Kentucky Online Historical Newspapers Summary

Kentucky is one of the states that have a single central online state repository for searching historical newspapers. It also has free content with the Library of Congress Chronicling America site. There are many free online newspapers as well 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 over 2,000 newspapers that have been published in the Bluegrass State – certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are quite a few that are indeed available. So go for it – find your Kentucky 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. Some are easier than others to navigate – I will leave you to try them and judge for yourself.

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

Kentucky Historical Newspapers

Free Sites:

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America – Kentucky Newspapers

Google News Archive

Kentucky Digital Newspaper Program (sorted by city)

Kentucky Historical Newspapers – Internet Archive

  • Adair County Community Voice
  • Adair County News.(The)
  • Adair Progress (The)
  • American Baptist (Louisville, Ky.)
  • American Citizen (The)
  • Anderson News (The)
  • Appalachian News-Express
  • Bardstown Herald (Bardstown, Ky. : 1851)
  • Beattyville Enterprise (The)
  • Bee (Earlington, Ky.)
  • Berea Citizen (The)
  • Big Sandy News (The)
  • Blue-Grass Blade (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Blue-Tail Fly
  • Booneville Sentinel
  • Bourbon News
  • Bourbon News (Paris, Ky. : 1895)
  • Bracken County News (The)
  • Bracken County News.(The)
  • Breathitt County News
  • Bulletin (The) (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Carlisle Mercury. (The)
  • Carlisle Weekly
  • Casey County News (The)
  • Central Kentucky News-Journal
  • Central Record
  • Central Record (Lancaster, Ky.)
  • Christian Observer (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Christian Observer And Free Christian Commonwealth
  • Citizen (Berea, Ky.)
  • Citizen Voice & Times
  • Clay City Times
  • Clay City Times (Clay City, Ky.)
  • Climax (Richmond, Ky.)
  • Clinton County News
  • Colored Democratic Voice (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Courier-Journal
  • Crittenden Press (Marion, Ky. : 1879)
  • Crittenden Press (The)
  • Crittenden Record=Press (Marion, Ky. : 1907)
  • Crittenden Record-Press (Marion, Ky. : 1909)
  • Crittenden Record-Press (Marion, Ky.)
  • Cumberland County News (The)
  • Cynthiana Democrat (The)
  • Cynthiana News (Cynthiana, Ky. : 1854)
  • Daily Commonwealth (Frankfort, Ky.)
  • Daily Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Ky. : 1881)
  • Daily Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Ky. : 1883)
  • Daily Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Ky.: 1883)
  • Daily Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky. : 1898)
  • Daily Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky. : 1918)
  • Daily Louisville Democrat
  • Daily Louisville Times
  • Daily Public Ledger (Maysville, Ky.)
  • Daily Racing Form
  • Daily Racing Form.
  • Daily South Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
  • Dawson Springs Progress (The)
  • Dollar Weekly Bulletin (Maysville, Ky.)
  • Drummer (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Echo (The)
  • Edmonson News
  • Elkton Gleaner (Elkton, Ky.)
  • Evening Bulletin
  • Evening Bulletin (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Ky. : 1882)
  • Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Ky. : 1887)
  • Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Ky.: 1887)
  • Evening Post (Louisville, Ky. : 1893)
  • Examiner (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Falmouth Outlook (The)
  • Farmers’ Chronicle (Richmond, Ky. : 1838)
  • Farmers’ Home Journal
  • Frankfort Roundabout
  • Frankfort Weekly News And Roundabout
  • Free Christian Commonwealth
  • Free Press
  • Gallatin County News (The)
  • Georgetown Herald
  • Gleaner (The)
  • Grant County News (The)
  • Greensburg Record-Herald
  • Guardian Of Freedom (Frankfort, Ky.)
  • Hancock Clarion
  • Hancock Clarion (The)
  • Hartford Herald (Hartford, Ky.)
  • Hazel Green Herald (The)
  • Henry County Local
  • Herald News
  • Hickman County Gazette (The)
  • Hickman Courier
  • Hickman Courier (Hickman, Ky.)
  • Hopkinsville Banner (The)
  • Hopkinsville Kentuckian
  • Hopkinsville Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
  • Interior Journal
  • Interior Journal (Stanford, Ky. : 1872)
  • Interior Journal (Stanford, Ky. : 1905)
  • Interior Journal (Stanford, Ky. : 1905); Semi-Weekly Interior Journal
  • Interior Journal (Stanford, Ky. : 1912)
  • It (Lawrenceburg, Ky.)
  • Jackson County Sun
  • Jeffersonian (Jeffersontown, Ky.)
  • Jessamine Journal (The)
  • Kentuckian (Frankfort, Ky.)
  • Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
  • Kentucky Advocate (Danville, Ky. : Daily)
  • Kentucky Advocate (Shelbyville, Ky.)
  • Kentucky Digital Newspaper Program
  • Kentucky Gazette (Lexington, Ky. : 1789)
  • Kentucky Gazette (Lexington, Ky. : 1809)
  • Kentucky Gazette And General Advertiser
  • Kentucky Irish American
  • Kentucky Irish American (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Kentucky Leader (Lexington, Ky.: Daily)
  • Kentucky Live Stock Record
  • Kentucky Mountaineer
  • Kentucky New Era
  • Kentucky Rebel (The)
  • Kentucky Register (Richmond, Ky. : 1907)
  • Kentucky Reporter (Owensboro, Ky.)
  • Kentucky Sentinel (Mount Sterling, Ky.)
  • Kentucky Statesman (Lexington, Ky. : 1849 : Semiweekly)
  • Kentucky Statesman (Lexington, Ky.: 1849 : Weekly)
  • Kentucky Whig (Lexington, Ky. : 1825)
  • Kentucky Whig (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Kentucky Whig (Mount Sterling, Ky.)
  • Lexington Observer And Reporter (Lexington, Ky. : Semiweekly)
  • Lexington Observer And Reporter (Lexington, Ky. : Weekly)
  • Lexington Press (Lexington, Ky. : 1890 : Daily)
  • Lexington Standard (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Lexington Times (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Lexington Weekly News (Lexington, Ky. : 1912)
  • Lexington Weekly Press (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Lexington Weekly Transcript (Lexington, Ky. : 1882)
  • Lexingtonian (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Liberty (La Center, Ky.)
  • Licking Valley Courier
  • Licking Valley Courier.
  • Lincoln=Grant Herald (Covington, Ky.)
  • Louisville Anzeiger (Louisville, Ky. : Weekly)
  • Louisville Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky. : Daily)
  • Louisville Courier-Journal.(The)
  • Louisville Daily Courier (Louisville, Ky. : 1851)
  • Louisville Daily Courier (Louisville, Ky. : 1861 : Evening Ed.)
  • Louisville Daily Democrat (Louisville, Ky. : 1843)
  • Louisville Daily Democrat (Louisville, Ky. : 1862)
  • Louisville Daily Express (Louisville, Ky. : 1862)
  • Louisville Daily Express (Louisville, Ky. : 1869)
  • Louisville Daily Journal (Louisville, Ky. : 1833)
  • Louisville Daily Union Press
  • Louisville Industrial And Commercial Gazette
  • Louisville Weekly Courier
  • Louisville Weekly Journal
  • Luminary (Richmond, Ky.)
  • Madisonian (Richmond, Ky.)
  • Maysville Weekly Bulletin (Maysville, Ky.)
  • Messenger (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Morning Democrat (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Morning Herald (Lexington, Ky.)
  • Mount Vernon Signal
  • Mount Vernon Signal.
  • Mountain Advocate (Barbourville, Ky. : 1904 : Weekly)
  • Mountain Eagle (Whitesburg, Ky)
  • Mountain Eagle (Whitesburg, Ky.)
  • Mountain Signal (Mount Vernon, Ky.)
  • Sterling Democrat
  • National Union (Winchester, Ky.)
  • New Voice (Louisville, Ky.)
  • News=Leader.(The)
  • Observer And Reporter (Lexington, Ky. : 1870 : Semiweekly)
  • Ohio Valley Worker
  • Oil World (Lexington, Ky.)
  • : ([Louisville, Ky.])
  • Owingsville Outlook
  • Owingsville Outlook (Owingsville, Ky.)
  • Paducah Daily Sun (Paducah, Ky. : 1896)
  • Paducah Sun
  • Paducah Sun (Paducah, Ky. : 1898)
  • Paducah Sun (Paducah, Ky. : Weekly Ed.)
  • Ploughboy (Harrodsburg, Ky.)
  • Post (Lebanon, Ky.)
  • Presbyterian Herald (Louisville, Ky.)
  • Public Ledger (Maysville, Ky.)
  • Record (Greenville, Ky.)
  • Richmond Climax (Richmond, Ky. : 1897)
  • Richmond Climax (Richmond, Ky. : 1917)
  • Richmond Daily Register (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.)
  • Richmond Herald (Richmond, Ky.)
  • Semi-Weekly Bourbon News
  • Semi-Weekly Interior Journal
  • Semi-Weekly Interior Journal.
  • Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
  • Shelby Sentinel (Shelbyville, Ky.)
  • Springfield Sun (The)
  • Star (The) (Frankfort, Ky.)
  • That Same Old Coon (New York, Ny)
  • The Adair County News
  • The Adair County News.
  • The Afro-American Mission Herald.
  • The Bardstown Saturday Gazette
  • The Beattyville Enterprise
  • The Big Sandy News.
  • The Breckenridge News
  • The Central Dispatch (Stanford, Ky.)
  • The Climax Madisonian (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.)
  • The Climax-Madisonian (Richmond, Ky.)
  • The Crittenden Press (Marion, Ky.)
  • The Crittenden Record (Marion, Ky.)
  • The Crofton Courier (Crofton, Ky.)
  • The Cynthiana Democrat
  • The Danville Tribune
  • The Eagle Post
  • The Elizabethtown Democrat
  • The Elizabethtown News
  • The Fairview Favorite (Fairview, Ky.)
  • The Falmouth Outlook
  • The Frankfort Commonwealth
  • The Frankfort Roundabout
  • The Guthrie Commercial (Guthrie, Ky.)
  • The Hartford Republican
  • The Hazard Herald
  • The Hazel Green Herald
  • The Hickman Courier
  • The Idea Of University Of Kentucky
  • The Idea: The State University Of Kentucky
  • The Jackson Purchase
  • The Jackson Republican
  • The Jessamine Journal
  • The Kentucke Gazette
  • The Kentucky Age
  • The Kentucky Farmer And Breeder
  • The Kentucky Kernel
  • The Kentucky Standard
  • The Kentucky State Flag
  • The Kentucky Tribune
  • The Kentucky Vindicator
  • The Lafayette Times (Lafayette, Ky.)
  • The Lake News
  • The Lebanon Post
  • The Ledger Independent
  • The Lexington Morning Democrat
  • The Lexington Record (Lexington, Ky.)
  • The Louisville Examiner
  • The Madisonian (Richmond, Ky.)
  • The Mt. Sterling Advocate
  • The News Democrat
  • The News Enterprise
  • The News Journal
  • The News-Herald
  • The Oldham Era
  • The Paducah Evening Sun
  • The Paducah Weekly Sun
  • The Pembroke Journal (Pembroke, Ky.)
  • The Reporter
  • The Sandy Valley Advocate
  • The South Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
  • The Spencer Magnet
  • The Spout Spring Times
  • The Stanford Banner (Stanford, Ky.)
  • The Stanford Interior Journal
  • The Star (Frankfort, Ky)
  • The State College Cadet
  • The Sunday Chat
  • The Tompkinsville News
  • The Trenton Exponent (Trenton, Ky.)
  • The Trimble Banner
  • The Tri-Weekly Maysville Eagle
  • The Weekly Kentucky Messenger
  • The Weekly Kentucky Tribune
  • The Weekly Louisville Times
  • The Weekly Maysville Eagle
  • The Weekly Roundabout
  • The Weekly Shelby News
  • The Winchester Sun
  • Thoroughbred Record
  • Tri-Weekly Commonwealth
  • Tri-Weekly Kentucky Yeoman
  • True American (Lexington, Ky. : 1845)
  • Twice-A-Week Record-Press
  • Voice Of Masonry And Tidings From The Craft
  • Weekly Dollar Democrat
  • Weekly Louisville Democrat
  • Weekly Messenger (Richmond, Ky.)
  • Weekly Reporter
  • Weekly Reporter (Henderson, Ky.)
  • Western Citizen (Paris, Ky.)
  • Western Monitor
  • Western Presbyterian (Danville, Ky.)
  • Winchester News (Winchester, Ky.)
  • Woodford Sun
  • Young’s Spirit Of The South And Central American

County and Library Collections:

Adair County
Adair County Library

  • Adair County News

Clark County
Clark County Public Library

  • Winchester Sun 

Clinton County
Clinton County Public Library

  • Clinton County News
  • New Era

Edmonson County
Edmonson County Public Library

  • Gimlet Edmonson News
  • Edmonson News
  • The Gimlet Edmonson News
  • The Edmonson County News
  • The Edmonson County Newspaper

Fayette County
Lexington Public Library Newspaper Collection

Green County
Green County Public Library

  • Green County Record 
  • Greensburg Herald 
  • Greensburg Record Herald 
  • Greensburg Times 
  • Kentucky Republican 
  • Metcalfe County Herald 
  • Record Herald 

Johnson County
Johnson County Library

  • Big Sandy News
  • Free South
  • Louisville Times
  • Martin County Herald
  • Oneida Mountaineer
  • Paintsville Herald
  • Paintsville Herald News
  • Salyersville Herald
  • The Paintsville Herald
  • The Paintsville Herald-Mountain Chronicle
  • Van Lear Herald

Lawrence County

Lawrence County Public Library

  • Big Sandy News
  • Big Sandy News-Recorder
  • Lawrence County Recorder
  • The Beattyville Enterprise
  • The Big Sandy News

Marion County
Marion County Library

  • Lebanon Clarion
  • Lebanon Enterprise
  • Lebanon Post
  • Lebanon Standard and Times
  • Lebanon Weekly Standard
  • Marion Falcon
  • Marion Leader
  • Discover Marion County
  • The Lebanon Enterprise
  • The Lebanon Weekly Standard
  • The Standard and Times

McCreary County
McCreary County Public Library

  • McCreary County Record

Meade County
Meade County Public Library

  • Meade County Journal 
  • Meade County Messenger 
  • Meade County Mirror 
  • Meade County News 
  • Messenger 
  • Pioneer 

Metcalfe County
Metcalfe Library

  • Edmonton Herald News
  • Herald News
  • Metcalfe County News
  • The Herald News

Owen County

Owen County Public Library

  • The News Herald

Pulaski County
Pulaski Library

  • Central Record
  • Commonwealth
  • Commonwealth Journal
  • Somerset Journal
  • The Somerset Journal
  • The Commonwealth
  • Somerset Pulaski News Journal
  • The Central Record
  • The Burnside Item

Russell County
Russell County Public Library

  • Times Journal
  • Russell County News

Scott County
Scott County Public Library

  • Ashland Kentuckian
  • Ballard Yeoman
  • Bath County Reporter
  • Bee
  • Bouquet
  • Bracken Record
  • Carlisle County News
  • Carlisle Mercury
  • Cherokee Advocate
  • Cincinnati Daily Commercial
  • Cincinnati Daily Enquirer
  • Cynthiana News
  • Daily Hustler
  • Eastern Kentucky Democrat
  • Ewing Inquirer
  • Fleming County Dispatch
  • Fleming County Gazette
  • Fleming Flag
  • Fleming Gazette
  • Fleming News
  • Fleming Republican
  • Fleming Star
  • Fleming True Blue Democrat
  • Flemingsburg Gazette
  • Flemingsburg Kentuckian
  • Flemingsburg News
  • Flemingsburg Weekly Republican
  • Frankfort Commonwealth
  • Georgetown News
  • Georgetown Patriot
  • Georgetown Times
  • Georgetown Weekly Times
  • Hustler
  • Kentucky Journal
  • Kentucky Sentinel
  • Kentucky Whig
  • Ledger and Times
  • Lexington Herald
  • Lexington Observer and Reporter
  • Lexington Transcript
  • Louisville Commercial
  • Madisonville Daily Messenger
  • Maysville Sun
  • Paducah Press
  • Paducah Tobacco Plant
  • Rough and Ready
  • The Georgetown Times
  • Weekly Advance
  • Weekly Maysville Eagle
  • Weekly News
  • Weekly Standard

Wayne County
Wayne County Public Library

  • Wayne County Outlook

Student Collections:

Alice Lloyd College – Pippa Passes

Asbury University – Wilmore

Bellarmine University – Louisville

Berea College – Berea

Campbellsville University – Campbellsville

Eastern Kentucky University – Richmond

Georgetown College – Georgetown

Kentucky Christian University – Grayson

Kentucky Mountain Bible College – Jackson

Kentucky State University – Frankfort

Kentucky Wesleyan College – Owensboro

Lincoln Institute – Simpsonville

Lindsey Wilson College – Columbia

Morehead State University – Morehead

Murray State University – Murray

Northern Kentucky University – Highland Heights

Spencerian College – Louisville

Sullivan University – Louisville

Transylvania University – Lexington

Union College – Barbourville

Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green

University of Kentucky – Lexington

University of Louisville – Louisville

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Murray State University Community Newspaper Collection

Northern Kentucky Newspaper Index

  • American Sentinel (7)
  • Augusta Telegraph (32)
  • Battle Ax (6)
  • Boone County Banner (411)
  • Boone County Recorder-Historical Edition (See Catalog) (144)
  • Catholic Telegraph (Cincinnati) (2)
  • Cincinnati Business Courier (1924)
  • Cincinnati Commercial Tribune (4)
  • Cincinnati Daily Commercial (537)
  • Cincinnati Enquirer (42347)
  • Cincinnati Post (6403)
  • Cincinnati Times-Star (53)
  • Colonel Covington’s Chronicle (313)
  • Commercial Tribune (272)
  • Commonwealth (72)
  • Conciliator (7)
  • Covington Courier (742)
  • Covington Daily News (66)
  • Covington Enquirer (34)
  • Covington Free Press (110)
  • Covington Journal (13162)
  • Covington Kentuckian (8)
  • Covington Union (164)
  • Covington Weekly Globe (5)
  • Daily Commonwealth (15067)
  • Democratic Union (17)
  • Dixie News (2980)
  • Erlanger News (13)
  • Extra (88)
  • Falmouth Outlook (30)
  • Florence News (54)
  • Free South (430)
  • Freeman’S Journal (63)
  • Kenton County News (81)
  • Kenton County Recorder (2916)
  • Kent-On-Bugle (5)
  • Kenton-Campbell Courier (6)
  • Kentucky And Ohio Journal (115)
  • Kentucky Demokrat (20)
  • Kentucky Enquirer (187615)
  • Kentucky Garland (16)
  • Kentucky Intelligencer (47)
  • Kentucky Journal (Newport) (6858)
  • Kentucky Post (757926)
  • Kentucky State Journal (Newport) (13779)
  • Kentucky Times-Star (61148)
  • Kentucky Weekly News (49)
  • Ledger (Covington) (5)
  • Licking Valley Register (2493)
  • Lounger (29)
  • Ludlow Reporter (See Catalog) (585)
  • Newport & Covington Daily News (65)
  • Newport Local (4261)
  • Newport News (495)
  • News Enterprise (1619)
  • North Kentuckian (139)
  • Northern Kentucky News (20)
  • Northern Kentucky Observer (38)
  • Pikes Campaign Flag (11)
  • Saturday Advertiser (34)
  • Saturday Evening American (21)
  • Sunday Challenger (4046)
  • The Church News – A Religious Monthly (295)
  • Ticket (4799)
  • Walton Advertiser (136)
  • Weekly Commonwealth (14)
  • Weekly Kentucky Flag (26)
  • Weekly Press (10)
  • Western Colonizationist & Literary Journal (61)
  • Western Globe (193)
  • Western Visitor (38)
  • Whirlwind News (147)
  • Yankee Doodle (49)

Independent Voices – Alternative Newspapers

  • EM-16
  • Eyes Right
  • Flag In Action
  • Fun Travel Adventure
  • News from the Southern Conference Education Fund

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942

Kentucky Historical Society CCC Newspapers

American Prison Newspapers, 1800-2020

Southern School News Archive

Small Town Papers

Old Fulton New York Postcards

Newspaper Abstracts – Kentucky

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

Other Free Sites:

Burlington

Carlisle

Cynthiana

Floyd County

Frankfort

Lexington

Louisville

Morehead

Mount Vernon

Owensboro

Walton

Subscription or Pay Sites:

Ancestry.com:

There are currently 23 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Kentucky Newspapers

Genealogy Bank:

There are currently 224 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank – Kentucky Newspapers

Newspaper Archive:

There are currently 143 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Kentucky

Newspapers.com:

There are currently 180 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com – Kentucky.

And Finally:

You also need to check out the University of Kentucky’s “Kentucky’s Digitized Newspapers” site, which can tell you what is occurring in the state with regard to newspaper digitization projects. This site also can direct you to where microfilmed newspaper collections can be found.

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.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For other Free Kentucky Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records

7 replies on “Kentucky Online Historical Newspapers Summary”

One thing to remember: The University of Kentucky has the largest collection of Kentucky newspapers. However, even though they are digitizing as fast as they can, they have only scratched the surface. They are very eager to loan out their reels of film via Interlibrary Loan to your local library – and if you live in the south, this loan may very well be FREE, depending on consortia agreements. Check with your local library for more info. If you would like to search for available reels to borrow, check out their microfilm ordering database – yes, it was designed to handle purchase orders, but it is a wonderful browsing tool for checking availability by county, city, and chronologically. I worked for UK for 11 years, and wrote this article in 2011 about their digitizing efforts, as well as the ILL option. The microfilm ordering database is one of the links at the very bottom.
http://journeyspast.blogspot.com/2011/02/digitizing-kentucky-newspapers.html

Where does it say that BG is in Kentucky? The reference is to their database which covers links all over the US

Where can I find Clay County newspapers from roughly 1870s? I’ve looked through quite a bit of the links and the only thing I can find is Clay City but not Clay County.

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