5Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Woonsocket Harris Public Library
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Woonsocket.
1899 to 1980Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
969,180Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Discover another side of Woonsocket, Rhode Island through newspapers preserved in the Woonsocket Harris Public Library's digital archive. Its five titles include material from 1899 to 1980.
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Selected titles
Examples from Woonsocket Harris Public Library’s collection include “Providence County Times” as well as “The Woonsocket Call And Evening Reporter”.
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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.
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
Browse five titles and 969,180 digitized pages, with material from 1899 to 1980. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Woonsocket Harris Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
Start with a detail you already know, then browse the titles below for another perspective on the people and places connected with this collection.
Providence County Times
16 pages in 1928
The Woonsocket Call
Page count not currently available dates not yet available
The Evening Call
33,574 pages from 1899 to 1908
The Evening Reporter
2,160 pages in 1906
The Woonsocket Call And Evening Reporter
933,430 pages from 1908 to 1980
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About the Archive
About The Woonsocket History Archives
The Woonsocket Harris Public Library boasts several special collections highlighting various aspects of the area’s rich industrial, political, social, and genealogical history. These collections are meticulously curated to preserve and celebrate the local heritage of Woonsocket and its surrounding areas. The library's partnership with Advantage Archives to provide free access to local history was made possible through a grant awarded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services with funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These archives include digitized versions of historical newspapers, such as those provided by The Call Publisher, who generously granted unrestricted copyright permissions. The efforts of The Call Editor and journalists in reporting local news and preserving Northern Rhode Island's history have been indispensable. The Woonsocket History Archives online digital archive can be accessed for free, allowing users to discover, learn from, and share the stories of people, places, and events that have shaped Woonsocket's history. The archives feature:
About the Library
About The Library
The Woonsocket Harris Public Library's vision is to build community connections and bridge the gap between people and resources virtually and in person. The library’s Director, Leslie Page, along with the dedicated staff, strive to provide exceptional, personalized service and ensure everyone in the community has access to a world of information. The Woonsocket Harris Public Library, one of the oldest public libraries in Rhode Island, was founded in 1866. This historic institution is the eighth-oldest public library in the state, reflecting a long-standing commitment to community service and education. Understanding its integral role in fostering individual growth and community development, the library offers local citizens a wide array of services and resources. The Harris Institute Library, located on the second floor of the Harris Institute Building on Main Street, opened its doors to the public on October 3, 1868. It was the first subscription-free public library in Rhode Island. The library was directly below Harris Hall, a significant historical site where Abraham Lincoln delivered an anti-slavery address in 1860. Edward Harris, a revered Woonsocket woolen manufacturer and philanthropist, founded the library.
Over time, the library outgrew its original space in the Harris Institute Building. A modern library building was constructed at its current location and dedicated on October 20, 1974. The new building, renamed the Woonsocket Harris Public Library, was designed to capture the essence of Woonsocket’s historic mills, which were situated along the Blackstone River Valley, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.
The library underwent a major expansion and renovation project, completed in 2001. The library was temporarily relocated to the former Cherry and Webb store on Diamond Hill Road during renovation. Despite the smaller space and limited access to the collection, the library staff continued to serve the public with dedication and resilience. The new and improved Woonsocket Harris Public Library celebrated its grand reopening on October 19, 2001.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Check a text match against the page
The history of Woonsocket includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Woonsocket Harris Public Library, 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. If a search result looks incomplete or misspelled, inspect the scanned page when available. Record the issue date and page, then distinguish the printed wording from search text before following the story to another mention.
If a text match looks incomplete, compare it with the scanned newspaper page when available. Check whether wording or names differ, then record the page's printed wording with the issue date and page. Keep the search result distinct from what the page itself shows.
As you connect materials, note where each detail came from and what it can support. Record the title, date, and page or item reference where available. Keep names and relationships tentative until the evidence is strong enough to connect them, and mark which words come from the record and which are your interpretation.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Woonsocket Harris 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
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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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