3Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Winfield Public Library
Winfield, Kansas
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Winfield.
1922 to 2020Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
408,486Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Winfield, Kansas.
Get to know Winfield, Kansas in earlier years through the newspapers shared in the Winfield Public Library's digital archive. Its three titles include material from 1922 to 2020.
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Selected titles
Winfield Public Library shares titles including “The Cowley Courier Traveler” as well as “Winfield Courier and Daily Free Press”.
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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 three titles and 408,486 digitized pages, with material from 1922 to 2020. A partnership between Winfield Public Library and Advantage Archives makes this collection available. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A familiar name or place can be the beginning of a story. Explore the titles below to see where that connection leads.
The Cowley Courier Traveler
17,205 pages from 2017 to 2020
Winfield Courier and Daily Free Press
20,943 pages from 1925 to 1931
Winfield Daily Courier
370,338 pages from 1922 to 2016
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About the Library
About Winfield Public Library
The Winfield Public Library, located at 605 College in Winfield, KS, on the historic Baden Square, has been serving the local community for over 110 years since January 1913. The library is dedicated to providing materials and opportunities for lifelong learning through a wide range of programs and services. It fosters a strong sense of community by promoting learning from parents teaching babies to adults learning together, strengthening the circle of learning for everyone.
Library History
The History Of Winfield Public Library
Founded in January 1913, the Winfield Public Library has played a vital role in supporting the educational and cultural development of Winfield. Situated in the historic Baden Square, the library’s mission to provide access to materials and learning opportunities continues to evolve with the community’s needs. For more than a century, the library has been a cornerstone of local education, culture, and lifelong learning.
About the Community
About Winfield, Kansas
Winfield, Kansas, is a vibrant city in Cowley County, known for its historical significance and thriving arts and music scene. Founded in the mid-19th century, Winfield quickly grew into a bustling town. Today, it’s home to Southwestern College and the annual Walnut Valley Festival, bringing together music enthusiasts from across the country. The city’s dedication to education and the arts makes it a wonderful place for residents and visitors alike.
Local History
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Winfield Public Library was one of the first institutions built in the area to serve the educational needs of the community? Its long-standing dedication to fostering a love of reading and learning has made it a cherished local institution for over a century.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Follow a story beyond the first mention
Start with something you would like to understand about the past of Winfield. It might be a person, a neighborhood or an event remembered in your family. Use the digital archive shared by the Winfield 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.
When a promising newspaper lead runs out, check the dates and titles represented before trying another name, place, or nearby issue. Keep unsuccessful searches with useful findings; gaps in coverage can limit what a search reveals. Use the dates and references to shape your next question, not as proof a missing result never existed.
As you piece together a story from the past, note where each detail came from and why it matters. Include the title, date, and page or item reference. Mark uncertain identifications and unanswered questions so a promising connection does not become an unsupported fact.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Winfield 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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