Historical French American Newspapers Online

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 November 2024)
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For those of you who have some French in your family tree, several French-American newspapers have been published over the last hundred or so years that may help you find some information and stories about your ancestors. Most of the French language newspapers were published in the upper New England states and Louisiana, but also a few in the upper Mid-West and New York City.

Listed are only those that are available online. As always, there are more available via microfilm and in the original form via libraries and archives. 

If there are duplicate titles, they are offered online by more than one collection. It is always a good idea to search both, since the date ranges may be different. Some were published in both English and French, even though the title might be in English.

Hawaii

• The Pacific Commercial Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888

Louisiana

• Baton-Rouge Gazette (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856
• Gazette and Sentinel (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville, La.) 1858-1864
• La Sentinelle De Thibodaux (Thibodaux, La.) 1861-1866
• Le Louisianais (Convent, La.) 1865-1883
• Le Meschacébé ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942
• Le Messager (Bringier, Paroisse Saint-Jacques, Louisiane) 1846-1860
• Le Pionnier De L’assomption (Napoleonville [La.]) 1850-185?
• Lower Coast Gazette (Pointe-A-La-Hache, La.) 1909-1925
• Natchitoches Union ([Natchitoches, La.]) 1859-1864
• New Iberia Enterprise (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902
• Pioneer of Assumption (Napoleonville [La.]) 185?-1895
• Pointe Coupee Democrat (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862
• Southern Sentinel (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858
• St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921
• Sugar Planter (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925
• The Avoyelles Pelican (Marksville [La.]) 1859-186?
• The Houma Courier (Houma, La.) 1878-1939
• The Lafayette Advertiser (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??
• The Louisiana Cotton-Boll (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883
• The Meridional (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906
• The Opelousas Courier (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910
• The Opelousas Journal (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878
• The Opelousas Patriot (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863
• The Planters’ Banner (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872
• The Semi-Weekly Natchitoches Times (Natchitoches, La.) 1865-1868
• The St. Landry Whig (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1844-1855
• The Weekly Thibodaux Sentinel (Thibodaux, La.) 1898-1905
• The Weekly Thibodaux Sentinel and Journal of the 8th Senatorial District (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898
• Thibodaux Commercial Journal (Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, La.) 191?-1959
• New Orleans – Courrier de la Louisiane
• New Orleans – L’Abeille
• New Orleans – L’Abeille de la Nouvelle
• New Orleans – L’abeille de la Nouvelle-Orleans
• New Orleans – L’Ami des Lois
• New Orleans – L’Ami des Lois & Journal du Soir
• New Orleans – Le Courrier de la Lonisiane
• New Orleans – L’Orleanais
• Le Propagateur catholique

Massachusetts

• Fall River – ​L’Independant
• Fall River – L’Echo du Canada
• Springfield – Le Citoyen Franco-Americain
• Worcester – ​Le Travailleur 
• Worcester – L’Etendard National
• Worchester F – L’Opinion Publique

Maine

• Le Messager (Lewiston, Me.) 1880-1966
• Biddeford – La Justice de Biddeford
• La Justice
• La Justice De Biddeford

Michigan

• Bay City – L’Ouest Français

Minnesota

• Echo De L’ouest (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929
• Minneapolis – Echo de l’Ouest
• Minneapolis, Minn. – Echo de l’ouest

New Hampshire

• Manchester – L’Avenir National
• Manchester – Le Canado-Américain
• Manchester – Echo des Canadiens
• L’Impartial

New York

• Lansing – Le Courrier des Etats-Unis
• New York City – L’Echo des Deux Mondes
• New York – Le Canadien des Etats-Unis
• Courrier des États-Unis
• Journal hebdomadaire pour le développement des relations financières, industrielles et commerciales entre la France et les États-Unis
• Le Messager franco-américain
• L’Echo des Deux Mondes
• Les Parisiennes

Rhode Island

• Le Progrès (Woonsocket, R.I.) 1898-1913
• Woonsocket – La Cloche du Dimanche
• Woonsocket – La Tribune de Woonsocket
• French Gazette 

Vermont

• Le Patriote Canadien (Burlington, Vt. : Montréal) 1839-1840

France

• Paris – Le Franco-américain

​​Good Luck and Happy Hunting!​