Louisiana Online Historical Newspapers Summary

Louisiana has a growing set of free statewide online collections for searching historical newspapers. Many states use the Library of Congress Chronicling America site as their main central online site for searching old newspapers and currently, Louisiana has quite a few newspapers available on that site. There are free online newspapers 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 almost 2,000 newspapers that have been published in the Pelican State – certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it – find your Louisiana 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)

Louisiana Historical Newspapers

Free Sites:

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America – Louisiana

The Links for Chronicling America go to the new Version 2.0

• Abbeville Progress (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944
• Baton Rouge Tri-Weekly Gazette & Comet (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??
• Baton-Rouge Gazette (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856
• Bogalusa Enterprise (Bogalusa, La.) 1914-1918
• Bogalusa Enterprise and American (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??
• Claiborne Guardian (Homer, La.) 1877-188?
• Daily Gazette and Comet (Baton Rouge, La.) 1856-186?
• El Pelayo (Nueva-Orleans i.e. New Orleans, La.) 1851-1852
• Feliciana Sentinel (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892
• Gazette and Sentinel (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville, La.) 1858-1864
• Homer Guardian (Homer, La.) 1888-1890
• Houma Ceres (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??
• La Sentinelle De Thibodaux (Thibodaux, La.) 1861-1866
• Lake Charles Commercial (Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1881-1898
• Le Dimanche (Nouvelle-Orléans [i.e. New Orleans, La.]) 1861-1876
• 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?
• Louisiana Capitolian (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881
• Lower Coast Gazette (Pointe-A-La-Hache, La.) 1909-1925
• L’union (Nouvelle-Orléans [La.]) 1862-1864
• Madison Times (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???
• Natchitoches Populist (Natchitoches, La.) 1898-1899
• Natchitoches Spectator (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??
• Natchitoches Union ([Natchitoches, La.]) 1859-1864
• New Iberia Enterprise (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902
• New Iberia Enterprise and Independent Observer (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944
• New Orleans Daily Creole (New Orleans [La.]) 1856-18??
• New Orleans Daily Crescent ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866
• New Orleans Republican (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878
• New Orleans Tribune (New Orleans [La.]) 1864-187?
• Pioneer of Assumption (Napoleonville [La.]) 185?-1895
• Pointe Coupee Democrat (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862
• Rapides Gazette (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?
• Richland Beacon (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890
• Semi-Weekly Louisianian (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872
• Semi-Weekly News (Shreveport [La.]) 1865-1865
• Shreveport Daily News (Shreveport, La.) 1861-1861
• Shreveport News (Shreveport [La.]) 1864-1865
• Shreveport Semi-Weekly News (Shreveport [La.]) 1861-1862
• Shreveport Semi-Weekly News (Shreveport, La.) 1865-18??
• Shreveport Weekly News (Shreveport, La.) 1862-1863
• Shreveport Weekly News (Shreveport, La.) 1866-18??
• Southern Republican (New Orleans, La.) 1898-1907
• Southern Sentinel (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858
• St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921
• St. Landry Democrat (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894
• St. Tammany Farmer (Covington, La.) 1874-Current
• Sugar Planter (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925
• Tensas Gazette (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-Current
• The American Patriot (Clinton, La.) 1854-1???
• The Avoyelles Pelican (Marksville [La.]) 1859-186?
• The Banner-Democrat (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-Current
• The Bienville Democrat (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980
• The Black Republican (New Orleans [La.]) 1865-186?
• The Bossier Banner (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952
• The Caldwell Watchman (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946
• The Carrollton Sun (City of Carrollton, Parish of Jefferson, La.) 185?-1???
• The Caucasian (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875
• The Caucasian (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?
• The Colfax Chronicle (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1876-1877
• The Colfax Chronicle (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981
• The Comrade (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914
• The Concordia Eagle (Vidalia, La.) 1873-1890
• The Concordia Sentinel (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-Current
• The Constitutional (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861
• The Crusader (New Orleans, La.) 1889-189?
• The Daily Comet (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856
• The Daily Crescent ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851
• The Daily Telegraph (Monroe, La.) 1870-1886
• The Donaldsonville Chief (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-Current
• The Echo (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1872-1878
• The Era-Leader (Franklinton, La.) 1910-Current
• The Feliciana Democrat (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?
• The Herald (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953
• The Home Advocate (Farmerville, La.) 1885-1???
• The Houma Courier (Houma, La.) 1878-1939
• The Independent (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??
• The Jennings Daily Record (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903
• The Lafayette Advertiser (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??
• The Lafayette Gazette (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921
• The Lake Charles Echo (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898
• The Llano Colonist (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937
• The Louisiana Cotton-Boll (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883
• The Louisiana Democrat (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918
• The Louisiana Populist (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898
• The Louisianian (New Orleans, La.) 1870-1871
• The Lumberjack (Alexandria, La.) 1913-1913
• The Madison Journal (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-Current
• The Meridional (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906
• The Morehouse Clarion (Bastrop, La.) 1874-1904
• The Morgan City Daily Review (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920
• The Morning Comet (Baton Rouge, La.) 1856-1856
• The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881
• The Natchitoches Enterprise (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965
• The New Orleans Bulletin (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876
• The New Orleans Crescent (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869
• The New Orleans Daily Democrat (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880
• The New Orleans Democrat (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876
• The Observer (Baton Rouge, La.) 1899-1900
• 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 Ouachita Telegraph (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889
• The Patriot (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955
• The People’s Vindicator (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883
• The Planters’ Banner (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872
• The Progress (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900
• The Register (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861
• The Republican Courier (New Orleans, La.) 1899-1900
• The Rice Belt Journal (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??
• The Semi-Weekly Natchitoches Times (Natchitoches, La.) 1865-1868
• The Semi-Weekly Republican (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872
• The Semi-Weekly Shreveport News (Shreveport [La.]) 1862-1864
• The Shreveport Weekly News (Shreveport, La.) 1861-1861
• The Southern Sentinel (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910
• The South-Western (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870
• The St. Charles Herald (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993
• The St. Landry Whig (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1844-1855
• The St. Mary Banner (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931
• The Star-Progress (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921
• The Thibodaux Sentinel (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912
• The True Democrat (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928
• The Voice of the People (New Orleans, La.) 1913-19??
• The Weekly Comet (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855
• The Weekly Echo (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876
• The Weekly Iberian (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946
• The Weekly Louisianian (New Orleans, La.) 1872-1882
• The Weekly Messenger (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948
• The Weekly Pelican (New Orleans, La.) 1886-1889
• 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
• Thibodaux Minerva (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858
• True American (New Orleans [La.]) 1835-18??
• Vernon Parish Democrat (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?
• West Feliciana Sentinel (St. Francisville, La.) 1876-1877
• Woman’s Enterprise (Baton Rouge, La.) 1921-19??

Google News Archive

• Bernice – The Banner
• Gonzales – Gonzales Weekly Citizen
• Gonzales – The Gonzales Weekly
• Hammond – The Ponchatoula Times
• Jena – The Jena Times Olla-Tullos-Urania Signal
• Jena – The Jena Times
• Marksville – The Weekly Register
• New Orleans – L’Ami des Lois
• New Orleans – The Daily Southern Star
• New Orleans – L’Orleanais
• New Orleans – New-Orleans Commercial Bulletin
• New Orleans – The News
• New Orleans – The Daily Orleanian
• New Orleans – The National Republican
• New Orleans – L’abeille de la Nouvelle-Orleans
• New Orleans – L’Abeille de la Nouvelle
• New Orleans – New Orleans Republican
• New Orleans – The New Orleans Bee
• New Orleans – L’Ami des Lois & Journal du Soir
• New Orleans – The Daily True Delta
• New Orleans – The Louisiana Courier
• New Orleans – True Delta
• New Orleans – Tagliche Deutsche Zeitung
• New Orleans – L’Abeille
• New Orleans – Courrier de la Louisiane
• New Orleans – Le Courrier de la Lonisiane
• New Orleans – Die Tagliche Deutsche Zeitung
• New Orleans – New Orleanser Deutsche Zeitung
• New Orleans – Louisiana Staats-Zeitung
• New Orleans – New-Orleans Tagliche Deutfche Beitung
• New Orleans – Die Dentsche Zeitung
• New Orleans – Echo Von New Orleans
• New Orleans – Deutsche Zeitung​

Parish and Library Collections:

Acadia Parish
Acadia Parish Library 

• Acadia Sentinel 
• Acadian-Signal 
• Church Point Democrat 
• Church Point News 
• Crowley Daily Signal 
• Crowley Post Herald 
• Crowley Post Signal 
• Crowley Signal 
• Daily Signal 
• First Sunday Rayne Acadian Tribune
• Free Press 
• Rayne Acadian Tribune 
• Rayne Independent 
• Rayne Tribune 
• The Church Point News
• The Crowley Post-Signal
• The Crowley Signal
• The Rayne Acadian-Tribune
• Tribune Hopper 
• Tribune Plus 

Bienville Parish
The Bienville Parish Library 

• Bienville Democrat 
• The Bienville Democrat
• Bienville Democrat V2

Caldwell Parish
Caldwell Parish Library

• Caldwell Watchman
• Caldwell Watchman Progress
• Caldwell Watchman And The Caldwell Progress
• Caldwell Watchman And Progress
• Caldwell News
• Watchman

Concordia Parish
The Concordia Parish Library 

• Concordia Sentinel 
• The Concordia Intelligencer 
• The Concordia Sentinel 
• The Natchez Democrat 

East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish Library

• Baton Rouge Community Leader 
• Baton Rouge News Leader 
• Community Leader 
• Gris Gris 
• News Leader 

Jefferson Davis Parish
Jennings Carnegie Public Library

• Jennings Daily Times 
• Jennings Daily Times Record 
• Jennings Daily Times-Record 
• Jennings Herald 
• Jennings Daily News
• Jennings Times 
• Jennings Weekly Times Record 
• The Daily Times 
• The Jennings Daily Record 
• The Jennings Times 
• The Saturday Record 
• Jeff Davis Parish News
• Jennings News
• Jennings Semi Weekly News

Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Public Library

• Daily Advertiser 
• Lafayette Gazette 
• Sunday Advertiser 

LaSalle Parish
LaSalle Parish Library

• Alexandria Daily Town Talk
• Caldwell Watchman 
• Cataboula News 
• Colfax Chronicle 
• Jena Times 
• Jena Times And The Olla Signal 
• Jena Times And The Olla Tullos Signal 
• Jena Times Olla Tullos Urania Signal 
• Olla Signal 
• Sgt. Dalton’s Weekly 
• The Olla And Tullos Signal
• The Olla Signal
• Times Picayune
• Winn Parish Enterprise
• Winnfield Comrade 
• Winnfield News American 
• Winnfield Times 

Livingston Parish
Livingston Parish Library

• The Livingston Parish News

Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish Library

• Alexandria Daily Town Talk 
• Alexandria Daily Town Tallk 
• Alexandria Gazette 
• Alexandria Gazette And Planters Intelligencer 
• Alexandria Morning News 
• Alexandria News Leader
• Alexandria Times 
• Branns Iconoclast 
• Caddo Gazette And De Soto Intelligencer 
• Central Organ 
• Colonel Mayfield’s Weekly 
• Combined New York Evening Newspapers 
• Combined New York Morning Newspapers 
• Daily Chautauquan 
• Daily Crescent
• Daily Picayune 
• Daily Town Talk 
• Democrat 
• Diario De La Habana 
• Evening Post 
• Galveston Tri Weekly News 
• Gleason’s Pictorial 
• Houston Daily Telegraph 
• Le Creole 
• Le Villageois 
• L’Organe Central 
• Louisiana Democrat 
• Louisiana Herald
• Louisiana Messenger and Alexandria Advertiser
• Louisville Weekly Journal 
• Metropolitan Record And New York Vendicator 
• Monday Morning Star 
• Morning News 
• Natchitoches Times 
• New Advocate 
• New Orleans Daily Picayune 
• New Orleans Morning World 
• New Orleans Republican 
• New York Times 
• Opelousas Gazette
• Pineville News 
• Planters Banner And Lousiana Agriculturist 
• Planters Intelligencer
• Planters Intelligencer And Rapide Avoyelles And Catahoula Advertiser 
• Rapides Gazette 
• Red River Republican 
• Red River Whig 
• Sgt. Dalton’s Weekly 
• Southern Transcript 
• Southern Transcript And Semi Weekly Whig 
• State Central Express 
• The Alexandria Daily Town Talk
• The Bernice News-Journal
• Times Democrat 
• Town Talk 
• Tri Weekly Mercury 
• Tri Weekly Telegraph 
• Villager
• Weekly Freemans Journal
• Weekly Herald
• Weekly Southwestern Telegram 
• Weekly Town Talk 
• Western Democrat 

Red River Parish

Red River Parish Library

• Coushatta Citizen
• The Coushatta Citizen

Union Parish
Union Parish Library

• Gazette 
• The Bernice News Journal
• The Bernice Journal

Vermillion Parish
Vermilion Parish Library

• Abbeville Meridional
• Kaplan Herald 
• Abbeville Progress
• Meridional
• Gueydan Journal
• The Kaplan Herald

Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish Library

• American 
• Jack Hadnot Collection 
• Leesville Daily Leader 
• Leesville Leader 
• Leesville Leader 
• Leghorn Times Herald 
• Llano Colonist 
• Peoples Friend 
• Peoples Friend 
• Senior Advocate 
• Star Press 
• Vernon Parish Democrat 

Webster Parish
Webster Parish Library ​

• Claiborne Parish
• Minden Herald
• Minden Herald And The Webster Review
• Minden Herald And Webster Review
• Minden Press
• Minden Press Herald
• Minden Press Herald
• Minden Signal Tribune and The Springhill Journal
• Minden Tribune
• Signal Tribune
• Springhill Press
• Springhill Press And News Journal
• The Minden Booster
• The Minden Democrat
• The Minden Tribune
• The Signal Democrat
• The Webster Review
• The Webster Sentinel
• Voter Registration
• Webster Review
• Webster Signal
• Webster Tribune

Student Collections:

Centenary College of Louisiana – Shreveport

• Educational Echo (1899)
• Maroon and White (1902–1921)
• The Conglomerate (1922– )
• Le Tintamarre (in French; 1996–2013)

Dillard University – New Orleans

• Courtbouillon

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University – Baton Rouge

• News

Grambling State University – Grambling

• Tiger Bulletin
• The Gramblinite
• Tiger Happenings

Louisiana Christian University – Pineville

• News

Louisiana State University – Alexandria

• News

Jesuit High School – New Orleans

• Blue Jay

Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge

• Daily Reveille
• Daily Reveille

Louisiana State University – Shreveport

• Almagest
• Sentinel

Louisiana Tech University – Ruston

• ​Tech Talk

Loyola University – New Orleans

• The Maroon

McNeese State University – Lake Charles

• Contraband

Nicholls State University – Thibodaux

• Nicholls Worth

Northwestern State University – Natchitoches

• Current Sauce

Southeastern Louisiana University – Hammond

• Lion’s Roar

Southern University and A&M College – Baton Rouge

• Southern Digest

Tulane University – New Orleans

• Hullabaloo​

University of Holy Cross – New Orleans

• The Holy Cross Chronicle

University of Louisiana – Lafayette

• The Vermilion

University of Louisiana – Monroe

• Hawkeye

University of New Orleans – New Orleans

• Driftwood

Xavier University – New Orleans

• Xavier Herald

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Independent Voices – Alternative Newspapers

• Distaff
• NOLA Express
• GAF
• Copkiller
• Different Drummer
• Fort Polk Puke
• Outsider
• SLAM

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942

• ​​​Alexandria – Camp Packard Leader (Company 1446) 
• Ansley – Camp Davis News (Company 1435) 
• Arcadia – Rocky Crest (Company 4412)
• Bastrop – Alagala (Company 478) 
• Bastrop – Our Fla La Ala Ga (Company 478) 
• Calvin – Damyankee (Company 277) 
• Chatham – Chat’M Echo (Company 1445) 
• Danville – Chanticleer (Company 1427) 
• Dry Prong – Camp Dry Prong News (Company 5406) 
• Dry Prong – Yankee (Company 255)
• Dry Prong – Williana Wallop (Company 5406)
• Elizabeth – Whispers Of 1490 (Company 1490) 
• Forest Hill – The Barracks Bag (Company 4419)
• Greensburg – Journal (Company 4490) 
• Haughton – Voice Of Castle Hill (Company 4407)
• Kentwood – Star (Company 4422)
• LaPlace – Spillway (Company 1488) 
• Leesville – Vernon Capers (Company 276) 
• Leesville – Vernon Views (Company 276) 
• Mansfield – Realife (Company 4414)
• Olla – Urania Forest Echo (Company 1492) 
• Pleasant Hill – Pleasant Hill-Billy (Company 4417)
• Ruston – Camp Wilson News (Company 4410) 
• Ruston – Ruston Ccc News (Company 4410)
• Slidell – Slidell Review (Company 2428)
• St. Joseph – Camp Bruen Breezes (Company 1487) 

Small Town Papers

• The Banner Bernice, Louisiana
• Gonzales Weekly Citizen Gonzales, Louisiana
• The Jena Times Jena, Louisiana
• Mansfield Enterprise-Progress Unavailable, Louisiana
• The Ponchatoula Times Ponchatoula, Louisiana

Old Fulton Postcards

• Alexandria LA Democrat
• New Oleans LA Bee

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

Other Free Sites:

Alexandria

• Church Today – 2013-present

​Baton Rouge

• The Advocate
• The Baton Rouge Times
• The Catholic Commentator
• Deaf Mute Pelican
• Louisiana Pelican

Camp Livingston

• The Dixie

Carville

• The Star

Charenton

• The Chitimacha Newsletter

Houma-Thibodaux

• Bayou Catholic – 2012-present

Lafayette

• Lafayette  Acadiana Catholic – 2013-present

Lake Charles

• Catholic Calendar – 2002-present
• Louisiana Gazette

Monroe

• Monroe Morning World

New Orleans​

• Le Propagateur catholique
• New Orleans Advocate
• New Orleans Bee
• New Orleans Christian Advocate
• New Orleans Daily Crescent
• Southwestern Christian Advocate
• Southwestern Christian Advocate
• The Daily Crescent
• The Daily Delta
• The Jewish Ledger
• The Republican Courier
• Southern Republican
• Morning Star and Catholic Messenger – 1868-1881
• Clarion Herald – 1958-1968
• New Orleans Clarion Herald – 2011-present
• The Louisiana Weekly
• Southwestern Advocate

Shreveport

• Catholic Connection – 2012-present

Vidalia

• The Concordia Eagle
• Concordia Intelligencer

Subscription or Pay Sites:

Ancestry.com:

There are currently 25 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Louisiana Newspapers

Genealogy Bank:

There are currently 471 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank – Louisiana Newspapers

Newspaper Archive:

There are currently 149 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Louisiana

Newspapers.com:

There are currently 333 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com – Louisiana.

And Finally:

You also need to visit the Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers 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. Gale and ProQuest collections are often available if you have the proper card. 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.