Rhode Island is one of the states that does not have a single central online state repository for searching historical newspapers, nor do 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 – certainly 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.
(Updated May 2021; recently added links are in BOLD)
Free Sites:
Statewide Collections:
Chronicling America – Rhode Island
- Newport [R.I.], 1777-1779 – The Newport gazette. [volume]
- Newport, R.I., 1830-1846 – Herald of the times. [volume]
- Newport, R.I., 1846-1849 – Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume]
- Newport, R.I., 1849-1856 – Herald of the times. [volume]
- Providence [R.I.], 1834-1834 – Rhode-Island constitutionalist. [volume]
- Providence, R.I., 1826-1827 – Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume]
- Providence, R.I., 1827-1829 – Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume]
- Providence, R.I., 1852-185? – The Pioneer and woman’s advocate.
- Warren [R.I.], 1826-1830 – Northern star, and Warren and Bristol gazette. [volume]
- Warren, R.I., 1830-1834 – The Northern star, and farmers’ and mechanics’ advocate. [volume]
- Warren, R.I., 1834-1837 – The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume]
- Warren, R.I., 1837-1849 – The Northern star, and farmers’ and mechanics’ advocate. [volume]
- Warren, R.I., 1849-1855 – The Northern star. [volume]
- Warren, R.I., 1857-1861 – Warren telegraph. [volume]
- Westerly, R.I., 1851-1851 – The literary echo.
- Westerly, R.I., 1851-1854 – The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume]
- Westerly, R.I., 1854-1858 – The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume]
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
The Bristol Phoenix
- Bristol Phoenix
- Bristol Phenix
- The Phoenix
- Bristol Gazette and Family Companion
- Bristol Gazette
Kent County
East Greenwich Free Library
- Rhode Island Pendulum
- Warwick Beacon
- East Greenwich Pendulum
- The Weekly Pendulum
- The Rhode Island Pendulum
- Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner
Newport County
Jamestown Philomenian Library
- Jamestown Press
- The Jamestown Press
Providence County
Cranston Public Library
- Cranston City Times
- Cranston Herald
- Cranston Herald News
- Cranston Herald Today
- Cranston Leader
- Cranston News
- Cranston Today
- Herald News
- Howard Times
- Neighborhood News
- Pawtucket Times
- Evening Times
- Pawtucket Evening Times
- The Pawtucket Times
Washington County
Maury Loontjens Memorial Library
- Narragansett Times
- Standard Times
- Timeout
- Standard
- Wickford Standard
- The Standard-Times
- Time Out
- North Kingstown Standard
- Block Island Fly
- Block Island Hooter
- Block Island Newsletter
- Way It Is
- Block Island
- Block Island Reporter
- Block Island Times
- Ebb Tide
- Manisses Journal
- Ocean View
- The Block Island Times
- The Works
Student Collections:
Brown University – Providence
Bryant College – Smithfield
Community College of Rhode island – Warwick
Johnson and Wales University – Providence
Naval War College – Newport
New England Institute of Technology – East Greenwich
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
Rhode Island School of Design – Providence
Roger Williams University – Bristol
Salve Regina University – Newport
University of Rhode island – Kingston
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)
The Olden Times – Rhode Island
Newspaper Abstracts – Rhode Island
For Obituary Indexes, transcriptions, and other death/obituary information from historic newspapers, please check out the Obituaries page.
Other Free Sites:
Newport
Pawtuxet Village
Providence
Subscription or Pay Sites:
Ancestry.com:
There are currently 25 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Rhode island Newspapers
Genealogy Bank:
There are currently 87 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Genealogy Bank – Rhode island Newspapers
Newspaper Archive:
There are currently 14 publications available at this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Rhode island
Newspapers.com:
There are currently 4 publications available at 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.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For more links for different states, provinces, and countries – please see the Newspaper Links page on this website.
For other Free Rhode Island Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
This information may be helpful in my search for RI ancestors.
The newspaper that Google News lists as Providence — The Morning Herald is actually a mish-mosh: the years from 1873 are the Providence paper by that name, but the years from 1879 to 1900 are the Baltimore Morning Herald.
Wow, what a great list.
Wish I had found this list before I went to Providence to look up old obituaries. i had always just assumed most of RI was covered by the Journal. This list s very helpful in locating what newspaper would cover the person your looking for.
Keep up the great work.