2Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Port Chester - Rye Brook Public Library
Port Chester, New York
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Port Chester.
1868 to 1919Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
33,124Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Port Chester – Rye Brook Public Library makes Port Chester history freely accessible.
Get to know Port Chester, New York in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Port Chester - Rye Brook Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes Port Chester Daily Item and Port Chester Journal, with material from 1868 to 1919.
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Selected titles
A selection from Port Chester - Rye Brook Public Library: “Port Chester Daily Item” and “Port Chester Journal”.
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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
Explore Port Chester Daily Item and Port Chester Journal through 33,124 digitized pages, with material from 1868 to 1919. A partnership between Port Chester - Rye Brook Public Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A family story or a question about a familiar place can lead somewhere unexpected. Browse the titles below and see which detail draws you in.
Port Chester Daily Item
7,976 pages from 1918 to 1919
Port Chester Journal
25,148 pages from 1868 to 1911
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About the Library
About The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library
The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library, located in Port Chester, New York, serves the communities of Port Chester and Rye Brook. Founded in 1876 by the Honorable Jared V. Peck, the library has been a cornerstone of the community for over a century. The library building, dedicated fifty years after its founding, is situated at Haseco and Westchester Avenues. An addition built in 1967 expanded the library’s floor space by 9,000 square feet. The library is funded by the Villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook, and all village residents are encouraged to become association members by obtaining a library card.
Library History
The History Of The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library
The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library was established in 1876 by the Honorable Jared V. Peck. The library building, dedicated fifty years later, is located at Haseco and Westchester Avenues. In 1967, an addition increased the library's floor space by 9,000 square feet. The library continues to serve as a vital resource for the communities of Port Chester and Rye Brook.
About the Community
About Port Chester, New York
Port Chester, located in Westchester County, New York, is a vibrant village with a rich history and a strong sense of community. The Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library plays a key role in the village, offering access to a wide range of resources and supporting the educational and recreational needs of its residents. The village’s history is well-documented through the library’s extensive collection of local newspapers and other historical materials.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library's digital archive includes the Port Chester Journal, which has been in publication from 1868 to 1911? This extensive collection provides a valuable window into the past of Port Chester and its surrounding areas, offering invaluable resources for historians and genealogists.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Compare accounts as you trace a story
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Port Chester. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Port Chester - Rye Brook 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. Use a report's date to look for earlier or later coverage where those issues are available. Compare what each account says and what it leaves out, treating a related mention as a lead rather than a complete history.
Compare each newspaper account with a nearby dated issue where available, noting what changes or stays consistent. Keep alternate versions and unresolved details visible rather than blending distinct sources into one story. Use those differences to frame a next question, not to settle the account before the sources support it.
Keep source details beside each quotation or observation. If accounts differ, preserve both references and note what remains unresolved. Let the evidence, rather than a smooth retelling, show where the sources agree and where the story is still open.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Port Chester - Rye Brook 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.
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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
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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