2Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Thomas St. Angelo Public Library of Cumberland
Cumberland, Wisconsin
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Cumberland.
1882 to 2025Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
186,730Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Cumberland, Wisconsin.
Discover another side of Cumberland, Wisconsin through newspapers preserved in the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library of Cumberland's digital archive. The archive includes Cumberland Advocate and Cumberland Herald, with material from 1882 to 2025.
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Selected titles
A selection from Thomas St. Angelo Public Library of Cumberland: “Cumberland Advocate” and “Cumberland Herald”.
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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.
The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Explore Cumberland Advocate and Cumberland Herald through 186,730 digitized pages, with material from 1882 to 2025. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Thomas St. Angelo Public Library of Cumberland shares these sources from the past. 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.
Cumberland Advocate
185,534 pages from 1885 to 2025
Cumberland Herald
1,196 pages from 1882 to 1885
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About the Archive
About the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library’s Digital Archives
The Thomas St. Angelo Public Library offers free and open access to historical newspapers, genealogical materials, and local history resources—providing an educational resource for researchers, genealogists, and community members interested in exploring Cumberland’s collective history. In partnership with Advantage Archives , the library is committed to preserving firsthand perspectives and making “history as it happened” accessible through digitization and archival collections.
About the Library
About the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library
Located at 1305 Second Avenue, Cumberland, Wisconsin 54829, the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library is a Carnegie-era public library serving approximately 6,790 residents. It houses about 24,633 volumes and circulates around 67,775 items annually. Library hours are Monday through Friday 9 am-7 pm, Saturday 9 am-1 pm; closed on Sundays. Contact: (715) 822-2767.
Library History
The History of the Library & Cumberland Publications
The Cumberland Public Library building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its architectural, educational, and social significance. It remains an active center of learning, public access, and community history. The newspaper *The Cumberland Advocate* first began in 1885 (preceded by *The Cumberland Herald*) and has continued to serve as a primary chronicle of local life.
About the Community
About Cumberland, Wisconsin & Barron County
Cumberland is a city in Barron County, Wisconsin, with a history shaped by milling, agriculture, and railroad connections. It functions as a hub for regional commerce and culture, preserving its heritage through institutions like the library and newspaper.
Local History
Did You Know?
- The *Cumberland Advocate* originally had alternative titles (Morgan’s Farm Advocate, Organized Farmer) in its masthead through various times in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- The library is named after Thomas St. Angelo (1889-1967), a local figure and state assemblyman, in recognition of his service and local roots.
Explore historical newspapers, community records, and genealogy resources via the Digital Archives: Visit the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library Digital Archives .
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Compare accounts as you trace a story
The history of Cumberland includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Thomas St. Angelo Public Library of Cumberland, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. 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 Thomas St. Angelo Public Library of Cumberland, 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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