Maine Online Historical Newspapers

There are about 1,500 newspapers that have been published in the Pine Tree State - certainly not all of them are searchable online. So go for it - find articles about the events, history, and people that capture the stories of Maine. 

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 November, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America - Maine Newspapers

• Augusta, Me., 1870-1975 - Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel]
• Bath, Me., 1836-1846 - Lincoln telegraph. [volume]
• Bath, Me., 1846-1857 - Eastern times. [volume]
• Bath, Me., 1847-1855 - The Northern tribune. [volume]
• Belfast, Me., 1829-current - The Republican journal. [volume] 
• Biddeford [Me.], 1854-1858 - The Union and eastern journal. [volume] 
• Biddeford, Me., 1858-1882 - The Union and journal. [volume] 
• Ellsworth, Me., 1855-current - Ellsworth American. [volume] 
• Paris, Me., 1833-1933 - Oxford Democrat. [volume] 
• Portland, Me., 1805-1818 - Portland gazette and Maine advertiser.
• Portland, Me., 1818-1824 - The Portland gazette. [volume]
• Portland, Me., 1862-1921 - The Portland daily press. [volume] 
• ​Portland [Me.], 1799-1802 - Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume]
• Portland, Me., 1798-1799 - The gazette. [volume]
• Portland, Me., 1802-1803 - Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume]
• Portland, Me., 1803-1803 - Jenks' Portland gazette. and Maine advertiser. [volume]
• Portland, Me., 1805-1805 - Portland gazette. [volume]
• South Harpswell, Me., 1901-1917 - Casco Bay breeze. [volume] 

Google News Archive

• Bangor - Bangor Daily News
• Biddeford - The Biddeford Journal
• Biddeford - The Union and Journal
• Biddeford - Biddeford Weekly Journal
• Biddeford - La Justice de Biddeford
• Eastport - The Quoddy Tides
• Gray - Gray-New Gloucester Independent
• Gray - The Monument
• Kingsfield - The Original Irregular
• Lewiston - Sun Journal
• Lewiston - Lewiston Sun Journal
• Lewiston - Lewiston Evening Journal
• Lewiston - The Lewiston Journal
• Lewiston - Lewiston Wednesday Journal
• Lewiston - Lewiston Saturday Journal
• Lewiston - The Lewiston Daily Sun
• Lewiston - Lewiston Daily Evening Journal
• Lubec - The Lubec Light
• New Gloucester - New Gloucester Independent News
• Portland - Six Towns Times

Digital Maine - Newspapers (some of these are duplicated below - but not all)
Androscoggin County

• Turf, Farm and Home (Scattered 1893,1894) - Auburn, Maine

Aroostook County

• Aroostook Herald (1860-1861) - Presque Isle, Maine
• Aroostook Republican (1887-1894) - Caribou, Maine
• Aroostook Times (1905-1915) - Houlton, Maine
• Aroostook Valley Sunrise (1876-1877) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• Fort Fairfield Aurora (1875-1876) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• Fort Fairfield Journal (2004-2012) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• Fort Fairfield Review (1902-2004) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• Houlton Times (1916-1919) - Houlton, Maine
• Leader and Farm Journal (1901-1902) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• Mars Hill Enterprise (1916) – Mars Hill, Maine
• Mars Hill News (1908-1951) – Mars Hill, Maine
• North Star (1872-1887) - Presque Isle, Maine
• Northern Leader (1892-1901) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• Our Community Letter (1943-1946) – Mars Hill, Maine
• Presque Isle Star - Herald (1922-1935) - Presque Isle, Maine
• Presque Isle Star Herald (1936-1950) - Presque Isle, Maine
• Presque Isle Sunrise (1871-1876) – Presque Isle, Maine
• Star Herald (1911-1931) - Presque Isle, Maine
• Tattler (1938-1940) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• The Aroostock Democrat (1891-1892) - Presque Isle, Maine
• The Aroostock Herald (1884-1889) - Presque Isle, Maine
• The Aroostock Pioneer (1857-1860) - Presque Isle, Maine
• The Beacon (1892, 1894,1895) – Fort Fairfield, Maine
• The Beacon (1893) – Presque Isle, Maine
• The Independent (1903-1906) - Presque Isle, Maine
• The Loyal Sunrise (1863-1867) – Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, Maine
• The North Star (1887-1890) - Presque Isle, Maine
• The Star - Herald (1890-1910) - Presque Isle, Maine
• The Sunrise (1867-1871) - Presque Isle, Maine

Cumberland County

• The Bridgton News (1870-2018) - Bridgton, Maine
• Bridgton Reporter ( 1858-1863) – Bridgton, Maine
• Bridgton Sentinel (1863-1864) – Bridgton, Maine
• Bridgton Weekly News (1870-1871) – Bridgton, Maine
• Bowdoin Orient( Scattered 1769-2014) - Brunswick, Maine
• Gray-New Gloucester Independent ( Scattered 2006-2008) - Gray, Maine. Part of Google News
• The Monument ( Scattered 2006) - Gray, Maine. Part of Google News
• New Gloucester Independent News ( Scattered 2006-2008) - New Gloucester, Maine. Part of Google News
• Casco Bay Breeze (1903-1917) - South Harpswell, Maine
• Casco Bay Weekly (1988-2004) - Portland, Maine
• Portland Daily Press (1862-1901) Portland, Maine
• Cumberland County (2009) - Scarborough, Maine
• Current (2001-2016) - Scarborough, Maine
• Forecaster (Southern Edition) (2002-2003) - Scarborough, Maine
• Scarborough Leader (1995-2018) - Scarborough, Maine
• Scarborough News Review (1978-1979) - Scarborough, Maine
• South Portland, Cape Elizabeth Sentry, Scarborough Leader (2014) Scarborough, Maine
• Southern Forecaster (2003-2018) - Scarborough, Maine
• Sun Times (1989-1993) - Scarborough, Maine
• Six Towns Times (Scattered 1890, 1900, 1910) - Portland, Maine. Part of Google News

Franklin County

• Maine Woods (1901-1914) - Phillips, Maine
• Original Irregular (2006-2019) - Kingfield, Maine
• Phillips Phonograph (1878-1907) - Phillips, Maine
• Rangeley Lakes (1895-1897) - Rangeley, Maine

Hancock County

• Bar Harbor Mount Desert Herald(1881) - Bar Harbor, Maine
• Bar Harbor Record(1887) - Bar Harbor, Maine
• Bar Harbor Times (Scattered 1902,1903,1909,1915) - Bar Harbor, Maine
• Ellsworth American(1855-1902) - Ellsworth, Maine
• Peninsula Gazette(1954-1960) - Winter Harbor, Maine

Kennebec County

• Christian Intelligencer and Eastern Chronicle (1827-1834) - Gardiner, Maine
• Cold Water Fountain and Gardiner Newsletter (1847-1848) - Gardiner, Maine
• Cold Water Fountain (1844-1845) - Gardiner, Maine
• Daily Reporter Journal (1893-1913) - Gardiner, Maine
• Eastern Mail (1847-1863) - Waterville, Maine
• Fountain and Journal l (1850-1853) - Gardiner, Maine
• Gardiner Home Journal (1858-1892) - Gardiner, Maine
• Gardiner Independent (1900-1902) - Gardiner, Maine
• Gardiner Journal (1918-1930) - Gardiner, Maine
• Hallowell Weekly Register(1898-1900) - Hallowell, Maine
• Kennebec Reporter (1866-1891) - Gardiner, Maine
• Northern Home Journal (1854-1858) - Gardiner, Maine
• Reporter Journal (1893-1913) - Gardiner, Maine
• The Kennebecker(1829) - Hallowell, Maine
• Turf, Farm and Home (Scattered 1894,1898,1899,1900,1901) - Waterville, Maine
• Waterville Mail (1863-1906) - Waterville, Maine

Knox County

• The Camden Herald (1899-1997) - Camden, Maine
• The Courier Gazette (1882-1950) - Rockland, Maine
• The Limerock Gazette (1846-1850) - Rockland, Maine
• The Rockland Gazette (1881-1882) - Rockland, Maine
• Democrat and Free Press (1860) - Rockland, Maine​

Lincoln County

• Boothaby Register (1954) - Boothbay Harbor, Maine
• Lincoln County News (1874-2008) - Damriscotta, Maine
• Herald and Record (1877-1878) - Damriscotta, Maine
• Village Herald (1876-1877) - Damriscotta, Maine
• Damariscotta Holiday Review (1883) - Damriscotta, Maine
• Lincoln Democrat (1851-1853) - New Castle, Maine
• Waladoboro Press (1939-1968) - Waldoboro, Maine
• Sheepscot Echo (1891-1918) - Wiscasset, Maine

Oxford County

• The Rumford Citizen (1906-1908) - Bethel, Maine
• Academy Herald (1877-1879) - Bethel, Maine. Student Published
• Academy Herald (1897-2016) - Bethel, Maine. Student Published
• Bethel Courier (1858-1861) - Bethel, Maine
• Bethel News (1895-1908) - Bethel, Maine
• The Gould Blue and Gold (1942-1969) - Bethel, Maine. Student Published
• Oxford Democrat (1850-1921) Paris, Maine
• Otisfield News (1945) - Otisfield, Maine
• Oxford County Citizen (1931,1974) - Oxford, Maine

Penobscot County

• Bangor Daily News (Scattered 1900, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000) - Bangor, Maine. Part of Google News
• Brewer Register (1986) - Brewer, Maine
• Maine Campus (1885-2005; 2008-2011) - Orono, Maine
• Old Town Enterprise (1901-1929) - Old Town, Maine
• Old Town-Orono Times (1979-1992) - Old Town and Orono, Maine
• Penobscot Times (1934-2018) - Old Town, Maine
• The Old Town Enterprise (1888-1934) - Old Town, Maine
• Sachem (1894-2015) - Old Town, Maine

Piscataquis County

• Piscataquis Observer (1847-2016) – Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
• Piscataquis Farmer (1842-1847) – Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
• Piscataquis Herald (1838-1842) – Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
• Democratic Republican (1839-1840) – Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

Somerset County

• Pittsfield Advertiser (1882-1982) – Pittsfield, Maine
• Valley Times (1972-1987) – Pittsfield, Maine
• The Pittsfield Advertiser and Valley Times (1967-1972) – Pittsfield, Maine

Waldo County

• Republican Journal (1829-1868) – Belfast, Maine
• Isleboro Island News (1987-2016) – Isleboro, Maine
• Isleboro Observer (1949-1979) – Isleboro, Maine
• Isleboro Up Date (1985-1987) – Isleboro, Maine
• Morning Sun (1980) – Isleboro, Maine

Washington County

• Quoddy Tides ( Scattered 1968-2019) - Eastport, Maine
• Lubec Light (Scattered 2006) - Lubec, Maine. Part of Google News

York County

• Biddeford Advance (1879-1880) – Biddeford, Maine
• Biddeford Daily Journal (1916) – Biddeford, Maine
• Biddeford Daily Standard (1894) – Biddeford, Maine
• Biddeford Journal (1882-1884) – Biddeford, Maine
• Biddeford Observer (1881) – Biddeford, Maine
• Biddeford Weekly Journal (1891-1930) – Biddeford, Maine
• Biddeford Weekly Times (1881-1883) – Biddeford, Maine
• Daily Breeze (1890) – Biddeford, Maine
• Daily Evening Star (1877) – Biddeford, Maine
• Daily Evening Times (1878-1892) – Biddeford, Maine
• Daily Morning Herald (1861) – Biddeford, Maine
• Daily Standard (1890-1893) – Biddeford, Maine
• Daily Times (1873-1877) – Biddeford, Maine
• Evening Post (1878) – Biddeford, Maine
• Expose (1894) – Biddeford, Maine
• Journal Tribune (1985) – Biddeford, Maine
• La Justice de Biddeford (1931-1932) – Biddeford, Maine
• Maine Democrat (1831-1867) – Biddeford, Maine
• Maine Palladium (1823-1829) – Biddeford, Maine
• Maine Sentinel (1887) – Biddeford, Maine
• Nightly Comet (1902) – Biddeford, Maine
• Peoples Defender (1880) – Biddeford, Maine
• Sentinel (1885) – Biddeford, Maine
• Tri Weekly Herald (1848) – Biddeford, Maine
• Union (1845-1853) – Biddeford, Maine
• Union and Eastern Journal (1857) Biddeford, Maine
• Union and Eastern Journal (1854-1858) Biddeford, Maine
• Union and Journal (1860-1870) – Biddeford, Maine
• Union and Journal (1861-1882) – Biddeford, Maine
• Watchword (1904-1911) – Biddeford, Maine
• Weekly Record (1895-1923) – Biddeford, Maine
• Weekly Standard (1891-1895) – Biddeford, Maine
• Watson's Illuminator (1880-1903) – Biddeford, Maine
• Old Orchard Apple (1976) – Old Orchard Beach, Maine
• Old Orchard Mirror – Old Orchard Beach, Maine
• Maine Palladium (1823-1829) – Saco, Maine
• Northeast Harness News (1980-1995)– Saco, Maine
• Old Flag (1885) – Saco, Maine
• Saco Tribune (1899) – Saco, Maine
• York County Herald (1839) – Saco, Maine
• Sanford Tribune (1899-1971) – Sanford, Maine
• Sanford Tribune & Advocate(1923-1950) – Sanford, Maine
• Sanford Weekly Tribune(1895-1899) – Springvale, Maine
• Springvale Advocate(1905-1921) – Springvale, Maine

County and Library Collections:

Aroostook County
Caribou Public Library

• Aroostook Republican

Fort Fairfield Public Library

• Aroostock Valley Sunrise 
• Fort Fairfield Aurora
• Presque Isle Sunrise
• Beacon 
• Loyal Sunrise
• Northern Leader 
• Leader And Farm Journal 
• Fort Fairfield Review 
• Fort Fairfield Journal 

 Turner Memorial Library

• Star Herald 
• Aroostook Pioneer 
• Presque Isle Star-Herald 
• Presque Isle Star Herald 
• Aroostook Pioneer 
• Aroostook Herald 
• North Star 
• Presque Isle Sunrise 
• The Aroostook Herald 
• The North Star 
• The Star-Herald 
• The Aroostook Democrat 
• The Beacon 
• The Loyal Sunrise 
• The Sunrise 
• The Independent 
• Aroostook Valley Sunrise 

Walter TA Hansen Memorial Library

• Mars Hill News
• Our Community Letter
• Mars Hill Enterprise

 
Cumberland County
Bridgton Public Library

• The Bridgton News
• Bridgton News

Curtis Memorial Library

• Brunswick Telegraph
• The Bath-Brunswick Times-Record
• The Brunswick Record
• The Brunswick Telegraph
• The Times Record

Scarborough Public Library

• Scarborough Leader
• Southern Forecaster
• Current
• Sun Times
• Forecaster
• Scarborough News Review
• Cumberland County
• South Portland Cape Elizabeth Sentry
• Scarborough Leader

Kennebec County
Gardiner Public Library

• Christian Intelligencer and Eastern Chronicle
• Cold Water Fountain
• Cold Water Fountain and Gardiner News Letter
• Fountain and Journal
• Gardiner Home Journal
• Gardiner Journal
• Kennebec Reporter
• Northern Home Journal
• Reporter Journal
• Daily Reporter Journal
• Gardiner Independent

Knox County
Camden Public Library

• The Camden Herald

Lincoln County
Lincoln County News

• Boothbay Register
• Damariscotta Holiday Review
• Democrat and Free Press
• Herald and Record
• Independent Reporter
• Lincoln County News
• Lincoln Democrat
• Sheepscot Echo
• Village Herald
• Waldoboro Press

Oxford County
Bethel Historical Society

• Academy Herald [1877-1879]
• Academy Herald [1897-]
• Bethel Courier [1858-1861]
• Featured Articles from The Bethel Courier [1858-1861]
• Bethel Journals
• Bethel News
• Clark S. Edwards Civil War Articles
• Broad Street Herald
• Courier / Bethel Courier
• Featured Articles from The Courier
• Gould Blue and Gold
• Miscellaneous Articles
• Oxford County Citizen
• Rumford Citizen

​Penobscot County
Bangor Public Library

• Bangor Register
• Bangor Weekly Register
• Bangor Register and Penobscot Advertiser

 Old Town Public Library

• Penobscot Times
• Old Town-Orono Times
• The Old Town Enterprise 
• Old Town Enterprise
• Sachem 

 
Piscataquis County
Thompson Free Library

• Piscataquis Observer
• Piscataquis Farmer
• Piscataquis Herald
• Democratic Republican

Somerset County
Pittsfield Public Library

• Pittsfield Advertiser
• Valley Times
• Valley Times and the Pittsfield Advertiser

Waldo County
Belfast Free Library

• Republican Journal 

Alice L. Pendleton Library

• Islesboro Island News
• Islesboro Observer
• Islesboro Up Date
• Morning Sun

York County
McArthur Public Library

• Biddeford Advance
• Biddeford Daily Journal
• Biddeford Daily Standard
• Biddeford Journal
• Biddeford Observer
• Biddeford Weekly Journal
• Biddeford Weekly Times
• Biddeford-Saco Courier
• Concord Gazette
• Daily Breeze
• Daily Evening Star
• Daily Evening Times
• Daily Morning Herald
• Daily Standard
• Daily Times
• Evening Post
• Expose
• Journal Tribune
• La Justice
• La Justice De Biddeford
• Maine Democrat
• Maine Palladium
• Maine Sentinel
• New England Galaxy
• Nightly Comet
• Old Flag
• Peoples Defender
• Saco Tribune
• Sentinel
• Tri Weekly Herald
• Union
• Union and Eastern Journal
• Union And Journal
• Watchword
• Watsons Illuminator
• Weekly Record
• Weekly Standard
• York County Herald

Springvale Public Library

• Sanford Tribune And Advocate
• Sanford Tribune 
• Springvale Advocate
• Sanford Weekly Tribune
• Journal Tribune

Bar Harbor Newspapers

• Bar Harbor Times
• Bar Harbor Record
• Bar Harbor Mount Desert Herald

Rockland Public Library - Archived Rockland Newspapers

• The Courier Gazette, 1882-1920
• The Lime Rock Gazette, 1846-1850
• The Rockland Gazette, 1851-1882

Student Collections:

Bates College - Lewiston

• Bates Student

Bowdoin College - Brunswick

• Bowdoin Orient
• Bowdoin Orient

College of the Atlantic - Bar Harbor

• Off the Wall

Colby College - Waterville

• Colby College Echo

Gould Academy - Bethel

• Academy Herald [1877-1879]
• Academy Herald [1897-] 
• Gould Blue and Gold 

Husson Universoty - Bangor

• The Spectator

Maine College of Art - Portland

• MECA News
• MECA Magazine

Maine Maritime Academy - Castine

• News
• Mariner

Saint Joseph's College - Standish

• Saint Joseph’s College Magazine

Southern Maine Community College - South Portland

• The Beacon

Thomas College - Waterville

• News

Unity College - Unity

• Unity Commons
• Unity Magazine

University of Maine - Farmington

• Farmington Flyer

University of Maine - Fort Kent

• News

University of Maine - Machia

• News

University of Maine - Orono

• UMaine Today
• UMaine News 
• UMaine - Maine Campus News Archives

University of Maine - Presque isle

• University Times

University of New England - Biddeford

• Nor'Easter

University of Southern Maine - Portland

• Chips and Chatter, 1950-1951
• Extra by the Stag, 1955
• Independence Plus, 1954-1955
• Newsance, 1957-1958
• Pinnacle, 1953-1955
• PJC "Newsance", 1948-1957
• PJC Comments, 1937
• Red Hot News, 1957
• Sentinel, 1960-1961
• The Antler, 1950
• The Free Press, 1971-
• The Observer, 1959-1972
• The Orphan, 1957
• The Portland Campus, 1957-1958
• The Rag, 1955-1956
• The Scuttle-Butt, 1955
• The Spread Eagle
• The Stein, 1967-1970
• The Student Voice, 1971
• The Viking, 1970-1972
• UMP Campus, 1959-1967
• UMPus, 1963-1967
• Underground Railroad, 1992

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Maine News Index Online (Index only)

• Casco Bay Weekly
• Down East Magazine
• Images logos
• Island Journal
• MaineBiz
• Maine Times
• Other Publications
• Portland Daily Sun
• Portland Forecaster
• Portland Monthly
• Portland Phoenix
• Portland Press Herald
• Profile
• Salt
• West End News

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942​

• Alfred - Alfred Advocate (Company 130)
• Alfred - Alfred Antics (Company 130)
• Alfred - Camp Crier (Company 130)
• Alfred - Katahdin Klipps (Company 130)
• Bar Harbor - Acadian (Company 154)
• Ellsworth - Brann News (Company 193)
• ​Ellsworth - Weekly Torture (Company 193)
• Flagstaff - Arnold Trail Echo (Company 178)
• Flagstaff - Last Echo (Company 178)
• Fort Williams - Headlight (Company 165)
• Gilead - Wild River Eagle (Company 156)
• Greeneville - Moose Call (Company 160)
• Lewiston - Barracks Bag (Company 132)
• Millinocket - Baxter News (Company 193)
• Palmer - Barrack Tattler (Company 173)
• Patten - Maine Eskimo (Company 159)
• Patten - Maine Events (Company 159)
• Princeton - Easterner (Company 192)
• Princeton - Far East Forester (Company 192)
• Rangeley - Gold Brick (Company 144)
• Southwest Harbor - 158Th Street (Company 158)
• Southwest Harbor - Sou'Wester (Company 158)
• Stowe - Langdonian (Company 152)
• Wesley - Forest Echo (Company 160)

Independent Voices - Alternative Newspapers

• Origin

​Small Town Papers

• The Original Irregular Kingfield, Maine
• The Quoddy Tides Eastport, Maine
• Gray-New Gloucester News New Gloucester
• Irregular at Rangeley Rangeley
• Lubec Light Lubec
• Merrymeeting Standard Richmond
• Monument Newspaper Gray
• Spectator Brownville
• Sugarloaf & Rangeley (Lakes) Irregular Kingfield/Rangeley
• Sugarloaf Irregular Kingfield

Old Fulton Postcards

• Belfast ME Republican Journal
• Biddeford ME Union and Journal
• Damarisotta and Newcastle ME Village Herald 1877
• South Paris ME Oxford Democrat

​The Olden Times - Maine

Newspaper Abstracts - Maine

Other Free Sites:

Bethel

• Bethel News
• Bethel Courier
• The Courier

Lewiston

• National Advocate

Milo

• Town Crier

Portland

• Congregationalist

Rumford

• Rumford Citizen

South Freeport

• The Cruiser