8Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Queen Anne's County Free Library
Easton, Maryland
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Easton.
1933 to 2019Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
391,462Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Queen Anne’s County Free Library makes Easton history freely accessible.
Get to know Easton, Maryland in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Queen Anne's County Free Library's digital archive. Its eight titles include material from 1933 to 2019.
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Selected titles
A selection from Queen Anne's County Free Library: “Bay Times” and “Record Observer”.
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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.
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 391,462 digitized pages, with material from 1933 to 2019. A partnership between Queen Anne's County Free 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.
Bay Times
18,596 pages from 1965 to 1990
Kent Island Bay Times
166,588 pages from 1981 to 2018
Kent Island Bay Times Record Observer
24 pages in 2018
Queen Annes Record
3,064 pages from 1933 to 1936
Queen Annes Record Observer
140,948 pages from 1936 to 2003
Queens Anne's Record Observer
72 pages in 1987
Record Observer
58,456 pages from 2003 to 2019
The Kent Island Bay Times
3,714 pages in 2019
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About the Library
About Queen Anne's County Free Library
The Queen Anne’s County Free Library is committed to providing free and equitable access to information, promoting lifelong learning, and fostering a sense of community among its patrons. The library has branches in Centreville and Kent Island, offering a wide range of materials and programs for all ages. Through its digital archives, Queen Anne’s County Free Library ensures the preservation and accessibility of local history for future generations.
Library History
The History Of Queen Anne's County Free Library
Founded in 1906, Queen Anne’s County Free Library has been a cornerstone of the community for over a century. The library continues to adapt to the changing needs of its patrons, offering both physical and digital resources to serve the diverse population of Queen Anne's County. With the introduction of its digital newspaper archive, the library has enhanced its role in preserving local history, making historical documents more accessible than ever.
About the Community
About Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County, located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, is known for its rich history, beautiful waterfronts, and agricultural heritage. Founded in 1706, the county is steeped in colonial history and played a significant role in Maryland’s development. Today, it is home to a vibrant community that values both its historical roots and its growth as a modern hub for education, culture, and commerce.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that Queen Anne's County is one of the oldest counties in Maryland, established in 1706? The Queen Anne's County Free Library preserves this rich history through its digital newspaper archive, offering a wealth of historical information at your fingertips.
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 Easton. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Queen Anne's County Free 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 Queen Anne's County Free 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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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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