides access to a wide range of physical and digital resources, ensuring that community members have the tools they need for lifelong learning, entertainment, and personal growth. Over the years, the library has expanded its collections and services, making it a central hub for cultural and educational activities in Norwood.
About the Community
About The Norwood Area
Norwood, located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, is a vibrant town with a rich historical background. Established in 1872, Norwood has grown from its early days as a small industrial town into a thriving community known for its excellent public services, strong sense of community, and diverse cultural and recreational opportunities. The town is home to several historical landmarks, parks, and community events that reflect its long history and commitment to preserving its heritage.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Morrill Memorial Library hosts hundreds of programs every year? These events include lectures, concerts, and children’s storytimes, providing a wide range of cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities for the Norwood community.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Trace a name across nearby issues
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Norwood. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Morrill Memorial 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.
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 Morrill Memorial 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.
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Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
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This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
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This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
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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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