Delaware Online Historical Newspapers Summary

Delaware is one of the states that does not have a single central online state repository for historical newspapers, but do they use the Library of Congress Chronicling America site as their main sites for searching old newspapers. There are a few free online newspapers on other sites and collections available on subscription sites. Below is a list of where the titles are stored and the link so that you can access them. 

There are about 300 newspapers that have been published in the The First State – certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it – find your Delaware ancestors and all the interesting articles that capture the stories of their lives. 

Please note that I have not always entered the dates that are included in the collections, as I suspect they will change as more items are digitized. Also, I suspect that some of these links may change over time – so if there is a dead link – please use your favorite search engine to find their new location. 

(Updated February 2023; recently added links are in BOLD)

Delaware Historical Newspapers

Free Sites:

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America: Delaware Newspapers

• Clayton, Del., 1867-1870 – Clayton herald.
• Clayton, Del., 188?-189? – The Clayton call.
• Delaware City, Del., 188?-18?? – The Delaware City news.
• Delaware City, Del., 1913-19?? – Delaware City press.
• Delmar, Del., 1904-19?? – The Delmar news.
• Dover, Del., 1800-18?? – The Dover herald.
• Dover, Del., 1804-18?? – The Dover argus and Delaware advertiser.
• Dover, Del., 1853-1859 – Delaware State reporter.
• Dover, Del., 1859-1927 – The Delawarean.
• Faulkland, Del., 1892-18?? – The Faulkland quiz
• Georgetown, Del., 1838-18?? – The Sussex gazette.
• Georgetown, Del., 1858-18?? – The Messenger.
• Georgetown, Del., 1863-1866 – The Union.
• Georgetown, Del., 1882-1905 – The Delaware Democrat.
• Georgetown, Del., 1888-1933 – The Sussex Republican.
• Georgetown, Del., 189?-19?? – The Union Republican.
• Holly Oak, Del., 1889-1??? – Holly Oak journal.
• Laurel, Del., 189?-19?? – The Sussex Countian and Laurel gazette.
• Laurel, Del., 191?-19?? – The Delaware leader.
• Middletown, Del., 1868-current – Middletown transcript.
• Middletown, Del., 188?-18?? – The New era.
• Milford, Del., 1848-1855 – Milford beacon.
• Milford, Del., 1855-1859 – The Diamond state.
• Milford, Del., 1872-1904 – Peninsular news and advertiser.
• Milford, Del., 1878-1974 – Milford chronicle. [volume]
• Milford, Del., 1883-18?? – The Delaware farmer.
• Newark, Del., 18??-1??? – The Newark ledger.
• Newark, Del., 1876-1876 – Saturday visitor.
• Newark, Del., 1879-19?? – The Delaware ledger.
• Newark, Del., 1910-1969 – Newark post.
• Newport [Del.], 1889-1??? – Newport enterprise.
• Odessa, Del., 1888-1892 – The Odessa herald.
• Odessa, Del., 1892-18?? – The Odessa leader.
• Seaford, Del., 1944-1975 – The Delmarva leader and the Seaford news.
• Smyrna, Del., 1849-1850 – The Smyrna telegraph.
• Smyrna, Del., 1850-1854 – The Delaware herald.
• Smyrna, Del., 1854-1987 – Smyrna times. [volume]
• Smyrna, Del., 1870-1871 – The Herald.
• Smyrna, Del., 1897-19?? – The Smyrna call.
• Wilmington [Del., 1854-1855 – The statesman & blue hen’s chicken.
• Wilmington [Del.], 1827-1832 – Delaware journal.
• Wilmington, [Del.], 1809-1810 – The Delaware gazette.
• Wilmington, Del., 1798-1798 – The Wilmington mercury.
• Wilmington, Del., 1799-1806 – Mirror of the times & general advertiser.
• Wilmington, Del., 18??-18?? – Weekly Delaware State journal and statesman.
• Wilmington, Del., 18??-186? – Blue hen’s chicken and commonwealth.
• Wilmington, Del., 18??-19?? – The Wilmington Democrat.
• Wilmington, Del., 1800-1801 – The Monitor & Wilmington repository.
• Wilmington, Del., 1801-1802 – The Monitor, or, Delaware Federalist. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1804-1806 – Museum of Delaware. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1807-1809 – The Museum of Delaware & general advertiser. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1814-1820 – Delaware gazette and peninsula advertiser. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1814-1822 – American watchman.
• Wilmington, Del., 1822-1828 – American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1823-1824 – The Wilmingtonian.
• Wilmington, Del., 1824-1825 – The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register.
• Wilmington, Del., 1825-1827 – The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser.
• Wilmington, Del., 1827-1828 – Delaware weekly advertiser and farmer’s journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1828-1828 – Delaware patriot & American watchman.
• Wilmington, Del., 1828-1829 – The Delaware register, or, Farmers’, manufacturers’ and mechanics’ advocate.
• Wilmington, Del., 1828-1831 – Delaware advertiser and farmer’s journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1828-1837 – Delaware gazette and American watchman. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 183?-18?? – The Delawarean, and farmers’ and mechanics’ advertiser.
• Wilmington, Del., 1831-18?? – Wilmington expositor.
• Wilmington, Del., 1832-18?? – Delaware advertiser & star.
• Wilmington, Del., 1832-1833 – Delaware State journal, advertiser and star.
• Wilmington, Del., 1837-1883 – Delaware gazette.
• Wilmington, Del., 184?-18?? – Independent Delawarian.
• Wilmington, Del., 1841-1843 – Delaware Republican, and farmers’, manufacturers’ and mechanics’ advocate.
• Wilmington, Del., 1841-188? – Delaware weekly Republican.
• Wilmington, Del., 1843-1874 – Delaware Republican.
• Wilmington, Del., 1845-1848 – Blue hens chicken & Delaware Democratic Whig.
• Wilmington, Del., 1847-18?? – The Delaware abolitionist.
• Wilmington, Del., 1848-1854 – Blue hen’s chicken.
• Wilmington, Del., 1855-18?? – Weekly Delaware State journal, statesman and blue hen’s chicken.
• Wilmington, Del., 1855-1870 – Delaware State journal and statesman.
• Wilmington, Del., 1857-1858 – Delaware Democrat.
• Wilmington, Del., 1858-18?? – Daily enterprise.
• Wilmington, Del., 1858-18?? – Grimshaw’s messenger.
• Wilmington, Del., 1858-18?? – The commonwealth.
• Wilmington, Del., 1859-18?? – Delaware inquirer.
• Wilmington, Del., 1866-1877 – Wilmington daily commercial. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1867-1877 – Delaware tribune.
• Wilmington, Del., 1870-1883 – Delaware state journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1872-18?? – Delaware straight-out truth teller.
• Wilmington, Del., 1872-1874 – Wilmington daily gazette.
• Wilmington, Del., 1874-1883 – The daily gazette.
• Wilmington, Del., 1874-1890 – Daily Republican.
• Wilmington, Del., 1875-1880 – The Morning herald.
• Wilmington, Del., 1876-18?? – The Business index.
• Wilmington, Del., 1877-18?? – Delaware tribune, and the Delaware state journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1878-1928 – Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial.
• Wilmington, Del., 1879-18?? – The advertiser.
• Wilmington, Del., 1879-1879 – Holiday journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1879-1879 – The advertiser. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1880-18?? – The Sunday mirror.
• Wilmington, Del., 1880-18?? – Wilmington argus.
• Wilmington, Del., 1882-188? – The Wilmingtonian.
• Wilmington, Del., 1883-18?? – The Society news.
• Wilmington, Del., 1883-19?? – The Sunday critic.
• Wilmington, Del., 1883-1902 – Delaware gazette and state journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1885-19?? – Delaware farm and home.
• Wilmington, Del., 1886-18?? – The Weekly times.
• Wilmington, Del., 1888-1932 – Evening journal.
• Wilmington, Del., 1889-1??? – Weekly post. [volume]
• Wilmington, Del., 1890-1902 – The Wilmington daily Republican.
• Wilmington, Del., 1897-19?? – The sun.
• Wilmington, Del., 1899-19?? – The advance.
• Wilmington, Del., 19??-19?? – Wilmington lokal-anzeiger und Wilmington freie presse.
• Wilmington, Del., 1902-19?? – The daily Republican.
• Wilmington, Del., 1902-1902 – The evening Republican.

Google News Archive

• Lewes – Cape Gazette 
• Wilmington – Sunday Morning Star
• Wilmington – Wilmington Sunday Star 
• Wilmington – The Star
• Wilmington – Sunday Star

County and Library Collections:

New Castle Public Library Newspapers

• New Castle Gazette
• New Castle Weekly
• New Castle Eagle
• Weekly
• New Castle County Gazette
• Gazette
• The Weekly
• Weekly Newsletter

Seaford Historical Newspapers

• Sussex County Index
• The Delmarva Leader
• Seaford Tribune
• The Delaware Pilot
• The Leader and State Register
• The Seaford News
• Seaford High Aloha
• Seaford High Pow Wow

Student Collections:

Delaware State University – Dover

• Echo
• The Hornet

Delaware Tech – multiple campuses

• Delaware Tech Magazine
• Delaware Tech News

Goldey–Beacom College – Pike Creek Valley

• Reflections

University of Delaware – Newark

• Review

Wesley College – Dover

• Whetstone

Widener University Delaware Law School – Wilmington

• News

Wilmington University – New Castle

• WILMU

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Delaware Turnpike Scrapbook (clippings)

Delaware Archives – Newspaper Abstracts and Index

Old Fulton Postcards

• Delaware City DE News
• Dover DE Delawarean
• Dover DE Herald
• Middletown DE Transcript
• Newark DE Delaware Ledger
• Newark DE Post
• Wiilmington DE State Journal Statesman
• Wilmington DE American Watchman 1809-1817
• Wilmington DE American Watchman and Delaware Advertiser
• Wilmington DE Daily Commmercial
• Wilmington DE Daily Gazette
• Wilmington DE Daily Republican
• Wilmington DE Delaware Advertiser
• Wilmington DE Delaware Journal
• Wilmington DE Delaware Register
• Wilmington DE Delaware Republican
• Wilmington DE Delaware Tribune
• Wilmington DE Democrat
• Wilmington DE Evening Journal
• Wilmington DE Evening Republican
• Wilmington DE Gazette and State Journal
• Wilmington DE Gazette Watchman
• Wilmington DE Gazzette And Peninsula Advertiser
• Wilmington DE Mercury
• Wilmington DE Morning Herald
• Wilmington DE Patriot And American Watchmen
• Wilmington DE Republican And Farmer
• Wilmington DE State Journal
• Wilmington DE The Sun
• Wilmington DE Weekly Republican
• Wilmington DE Wilmingtonian

Small Town Papers

• Cape Gazette Lewes, Delaware

Southern School News Archive 

Newspaper Abstracts – Delaware
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For Obituary Indexes, transcriptions, and other death/obituary information from historic newspapers, please check out the Obituaries page.

Other Free Sites:

Laurel

• State Register

Milford

• Peninsula News and Advertiser

Newark

• Newark Post

Wilmington​

• Hellcat News
• Delaware Advertiser and Farmer’s Journal
• Delaware Weekly Advertiser and Farmer’s Journal
• The Dialog
• Delaware Advertiser and Farmer’s Journal
• Delaware Weekly Advertiser and Farmer’s Journal​

Subscription or Pay Sites:

Ancestry.com:

There are currently 18 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Delaware Newspapers

Genealogy Bank:

There are currently 113 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank – Delaware Newspapers

Newspaper Archive:

There are currently 83 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Delaware

Newspapers.com:

There are currently 87 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com – Delaware. 

And Finally:

You also need to visit the Delaware Digital Newspaper Project site, which can tell you what is occurring in the state regarding newspaper projects and where some microfilmed newspapers are available in the state. 

Please note – even more may be available via a local library where a library card is required. And of course, there is always microfilm for those that have not been made available online as yet.

For more links for different states, provinces, and countries – please see the Newspaper Links page on this website.