Digitized newspaper archives available
By Jill Fennema
The Pipestone County Historical Society has recently launched its Newspaper Digitization Database in collaboration with Advantage Archive. The first phase of the project is now complete, with newspapers from 1879 to 1915 fully digitized.
The archive includes editions of the Edgerton Enterprise, Pipestone County Star, and Jasper Journal. In total, 11 publications have been digitized, though eight of them had shorter publication runs compared to these three primary newspapers.
“This site is pretty intuitive, and we think you’ll pick it up quickly,” said Pipestone County Museum Director Susan Hoskins.
To explore the archives, visit https://pipestone.historyarchives.online/home. Simply enter your search term in the query box. You can refine your search by selecting a specific date range or newspaper title. If no filters are applied, the search will cover all available newspapers and dates.
Additional search options allow you to find results based on “all” words entered, an “exact” phrase match, or other refinements. You can also adjust date parameters, such as searching for newspapers published “between” or “after” certain dates. For detailed search instructions, click the “Resources” tab on the website, which links to Advantage Archive’s comprehensive search guide.
After retrieving search results, click on an entry to view a scanned image of the newspaper page. Your search terms will be highlighted for easier identification.
Currently, the built-in clipping function is not working correctly. Advantage Archive is aware of this issue and is working on a fix. In the meantime, users can utilize Microsoft’s Snipping Tool or a similar screenshot feature. When saving clippings, be sure to note the newspaper title, publication date, and location of the article for future reference.
With Phase One completed, PCHS is now launching Phase Two of the project, aiming to raise $25,000 to digitize newspapers from 1916 through 1939. Please consider contributing to this effort to help preserve Pipestone County’s history!
