5Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Pittsfield Public Library
Pittsfield, Maine
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Pittsfield.
1819 to 1987Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
95,448Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Pittsfield, Maine.
Explore the past of Pittsfield, Maine through newspapers in the Pittsfield Public Library's digital archive. Its five titles include material from 1819 to 1987.
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Selected titles
Selected titles from Pittsfield Public Library include “Pittsfield Advertiser” and “Valley Times”.
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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.
Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Browse five titles and 95,448 digitized pages, with material from 1819 to 1987. This collection is shared through Pittsfield Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Follow a family connection or a question about the community through the titles below and the history they preserve.
Pittsfield Advertiser
64,432 pages from 1882 to 1982
Selectmens Reports
230 pages in 1908
Town Meeting Records
6,752 pages from 1819 to 1892
Valley Times
19,086 pages from 1972 to 1987
Valley Times and the Pittsfield Advertiser
4,948 pages from 1967 to 1972
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About the Library
About The Pittsfield Public Library
The Pittsfield Public Library has been serving the community since its dedication on May 28, 1904. The library was established through a combination of grants and donations, including a $15,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and an additional $10,000 raised by local citizens. Over time, the library has grown and evolved, becoming a vital resource for the community by offering access to a wide range of informational and recreational materials. In 2010, the library was expanded to better serve the needs of Pittsfield’s residents, providing additional space for reading, programs, and community events. Today, it remains a gathering place where people can explore, connect, and engage in lifelong learning.
Library History
The History Of The Pittsfield Public Library
The Pittsfield Public Library’s origins can be traced back to a meeting of the Pittsfield Tuesday Club in the early 20th century. The need for a library was recognized, and the local community came together to raise funds for its construction. The library was dedicated alongside a monument to the Soldiers of the Civil War in 1904. Over the decades, it has undergone renovations and expansions to accommodate the growing needs of the community. The 2010 expansion provided much-needed space for patrons, allowing for more programs, reading areas, and modern technology to support the needs of a changing population. Today, the Pittsfield Public Library continues to be a hub of learning and growth, serving residents with a wide variety of resources.
About the Community
About Pittsfield, Maine
Pittsfield is a small, historic town located in Somerset County, Maine. Settled in the early 19th century, Pittsfield has long been a center of industry and commerce in the region. Its early economy was driven by mills, agriculture, and the railroad, which contributed to the town's growth and development. Today, Pittsfield is known for its strong sense of community, vibrant history, and its annual Central Maine Egg Festival, which celebrates the town's agricultural heritage. With a blend of rural charm and a close-knit community, Pittsfield offers residents and visitors a welcoming and enriching environment.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that Pittsfield, Maine, is home to the largest egg festival in the state? The Central Maine Egg Festival, held every summer, celebrates the town’s rich agricultural history and is a beloved tradition in the community. The festival features a parade, egg-related contests, and activities for all ages.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Read a report in its time and place
A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Pittsfield. The digital archive shared by the Pittsfield Public Library offers a place to begin. 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. Check nearby issues or another listed newspaper when available. Differences in timing and wording can add perspective to a story, while the issue date and surrounding articles help show what kind of account you are reading.
Follow a promising report into a nearby issue or another title where available. Compare dates and surrounding coverage; a single account is one perspective on a story. Use the surrounding account to shape your next question, while keeping each source's perspective distinct.
Keep the title, date, page, or item reference with each useful finding. Separate the words in a historical account from your interpretation, and note conflicting perspectives rather than choosing one too quickly. These notes help connect a local story to its evidence and show what remains uncertain.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Pittsfield 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
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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