Montana Online Historical Newspapers

There are over 1,100 newspapers that have been published in the Treasure State - certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it - find articles about the events, history, and people that capture the stories of Montana. 

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 March, 2018; recently added links are in BOLD)

Free Sites:

Collections:

Chronicling America - Montana

• Anaconda, Mont., 1889-1970 - The Anaconda standard.
• Benton, M.T. [Mont.], 1875-1879 - The Benton record.
• Benton, Mont., 1880-1885 - The Benton weekly record.
• Billings, Mont., 1882-1885 - The Billings herald.
• Billings, Mont., 1885-1900 - The Daily gazette.
• Billings, Mont., 1896-1919 - The Billings gazette.
• Bozeman, Mont., 1871-1872 - The avant courier.
• Bozeman, Mont., 1872-1882 - Bozeman avant courier.
• Bozeman, Mont., 1883-1883 - The weekly chronicle.
• Bozeman, Mont., 1883-1889 - The Bozeman weekly chronicle.
• Broadus, Mont., 1918-1919 - The Broadus independent.
• Broadus, Mont., 1919-1935 - The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent.
• Butte, Mont., 1878-1881 - The weekly miner.
• Butte, Mont., 1879-1885 - The daily miner.
• Butte, Mont., 1881-1901 - Daily inter mountain.
• Butte, Mont., 1882-1886 - The semi-weekly miner.
• Butte, Mont., 1885-18?? - The Butte daily miner.
• Butte, Mont., 1886-1890 - Butte semi-weekly miner.
• Butte, Mont., 1901-1912 - The Butte inter mountain.
• Butte, Mont., 1902-190? - The new age.
• Butte, Mont., 1913-1961 - The Butte daily post.
• Butte, Mont., 1918-1921 - The Butte daily bulletin.
• Culbertson, Mont., 1902-current - The searchlight.
• Cut Bank, Mont., 1909-current - Cut Bank pioneer press.
• Deer Lodge, Mont., 1869-1897 - The new North-west.
• Diamond City, Mont., 1875-1943 - Rocky Mountain husbandman.
• Dillon, Mont., 1881-1941 - The Dillon tribune.
• Dupuyer, Mont., 1894-1904 - The Dupuyer acantha.
• Ekalaka, Mont., 1909-1920 - The Ekalaka eagle.
• Forsyth, Mont., 1901-1906 - Rosebud County news.
• Fort Benton, Mont., 1880-current - The river press. volume
• Glasgow, Mont., 1913-current - The Glasgow courier.
• Glendive, Mont., 1905-1928 - Yellowstone monitor.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1885-1890 - Great Falls tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1887-1890 - Great Falls tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1888-1890 - The Great Falls leader.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1888-1900 - The Great Falls leader.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1890-1890 - The tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1890-1891 - The semi-weekly tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1891-1894 - The weekly tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1894-1??? - Great Falls weekly tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1895-1921 - Great Falls daily tribune.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1918-1918 - Montana leader.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1918-192? - The Montana nonpartisan.
• Great Falls, Mont., 1921-current - Great Falls tribune.
• Harlem, Mont., 1899-1926 - The enterprise.
• Harlowton, Mont., 1909-1914 - The Harlowton news.
• Havre, Mont., 1904-1908 - The Havre herald.
• Helena, Mont., 1867-1900 - Helena weekly herald. volume
• Helena, Mont., 1875-1943 - The Helena independent.
• Helena, Mont., 1894-1894 - The Colored citizen.
• Helena, Mont., 1906-1911 - The Montana plaindealer.
• Helena, Mont., 1914-191? - The Suffrage daily news.
• Inverness, Mont., 1917-1918 - Inverness news.
• Judith Gap, Mont., 1908-19?? - Judith Gap journal.
• Kalispell, Mont., 1900-192? - The Kalispell bee.
• Kalispell, Mont., 1901-1901 - The Kalispell bee.
• Lewistown, Mont., 1886-1946 - Fergus County argus.
• Lewistown, Mont., 1904-191? - Montana news.
• Lewistown, Mont., 1904-1919 - Fergus County Democrat.
• Libby, Mont., 1911-1913 - The Libby herald.
• Livingston, Mont., 1883-1884 - The daily enterprise.
• Livingston, Mont., 1883-1914 - The Livingston enterprise.
• Maiden, Mont., 1883-1886 - The Mineral argus.
• Miles City, Mont., 1882-1893 - Daily Yellowstone journal.
• Miles City, Mont., 1893-1901 - The Yellowstone journal.
• Missoula, Mont., 1904-1961 - The Daily Missoulian.
• Neihart, Mont., 1890-1901 - The Neihart herald.
• Philipsburg, Mont., 1887-current - The Philipsburg mail.
• Plentywood, Mont., 1918-1937 - The producers news.
• Red Lodge, Mont., 1889-1907 - Red Lodge picket.
• Ronan, Mont., 1910-1970 - The Ronan pioneer.
• Roundup, Mont., 1908-1929 - The roundup record.
• Stevensville, Mont., 1890-1977 - The Western news.
• Stevensville, Mont., 1894-1899 - The Ravalli Republican.
• Sun River, Mont., 1884-1885 - Sun River sun.
• Virginia City, Mont., 1873-1915 - The Madisonian.
• Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.], 1864-1869 - The Montana post.
• Whitefish, Mont., 1904-current - The Whitefish pilot.
• Wibaux, Mont., 1907-1919 - The Wibaux pioneer.

Google News Archive

• Basin - The Basin Progress
• Basin - The Basin Progress and Mining Review
• Belgrade - Gallatin County Journal
• Belgrade - The Belgrade Journal
• Big Timber - Big Timber Pioneer
• Big Timber - Big Timber Express
• Bigfork - Flathead County News
• Billings - Yellowstone Valley Recorder
• Boulder - The Age-Sentinel
• Bozeman - The High Country
• Browning - Glacier County Chief
• Butte - The Montana Catholic
• Butte - The Butte Bystander
• Butte - The Tribune-Review
• Butte - Montana State Journal
• Butte - The Labor World
• Castle - The Whole Truth
• Chester - Chester Signal
• Chester - The Newspaper of Chester
• Choteau - Teton Chronicle
• Circle - Mccone County Pioneer
• Columbia Falls - The Columbian
• Columbus - Stillwater County Democrat
• Columbus - The Express
• Columbus - The Stillwater Bulletin
• Concord - The Concord Tribune
• Darby - The Darby Sentinel
• Dayton - The Dayton Leader
• Deer Lodge - Silver State Post
• Dupuyer - The Dupuyer Acantha
• Forsyth - Forsyth Journal
• Galata - The Galata Journal
• Gardiner - Wonderland
• Gebo - Carbon County Sentinel
• Gilman - The Times-Optimist
• Glasgow - North Montana Review
• Great Falls - Great Falls Pennant
• Hamilton - The Ravalli County Democrat
• Hardin - The Big Horn Searchlight
• Harlowton - Musselshell News
• Havre - The Havre Plaindealer
• Havre - The Havre Herald
• Hedgesville - Hedges Herald
• Helena - The Montana Mining Review
• Helena - The Montana Plaindealer
• Helena - Montana News
• Helena - The Montana Progressive
• Helena - The Helena Message
• Ingomar - The Ingomar Index
• Kalispell - The Kalispell Graphic
• Kalispell - The Kalispell Bee
• Kalispell - Flathead Herald-Journal
• Kalispell - The Kalispell Journal
• Kendall - The Kendall Miner
• Lame Deer - A'tome
• Lewistown - The Lewistown Democrat
• Libby - The Weekly Montanian
• Lincoln - Blackfoot Valley Dispatch
• Livingston - Livingston Herald
• Malta - Phillips County News
• Marysville - The Mountaineer
• Miles City - Miles City Independent
• Miles City - The Independent
• Miles City - The Yellowstone Journal
• Miles City - The Daily Yellowstone Journal
• Missoula - Edwards Fruit Grower and Farmer
• Missoula - Morning Missoulian
• Missoula - Daily Democrat-Messenger
• Missoula - Weekly Missoulian
• Missoula - Democrat-Messenger
• Missoula - Edwards' Fruit Grower & Farmer
• Missoula - Missoula Weekly Gazette
• Missoula - The Missoula Herald
• Missoula - Missoula Gazette
• Mondak - The Yellowstone News
• Moore - The Inland Empire
• Neihart - The Neihart Miner
• Neihart - Neihart Herald
• Philipsburg - Philipsburg Mail
• Philipsburg - The Citizens Call
• Pony - The Pony Sentinel
• Pony - The Pony Dispatch and Express
• Quigley - Rock Creek Record
• Red Lodge - Carbon County News
• Roundup - Roundup Record-Tribune & Winnett Times
• Shelby - The Shelby News
• Sheridan - The Sheridan Enterprise
• Superior - The Mineral County Press
• Sidney - Sidney Herald
• Three Forks - Three Forks News
• Troy - The Troy Tribune
• Twin Bridges - Madison County Monitor
• Virginia City - Southwestern View
• Winston - The Winston Prospector

Montana Newspapers

• Baker, Mont., 1909-1925 - Baker Sentinel 
• Baker, Mont., 1915-1916 - The Fallonite 
• Baker, Mont., 1916-current - Fallon County Times 
• Baker, Mont., 1925-1926 - The Advocate 
• Big Sandy, Mont., 1911-1921 - The Bear Paw Mountaineer 
• Big Sandy, Mont., 1921-current - The Mountaineer
• Big Timber, Mont., 1890-1975 - Big Timber Pioneer 
• Big Timber, Mont., 1975-1982 - The Pioneer 
• Big Timber, Mont., 1983-current - The Big Timber Pioneer 
• Billings, Mont., 1930-1943 - The Rimrock Echo 
• Billings, Mont., 1945-1946 - Eastern State 
• Billings, Mont., 1949-1949 - You Name It 
• Billings, Mont., 1949-1959 - Emcoe 
• Billings, Mont., 1953-1953 - The Yellow Jacket 
• Billings, Mont., 1954-1954 - Semcoe 
• Billings, Mont., 1955-1955 - The Buzzer 
• Billings, Mont., 1955-2014 - The Retort 
• Billings, Mont., 1964-1964 - Eastern Highlights 
• Billings, Mont., 1970-1970 - Pulp 
• Butte, Mont., 18??-1928 - The Butte Miner 
• Choteau, Mont., 1885-1889 - The Choteau Calumet 
• Choteau, Mont., 1890-1901 - The Montanian 
• Choteau, Mont., 1897-1901 - Teton Chronicle 
• Choteau, Mont., 1901-1903 - The Montanian and Chronicle 
• Choteau, Mont., 1904-current - The Choteau Acantha 
• Choteau, Mont., 1913-1925 - The Choteau Montanan 
• Columbia Falls, Mont., 1891-1897 - The Columbian 
• Columbia Falls, Mont., 1903-1905 - Hendricks' Columbian 
• Columbia Falls, Mont., 1905-1925 - The Columbian 
• Dillon, Mont, 1949-2009 - Wescolite 
• Dillon, Mont, 1985-1985 - The Summer Script 
• Dillon, Mont., 1881-1941 - The Dillon Tribune 
• Dillon, Mont., 1891-1962 - The Dillon Examiner 
• Dillon, Mont., 1906-1918 - The Monmal 
• Dillon, Mont., 1926-1949 - The Montanomal 
• Dillon, Mont., 1941-1962 - The Dillon Daily Tribune 
• Dillon, Mont., 1962-1971 - The Dillon Daily Tribune-Examiner 
• Dillon, Mont., 1971-1973 - Daily Tribune-Examiner 
• Dillon, Mont., 1973-1982 - Tribune-Examiner 
• Dillon, Mont., 1982-1989 - Dillon Tribune Examiner 
• Dillon, Mont., 1989-current - Dillon Tribune 
• Dillon, Mont., 2002-2004 - The Western Wire 
• Dixon, Mont., 1971-1985 - Char-Koosta 
• Eureka, Mont., 1940-1943 - Ksanka Annex 
• Eureka, Mont., 1946-1968 - Evergreen 
• Fort Benton, Mont., 1880-current - The River Press 
• Great Falls, Mont., 1888-1900 - The Great Falls Leader 
• Great Falls, Mont., 1900-1909 - Great Falls Evening Leader 
• Hardin, Mont., 1908-1925 - The Hardin Tribune 
• Hardin, Mont., 1925-1973 - The Hardin Tribune-Herald 
• Helena, Mont., 1912-1916 - Mount Saint Charles Scholastic 
• Helena, Mont., 1916-2015 - The Prospector 
• Helena, Mont., 1975-1977 - Tumbleweed 
• Ismay, Mont., 1908-1910 - The Ismay 
• Ismay, Mont., 1910-1933 - The Ismay Journal 
• Jackson, Mont., 1898-1915 - Big Hole Breezes 
• Kendall, Mont., 1902-190? - Kendall Chronicle 
• Kendall, Mont., 1905-191? - The Kendall Miner 
• Lewistown, Mont., 1886-1946 - Fergus County Argus 
• Lewistown, Mont., 1904-1919 - Fergus County Democrat 
• Miles City, Mont., 1883-1884 - The Daily Rustler 
• Missoula, Montana, 1964-current - The Hellgate Lance 
• Moore, Mont., 1905-1915 - The Inland Empire 
• Moore, Mont., 1915-1931 - The Moore Independent 
• Pablo, Mont., 1985-current - Char-Koosta News 
• Plains, Mont., 1906-1924 - Sanders County Signal 
• Plains, Mont., 1909-1910 - Sanders County Democrat 
• Polson, Mont., 1909-1911 - The Lake Shore Sentinel 
• Polson, Mont., 1910-current - The Flathead Courier 
• Poplar, Mont., 1963-1966 - Eyapi Oaye 
• Poplar, Mont., 1970-1974 - Wotanin 
• Poplar, Mont., 1975-2007 - Wotanin Wowapi 
• Ronan?, Mont., 1956-19?? - Char-Koosta 
• Roundup, Mont., 1908-1929 - The Roundup Record 
• Saco, Mont., 19??-1971 - The Saco Independent 
• Superior, Mont., 1915-current - The Mineral Independent 
• Thompson Falls, Mont., 1894-1897 - Weekly Montanian 
• Thompson Falls, Mont., 1905-1918 - The Sanders County Ledger 
• Thompson Falls, Mont., 1918-1959 - The Sanders County Independent-Ledger 
• Thompson Falls, Mont., 1959-current - Sanders County Ledger 
• Winifred, Mont., 1913-19?? - The Winifred Times 
• Wisdom, Mont., 1912-1925 - Big Hole Basin News 
• Zortman, Mont., 1907-19?? - Little Rockies Miner 

Montana Memory Project - Newspapers

• Big Horn County Obituaries
• Big Timber Pioneer
• Char-Koosta News
• Fort Peck Reservation
• Liberty County Obituaries
• Lincoln County Newspapers
• Little Rockies Miner
• Polson's Early Newspapers
• The Prospector
• Saco Independent
• UM Western Newspapers
• The Eye Opener 
• Wotanin Wowapi
• Poplar Shopper
• Poplar Standard

Beaverhead County, Montana Newspapers 

• Big Hole Basin News 1912-1925 
• Big Hole Breezes 1898-1915  
• Daily Tribune-Examiner 1971-1973
• Dillon Tribune Examiner 1982-current 
• Dillon Daily Tribune 1941-1962 
• Dillon Daily Tribune-Examiner 1962-1971 
• Dillon Examiner 1891-1962 
• Dillon Tribune 1881-1941 
• Tribune-Examiner 1973-1982

Fallon County Newspapers

• Baker Sentinel 1909-1925
• Fallon County Times 1916-current
• The Fallonite 1915-1916
• Ismay 1908-1910
• Ismay Journal 1910-1933 

MSU Billings Student Newspapers 

• Eastern Highlights 1964-1964 
• Eastern State 1945-1946 
• Emcoe 1949-1959 
• Pulp 1970-1970 
• Semcoe 1954-1954 
• The Buzzer 1955-1955 
• The Retort 1955-2014 
• The Rimrock Echo 1930-1943 
• The Yellow Jacket 1953-1953 
• You Name It 1949-1949 

Teton County Newspapers

• The Choteau Acantha 1904-current 
• The Choteau Calumet 1885-1889 
• The Choteau Montanan 1913-1925 
• The Montanian 1890-1901 
• Teton Chronicle 1897-1901

UM Western Newspapers 

• The Monmal 1906-1918 
• The Montanomal 1926-1949 
• The Western Wire 2002-2004 
• Wescolite 2004-2009 

County and Library Collections
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Billings Public Library

• Billings Gazette 
• The Billings Gazette 
• The Billings Daily Gazette

Bozeman High School

• Gallatin High News 
• Hawk Tawk 

Havre Hill County Library

• Daily News 
• Havre Daily News 
• Havre Daily News 
• Hill County Sunday Journal 

Havre Hill Obituaries

• Havre Hill Times

Bozeman and Great Falls Newspaper Index (Index only)

Small Town Papers

• Blackfoot Valley Dispatch Lincoln, Montana
• The Mountaineer Big Sandy, Montana
• Philipsburg Mail Philipsburg, Montana
• Phillips County News Malta, Montana
• Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times Roundup, Montana
• Sidney Herald Sidney, Montana
• Silver State Post Deer Lodge, Montana

The Olden Times - Montana

Newspaper Abstracts - Montana

Other Free Sites:

Bozeman

• Montana State University Exponent

Butte

• Copper Commando

Columbia Falls

• The Columbian

Eureka

• Lincoln County High School Newspapers

Fort Peck Reservation

• Fort Peck Reservation Newspapers