Georgia Online Historical Newspapers Summary

The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is June 2026)

Practical solutions for real genealogy research problems. Explore the new Field Guides

Trying to find historical Georgia newspapers? This is the place to find free online historical newspapers.

Georgia has one statewide collection for searching historical newspapers. Several states use the Library of Congress Chronicling America site as their main central online site for searching old newspapers, and currently, Georgia has just a few newspapers available on that site. There are many free online newspapers also available on other sites, and there are 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 2,400 newspapers that have been published in the Peach State – certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it – find your Georgia 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. 

(Recently added links are in BOLD)

Georgia Historical Newspapers

Free Sites:

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America – Georgia Newspapers

The Links for Chronicling America go to the new Version 2.0

Google News Archive

Georgia Historic Newspapers

County and Library Collections:

Colquitt County
Moultrie Colquitt County Library

  • The Moultrie Observer (1901-2023)
  • Moultrie Observer (1894-2017)
  • Weekly Moultrie Observer (1939-1988)
  • The Observer (1995-2000)
  • Daily Observer (1905-1919)

Dawson County
Dawson County Library Archives

  • Dawson News And Advertiser (1999-2015)
  • Dawson County Advertiser And Dawson County News (1962-1999)
  • Dawson County Advertiser (1888-1962)
  • Dawson County News (1956-1962)
  • Mountain Chronicle (1879-1882)
  • Dawsonville News (1884-1887)
  • Cosmopolite (1923-1924)

Glynn County
Marshes of Glynn Library

  • The Brunswick News (1917-1982)

Lee County
Lee County Library

  • Americus Weekly Times Recorder (1905)
  • Lee County Herald (1994-2000)
  • Lee County Journal (1904-1974)
  • Lee County Ledger (1978-2015)
  • Leesburg Hustler (1909)
  • Leesburg Journal (1904)

Morgan County
Azalea Regional Library System

  • Adairsville Banner (1898-1898)
  • Adairsville Ledger (1890-1890)
  • Advertiser (1893-1900)
  • Alpharetta Free Press (1930-1932)
  • Baptist Banner (1881-1881)
  • Brunswick Daily Advertiser (1889-1889)
  • Cherokee Georgian (1875-1875)
  • Chipley Leader (1883-1884)
  • Cordelean (1944-1944)
  • Countryman (1862-1866)
  • Daily Advertiser Appeal (1888-1889)
  • Daily Madisonian (1885-1886)
  • Decatur County Advance (1939-1939)
  • Douglas Enterprise (1968-1968)
  • Eatonton Messenger (1874-2010)
  • Elbert Beacon (1980-1980)
  • Elberton Gazette (1866-1866)
  • Elberton News (1881-1881)
  • Evening Post (1890-1890)
  • Farmers Gazette (1806-1807)
  • Gazette (1881-1881)
  • Georgia Advocate (1879-1879)
  • Georgia Journal (1822-1840)
  • Georgia Reporter And Christian Gazette (1826-1826)
  • Hancock Advertiser (1826-1830)
  • Herald (1922-1922)
  • Ishmaelite (1883-1899)
  • Jasper County News (1882-1900)
  • Madison Home Journal (1877-1878)
  • Madison Yeoman (1880-1881)
  • Madisonian (1879-1999)
  • Manchester Star Mercury (1988-1988)
  • Messenger (1906-1906)
  • Missionary (1821-1825)
  • Morgan County Citizen (2003-2006)
  • Morgan County News (1947-1954)
  • Press And Messenger (1870-1870)
  • Rough Rices Ready Reporter (1871-1871)
  • Southern Miscellany (1842-1846)
  • Southern Museum (1848-1850)
  • Southern Tribune (1850-1851)
  • Sparta Ishmaelite (1963-2008)
  • Sparta Times And Planters (1879-1881)
  • Star of The South (1860-1860)
  • Star (1939-1942)
  • State Press (1857-1859)
  • Sunday Madisonian (1886-1886)
  • The Georgian (1824-1824)
  • The Ishmaelite And Times And Planter (1883-1883)
  • The Sparta Ishmaelite (1899-1963)
  • Voice of The People (1892-1892)
  • Walker County Messenger (1978-1981)
  • Walton Tribune (1903-2008)
  • Weekly Madisonian (1886-1902)
  • Weekly Southron (1875-1876)
  • Western Herald (1833-1934)

Worth County
Worth County Library Archives

  • Worth County News (1900-1901)
  • Sumner Free Trader (1885-1886)
  • Worth County Local (1886-1924)
  • Sylvester Local (1924-1984)
  • Sylvester Local News (1984-2013)

Andrew W. Cain Newspaper Collection 1864-1905

  • Dahlonega Nugget
  • Dahlonega Signal
  • Signal and Advertiser
  • Advertiser
  • Mountain Signal

Bulloch County Newspapers

  • Bulloch Times (1893-1898; 1905-1906; 1907-1917; 1958-1962)
  • Bulloch Times and Statesboro News (1917-1920)
  • Bulloch Times (Statesboro News-Statesboro Eagle) (1920-1957)
  • Statesboro News (1901-1916)
  • Statesboro Star (1894, 1899)
  • The Bulloch County Banner (1893)
  • The Bulloch Herald (1899)

Student Collections:

Agnes Scott College – Decatur

Albany State University – Albany

Atlanta University – Atlanta

Armstrong College- Savannah

Augusta University – Augusta

Berry College – Rome

    College of Coastal Georgia – Brunswick

    Columbus State University – Columbus

    Covenant College – Lookout Mountain

    Dalton State College – Dalton

    Emory University – Atlanta

    Fort Valley State University – Fort Valley

    Gainesville College – Gainesville

    Georgia College – Milledgeville

    Georgia Perimeter College – Decatur

    Georgia State University – Atlanta

    Georgia Southern University – Armstrong

    Georgia Southern University – Statesboro

    Georgia Tech – Atlanta

    Kennesaw State University – Kennesaw

    Medical College of Georgia – Augusta

    Mercer University – Macon

    Morehouse College – Atlanta

    Morehouse School of Medicine – Atlanta

    Oglethorpe University – Atlanta

    Piedmont College – Demorest

    Savannah State University – Savannah

    Spelman College – Atlanta

    Statesboro High School – Statesboro

    University of Georgia – Athens

    University of North Georgia – ​Dahlonega

    University of North Georgia – ​Gainesville

    University of West Georgia – Carrollton

    Valdosta State University – Valdosta

    Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

    Independent Voices – Alternative Newspapers

    • Polylogue
    • Rap!
    • Last harass
    • Great Speckled Bird

    Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942​

    Small Town Papers

    Old Fulton Postcards

    International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Archives (1889- 1994)

    Southern School News Archive 

    For Obituary Indexes, transcriptions, and other death/obituary information from historical newspapers, please check out the Obituaries page. 

    Other Free Sites:

    Athens-Clarke County

    Atlanta

    Augusta

    Columbus

    Covington

    Dahlonega

    Darien

    Fort Benning

    Macon

    Rome

    Savannah

    Smyrna

    Subscription or Pay Sites:

    Ancestry.com:

    There are currently 24 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Georgia Newspapers

    Genealogy Bank:

    There are currently 296 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank – Georgia Newspapers

    Newspaper Archive:

    There are currently 449 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Georgia

    Newspapers.com:

    There are currently 89 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com – Georgia. 

    And Finally:

    You also need to visit the Georgia Newspaper Project site from time to time, which can tell you what is occurring in the state with regard to online newspaper availability. 

    Please note – even more may be available via a local or state 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.


    For all Free Georgia Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Georgia, and then click on the category of interest. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

    Online Newspaper Research FAQs

    Why is online newspaper research so challenging?

    It’s challenging due to imperfect Optical Character Recognition (OCR), inconsistent indexing, variations in spelling and nicknames, differing journalistic styles over time, and the sheer volume of fragmented, often paywalled, collections. Finding what you need truly feels like a treasure hunt!

    What can I do to overcome these OCR errors?

    Many researchers utilizing online newspaper archives may not be aware that word searches are performed against a database generated by analyzing whether minute sections of the newspaper are black or white. It is the shape of the collected dots that may (or may not) look like a letter.

    To improve search accuracy when encountering OCR errors, it is advisable to intentionally alter your search terms by substituting letters with similar shapes. For example, replacing a lowercase ‘b’ with an ‘h’, or a lowercase ‘e’ with a ‘c’.

    What other techniques will produce better results?

    In your search criteria, try entering abbreviations, nicknames, and portions of hyphenated words. Numerous other techniques can be found in The Ancestor Hunt’s “Newspaper Research Academy”, which can be accessed at https://theancestorhunt.com/academy.html

    Are any Newspaper Databases Free?

    Yes. Although some of the largest databases require a subscription, there are many that are free. The Ancestor Hunt has curated links to over 80,000 titles that can be searched for free in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. To use these links, go to its Newspaper Links Page,

    7 replies on “Georgia Online Historical Newspapers Summary”

    George H. Hewitt was shot by his wife in Jan/Feb 1909 it was an accident. In Carroll county, Ga. I Need the newspaper article to see what happened.

    Not a notice of the accident, but rather a notice of the life insurance payout
    http://wgnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/wgnewspapers/view?docId=bookreader/cfp/cfp1909/cfp1909-0107.mets.xml;query= Hewitt;query-prox=10;brand=wgnewspapers-j2k-brand#page/n0/mode/1up

    Also, Old Fulton Postcards has the Walker County Messenger (LaFayette) through the early 1960s. I don’t know if he’s digitized anything else from the state.

    Looking for a newspaper article that might explain why this case was brought: State v. John Bates- Assault & Battery, 1861 Whitfield County. Any help for Dalton newspapers during this time frame would be great. I’ve looked at the resources above except for the Newspaper Archive website which is the one newspaper site to which I don’t have a subscription. Thanks again.

    I am interested in areas of Warrior district, worth, Berrien and Tift counties but do not know the names of paper for these.Thank you.

    Hi there
    Please email me, I have a ton of info on Worth County and I’ll send you the links to lots of newspapers I use. I have a Facebook group about Worth County also. My email is greggwgiddens@gmail. com

    I would appreciate a good image of the “Southern Recorder” header from 1854-55. Could you please scan one and Email it to me.
    Gratefully

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *