Rhode Island Online Historical Newspapers Summary

Rhode Island is one of the states that does not have a single central online state repository for searching historical newspapers, but they use the Library of Congress Chronicling America site as their main site for searching old newspapers. There are some 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 750 newspapers that have been published in the Ocean State – not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it – find your Rhode Island 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)

Rhode Island Historical Newspapers

Free Sites:

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America – Rhode Island

The Links for Chronicling America go to the new Version 2.0

• Der Izraeliṭ = the Israelite (Providence, R.I.) 1895-189?
• East Providence Eagle (East Providence, R.I.) 1882-191?
• Evening Tribune (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1888-1890
• Herald of the Times (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846
• Herald of the Times (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856
• Herald of the Times, and Rhode Islander (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849
• Herald of the United States (Warren, R.I.) 1792-181?
• Howard Times (Howard, R.I.) 1885-190?
• La Libert’a (Providence, R.I.) 190?-19??
• Le Progrès (Woonsocket, R.I.) 1898-1913
• Literary Cadet and Rhode-Island Statesman (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829
• Literary Cadet, and Saturday Evening Bulletin (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827
• Narragansett Herald (Narragansett Pier, R.I.) 1877-1???
• Narragansett Herald, Hopkinton Gazette and North Kingstown Courier (Narragansett Pier, R.I.) 1876-1877
• New England Artisan, and Laboring Man’s Repository (Providence [R.I.]) 183?-1833
• Newport Daily Herald (Newport, R.I.) 1847-1848
• Newport Navalog (Newport, R.I.) 1944-Current
• Northern Star, and Warren and Bristol Gazette (Warren [R.I.]) 1826-1830
• Olive Leaf and New-York Weekly Messenger (New York [N.Y.] ; Providence, R.I. ; Boston [Mass.]) 1840-18??
• Olive Leaf and Rhode Island Temperance Herald (Providence [R.I.]) 1839-1840
• Ours Illustrated (Providence, R.I.) 1870-188?
• Pawtucket and Central Falls Real Estate Record (Pawtucket [R.I.]) 1886-1886
• Pawtucket Evening Post (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1893-1896
• Pawtucket Evening Record (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1889-1889
• Pawtucket Gazette and Chronicle (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1845-1912
• Pawtucket Herald, and Independent Inquirer (Pawtucket, Mass. [i.e. R.I.]) 1828-1830
• Pawtucket Morning Record (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1889-1889
• Pawtucket Record (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1886-1890
• Pawtucket Tribune (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?
• Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner (Phenix, R.I.) 1876-1906
• Plain Speaker (Providence [R.I.]) 1841-184?
• Providence Anzeiger (Providence, R.I.) 1884-1918
• Providence Daily Advertiser (Providence [R.I.]) 1829-1830
• Providence Daily Gazette (Providence, R.I.) 1844-1846
• Providence Daily Journal (Providence [R.I.]) 1830-1920
• Providence Daily Journal, and General Advertiser (Providence [R.I.]) 1829-1830
• Providence Morning Star (Providence, R.I.) 1873-1886
• Providence Patriot, Columbian Phenix (Providence, R.I.) 1814-183?
• Republican Herald (Providence [R.I.]) 1832-1852
• Republican Herald (Providence, R.I.) 1828-1852
• Rhode Island American (Providence [R.I.]) 1824-1825
• Rhode Island American and Gazette (Providence, R.I.) 1831-1833
• Rhode Island American, Statesman and Providence Gazette (Providence [R.I.]) 1829-1830
• Rhode Island Freeman (Providence, R.I.) 1853-185?
• Rhode Island Israelite (Providence, R.I.) 1894-1895
• Rhode-Island American and Providence Gazette (Providence [R.I.]) 1825-1829
• Rhode-Island Constitutionalist (Providence [R.I.]) 1834-1834
• Rhode-Island Republican (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806
• Rhode-Island Temperance Herald (Providence, R.I.) 1838-1839
• Rhode-Island Weekly Post (Providence [R.I.]) 1850-1852
• Sentinel and Advertiser (Hope Valley, R.I.) 1883-1894
• Shannock Weekly Sentinel (Shannock, Washington Co., R.I.) 1882-1883
• The Evening Tribune (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?
• The Evening Tribune (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1929
• The Labor Advocate (Providence, R.I.) 1912-1915
• The Literary Echo (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851
• The Literary Echo, and Pawcatuck Advertiser (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854
• The Morning Star (Providence, R.I.) 1869-1872
• The Morning Tribune (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1908
• The Newport Gazette (Newport [R.I.]) 1777-1779
• The News-Democrat (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909
• The Northern Star (Warren, R.I.) 1849-1855
• The Northern Star, and Constitutionalist (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837
• The Northern Star, and Farmers’ and Mechanics’ Advocate (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834
• The Northern Star, and Farmers’ and Mechanics’ Advocate (Warren, R.I.) 1837-1849
• The Olneyville Times (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917
• The Olneyville Tribune (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?
• The Pascoag Herald (Pascoag, R.I.) 1900-1918
• The Penny Post (Providence [R.I.]) 1834-1834
• The Phenix (Bristol, R.I.) 1837-1840
• The Pioneer and Woman’s Advocate (Providence, R.I.) 1852-185?
• The Providence Journal, and Town and Country Advertiser (Providence [R.I.]) 1799-1801
• The Providence News (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906
• The Record-Visitor (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1891-1893
• The Rhode Island Free Democrat (Providence, R.I.) 1852-185?
• The Rhode Islander (Newport [R.I.]) 1841-1846
• The Rhode-Island American, and General Advertiser (Providence [R.I.]) 1809-1823
• The Rhode-Island Republican (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841
• The Samaritan, and Total Abstinence Advocate (Providence [R.I.]) 1841-184?
• The State (Providence, R.I.) 1905-1907
• The Telegraph (Warren, R.I.) 1825-1826
• The Telescope (Warren, R.I.) 1813-181?
• The Temple of Honor (Providence, [R.I.]) 1869-1876
• The Weakly (Chepachet, R.I.) 1880-1881
• The Weekly Visitor (Central Falls, R.I.) 1869-1891
• The Weekly Visitor (Providence, R.I.) 1875-1884
• The Westerly Echo, & Pawcatuck Advertiser (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858
• Warren Telegraph (Warren, R.I.) 1857-1861
• Wood River Advertiser (Hope Valley, R.I.) 1876-1880
• Zion’s Friend, and General Baptist Register (Providence [R.I.]) 1835-1835

Google News Archive

• Hope Valley – Hope Valley Advertiser
• Newport – Weekly Companion and the Commercial Centinel
• Newport – Rhode-Island Republican
• Newport – The Guardian of Liberty
• Olneyville – Providence County Times
• Pawtucket – Pawtucket Evening Tribune
• Pawtucket – Evening Tribune 
• Pawtucket – Pawtucket Tribune
• Phenix – Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner
• Providence – The American Journal
• Providence – The Evening Tribune and Telegram
• Providence – Manufacturers’& Farmers’ Journal
• Providence – The Providence Journal
• Providence – Manufacturers and Farmers Journal
• Providence – The Morning Star
• Providence – Evening Telegram 
• Providence – Sunday Telegram
• Providence – The News-Tribune
• Providence – The Providence Evening Press
• Providence – The News-Democrat
• Providence – The Providence Sunday Star
• Providence – Providencer Anzeiger
• Providence – Providence Morning Herald
• Providence – The Morning Herald
• Providence – The Impartial Observer
• Providence – Providence Daily Post
• Providence – Corbett’s Herald
• Providence – Providence News
• Providence – The Providence Morning Star
• Providence – The Providence Gazette
• Providence – The Providence Gazette and Country Journal
• Providence – The Sunday Tribune
• Warren – Bristol County Register
• Woonsocket – La Cloche du Dimanche
• Woonsocket – La Tribune de Woonsocket

County and Library Collections:

Bristol County

Barrington Public Library

• The Barrington Times (1958-1983)

Rogers Free Library

• Bristol Phoenix (1869-2021)
• Bristol Phenix (1840-1869)
• The Phoenix (1837-1840)
• Bristol Gazette and Family Companion (1834-1837)
• Bristol Gazette (1833-1834)

George Hail Free Library

• Warren And Barrington Gazette (1907-1961)
• Times-Gazette (1963-1976)
• The Warren Gazette (1866-1907)
• Warren Times (1961-1963)
• The Warren Gazette And Barrington Call (1907-1907)
• The New Warren Times (1961-1961)

Kent County
East Greenwich Free Library 

• Rhode Island Pendulum (1877-1989)
• East Greenwich Pendulum (1990-2000)
• The Rhode Island Pendulum (1857-1877)
• The Weekly Pendulum (1854-1856)
• Warwick Beacon (1969)

West Warwick Public Library

• Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner (1876-1901)

Newport County
Jamestown Philomenian Library 

• The Jamestown Press (1989-2023)

Newport Public Library

• Newport Daily News (1846-1971)
• Newport Journal (1868-1870)

Providence County
Cranston Public Library

• Cranston Herald (1936-2020)
• Cranston News (1922-1939)
• Cranston Herald Today (1975-1977)
• Cranston Today (1972-1975)
• Cranston Mirror (1978-1991)
• Howard Times (1885-1905)
• Cranston City Times (1921-1925)
• Herald News (1939-1940)
• The Bridge (1986-2015)
• Cranston Herald News (1939)
• Neighborhood News (1930-1931)
• Cranston Leader (1889-1890)
• Hammonds Floral Friend and Household Journal (1892)
• The Cranston Critic (1900)

Jesse M. Smith Library

• Burrillville News Gazette (1893-1895)
• The Burrillville Gazette (1880-1893)
• The Pascoag Herald (1892-1918)
• The Pascoag Herald And Burrillville News Gazette (1895-1899)
• Stillwater News (1942-1960)

Pawtucket Public Library

• Evening Times (1886-1920)
• Gazette and Chronicle (1839-1844)
• Pawtucket Chronicle and Manufacturers and Artizans Advocate (1825-1827)
• Pawtucket Chronicle and Rhode Island and Massachusetts Register (1827-1838)
• Pawtucket Evening Times (1886-1890)
• Pawtucket Gazette and Chronicle (1845-1912)
• Pawtucket Times (1920-1976)
• The Pawtucket Times (1948-1972)
• The Providence Daily Post (1857-1857)

Woonsocket Harris Public Library

• Providence County Times
• The Evening Call
• The Evening Reporter
• The Woonsocket Call And Evening Reporter
• The Woonsocket Call

Washington County
Maury Loontjens Memorial Library 

• Narragansett Times (1860-1896)

North Kingstown Library

• Standard Times (1969-2023)
• Time Out (1993-2016)
• Independent (2003-2023)
• Standard (1890-1958)
• Wickford Standard (1888-1941)
• North Kingstown Standard (1958-1962)
• The Westerly News and Rhode Island Telephone (1884-1887)
• Wickford Village Fair News (1938-1957)

Island Free Library

• Block Island Fly (1917)
• Block Island Hooter (1966-1968)
• Block Island Newsletter (1972-1982)
• Block Island Reporter (1901-1983)
• Block Island Summer Times (2022)
• Block Island Times (1970-2023)
• Block Island (1961)
• Ebb Tide (1980)
• Manisses Journal (1901)
• Ocean View (1976-1977)
• The Block Island Times (1995-2019)
• The Works (1991-2000)
• Way It Is (1979-1983)

South Kingstown Library

• Narragansett Times (1855-2019)
• South County Independent (2011-2020)
• Narragansett Times and Washington County Advertiser (1864-1889)

Westerly Public Library

• The Westerly Sun (1905-1950)
• The Westerly Daily Sun (1893-1905)

Student Collections:

Brown University – Providence

• Brown Daily Herald 
• Pembroke Record

Bryant University – Smithfield

• ​Bryant Archway
• Bryant-Stratton News – Voice of the Student 
• The Booster

Community College of Rhode Island – Warwick

• News

Johnson and Wales University – Providence

• Campus Herald

Naval War College – Newport

• Naval War College Review
• Faculty, Staff, and Student News

New England Institute of Technology – East Greenwich

• News

Providence College – Providence

• Accent
• Black and White
• Congress Connect
• History Alive
• Scholarly Friar
• Student Voice
• The Cowl
• The Entropy
• The Free Press
• The Misinformer
• What on Earth

Rhode Island College – Providence

• Anchor
• The Anchor

Rhode Island School of Design – Providence

• Mixed Media
• Your Name Here
• Juice
• RISD Voice
• Incorporated Press, Inc
• Express-O
• RISD press
• Montage
• RISD Rag

Roger Williams University – Bristol

• Hawk’s Eye
• Hawk’s Herald
• The Messenger
• The Quill

Salve Regina University – Newport

• Ebb Tide
• Nautilus

University of Rhode Island – Kingston

• The Good 5 Cent Cigar
• Black Gold
• The Beacon
• The Beacon
• The Summer Beacon

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Independent Voices – Alternative Newspapers

• All hands abandon ship
• Joglars

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942

• Fort Adams – Sad Day (Company 150)
• Pawtuxet – Nooseneck Tattler (Company 195)
• West Glocester – Washingtonian (Company 142)
• Westerly – Burlingame Beacon (Company 141)
• Westerly – Wa-Hoo (Company 141)

Old Fulton Postcards

• Greenwitch RI Northern Star
• Newport RI Daily News
• Newport RI Gazette
• Newport RI Herald
• Newport RI Herald Times
• Newport RI Republican
• Newport RI Rhode Island Republican
• Newport RI Rhode Islander
• Providence RI Cadet
• Providence RI Farmers And Mechanics Advocate
• Providence RI Nothern Star
• Providence RI Olneyville Times
• Providence RI Pioneer and woman Advocate
• Providence RI Road Island Constitutionalist
• Providence RI Road Island Statesman
• Providence RI Saturday Evening Bulletin
• Warren RI Constitutionalist
• Warren RI Northern Star
• Warren RI Nothern Star
• Warren RI Telegraph
• Westerly RI Echo
• Westerly RI literary Echo
• Westerly RI Pawcatuck
• Westerly RI Pawtucket Advertising

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

Other Free Sites:

Newport

• Newport Daily News
• French Gazette 
• Gazette Francoise 

Pawtuxet Village

• The Bridge

Providence

• Christian Telescope
• Christian Telescope and Universalist Miscellany
• Rhode Island Catholic

Subscription or Pay Sites:

Ancestry.com:

There are currently 30 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Rhode Island Newspapers

Genealogy Bank:

There are currently 151 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank – Rhode Island Newspapers

Newspaper Archive:

There are currently 16 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Rhode Island

Newspapers.com:

There are currently 16 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com – Rhode Island. 

And Finally:

You also need to visit the Rhode Island Historical Society site, which can tell you what is occurring in the state with regard to newspaper projects. The Brown University and Providence College libraries are also good sites to visit.

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.