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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Petersburg Public Library

Petersburg, Alaska

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

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8Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1913 to 2024Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

144,562Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Petersburg, Alaska.

Get to know Petersburg, Alaska in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Petersburg Public Library's digital archive. Its eight titles include material from 1913 to 2024.

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

    In the collection shared by Petersburg Public Library, you will find “Petersburg Herald” and “The Progressive”.

  • 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.

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 eight titles and 144,562 digitized pages, with material from 1913 to 2024. A partnership between Petersburg Public Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. 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.

Petersburg Herald

480 pages in 1924

Petersburg Pilot

94,326 pages from 1974 to 2024

Petersburg Press

38,088 pages from 1926 to 1974

Petersburg Weekly Report

4,452 pages from 1914 to 1924

The New Petersburg Press

3,064 pages from 1964 to 1966

The Petersburg Herald

1,220 pages from 1924 to 1926

The Petersburg Press

2,156 pages from 1932 to 1935

The Progressive

776 pages from 1913 to 1914

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About the Library

About The Petersburg Public Library

The Petersburg Public Library, located in Petersburg, Alaska, serves as a vital resource for knowledge, learning, and community engagement. Established in 1931, the library has evolved from a small bookshelf under the auspices of the American Legion Auxiliary into a thriving space at the center of public life. The library's mission is to connect the community to the world of ideas.

Petersburg Public Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of The Petersburg Public Library

The Petersburg Public Library has a long and vibrant history. Founded in 1931, the library started as a small bookshelf managed by the American Legion Auxiliary. Over the years, it has grown to become a central hub for the community. In 2013, the library moved into a new 10,000 square foot facility, significantly expanding its services and resources. Today, the library offers public meeting rooms, free computers and Wi-Fi, test proctoring, passport services, and exhibit spaces for local art and collections. The collection includes over 40,000 items, and the knowledgeable staff is always available to help with any questions.

About the Community

About Petersburg, Alaska

Petersburg, located on Mitkof Island in Alaska, is known for its rich maritime history and vibrant cultural heritage. The town was founded by Norwegian settlers and has maintained its Scandinavian influences, which are evident in local traditions and festivals. Visitors can explore the Clausen Memorial Museum, which showcases the history and culture of Petersburg, or enjoy the stunning natural beauty of the surrounding areas, including the LeConte Glacier. Petersburg’s strong sense of community and commitment to preserving its history make it a unique and welcoming place to live and visit.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that Petersburg, Alaska, is often called “Little Norway” due to its strong Scandinavian heritage? Another interesting fact is that the town was founded by Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann in the late 19th century. The Petersburg Public Library plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting the town's history, including maintaining archives of local newspapers that date back to 1913. Additionally, the library’s 10,000 square foot facility, opened in 2013, includes spaces for local art and collections, reflecting the community's commitment to cultural enrichment and lifelong learning.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Look for the story behind a result

Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Petersburg. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Petersburg 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. 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.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

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