West Virginia Online Historical Newspapers

There are over 1,100 newspapers that have been published in the Mountain 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 West Virginia. 

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 September, 2019; recently added links are in BOLD)

Statewide Collections:

Chronicling America - West Virginia Newspapers

• Ceredo, Va., 1857-1861 - Ceredo crescent.
• Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.], 1844-1948 - Spirit of Jefferson.
• Charleston, Va. [W. Va.], 1856-1861 - Kanawha Valley star.
• Charleston, Va. [W. Va.], 1862-186? - The guerilla.
• Charleston, W. Va., 1864-1877 - The West Virginia journal.
• Charleston, W. Va., 1874-1874 - The temperance star.
• Charleston, W. Va., 1894-189? - The Charleston advocate.
• Charleston, W. Va., 1901-1913 - The advocate. [volume]
• Charleston, W. Va., 1906-1915 - The labor argus.
• Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.], 1851-1861 - Cooper's Clarksburg register.
• Clarksburg, W. Va., 1874-1926 - The Clarksburg telegram.
• Clarksburg, W. Va., 1901-1926 - The daily telegram
• Clarksburg, W. Va., 1914-1927 - The Sunday telegram.
• Fairmont, W. Va., 1904-1914 - The Fairmont West Virginian.
• Fairmont, W. Va., 1914-1974 - The West Virginian.
• Gauley Bridge, W. Va., 1863-1863 - The knapsack.
• Grantsville, W. Va., 1883-1984 - The Calhoun chronicle.
• Huntington, W. Va., 1911-1915 - The Socialist and labor star.
• Keystone, W. Va., 1904-1941 - The McDowell times.
• Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.], 1853-1854 - The Greenbrier era.
• Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.], 1854-1861 - Greenbrier weekly era.
• Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.], 1859-1980 - Greenbrier independent.
• Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.], 1861-1861 - The American union.
• Martinsburg, W. Va., 1882-19?? - Pioneer press. [volume]
• Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.], 1849-1855 - Monongalia mirror.
• Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.], 1855-1859 - American union.
• Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.], 1863-1864 - The Morgantown monitor.
• Philippi, W. Va., 1861-18?? - The old flag.
• Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.], 1862-1909 - The weekly register.
• Point Pleasant, W. Va., 1909-1939 - The Point Pleasant register.
• Pruntytown, Va. [W. Va.], 1858-1860 - The family visitor.
• Romney, Va. [W. Va.], 1830-1896 - South Branch intelligencer.
• Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.], 1849-1955 - Shepherdstown register.
• Sistersville, W. Va., 1894-1902 - West Virginia daily oil review.
• Sistersville, W. Va., 1896-1901 - Sistersville oil review.
• Sistersville, W. Va., 1902-1905 - Sistersville daily oil review.
• Sistersville, W. Va., 1905-1907 - Sistersville daily review.
• Thomas, W. Va., 1905-1913 - La sentinella del West Virginia.
• Volcano, W. Va., 1871-1879 - The Volcano lubricator.
• Volcano, W. Va., 1879-188? - West Virginia walking beam.
• Weston, W. Va., 1868-1874 - The democrat.
• Weston, W. Va., 1875-current - The Weston Democrat.
• Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1852-1859 - Wheeling daily intelligencer.
• Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1859-1865 - Daily intelligencer.
• Wheeling, W. Va., 1863-1864 - The daily register.
• Wheeling, W. Va., 1864-1878 - The Wheeling daily register.
• Wheeling, W. Va., 1865-1903 - The Wheeling daily intelligencer.
• Wheeling, W. Va., 1878-1935 - Wheeling register.
• Wheeling, W. Va., 1903-1961 - The Wheeling intelligencer.
• Wheeling, W. Va., 1882-1934 - Wheeling Sunday register.

Google News Archive

• Berkeley Springs - The Morgan Messenger
• Charles Town - Spirit of Jefferson Farmer's Advocate
• Charles Town - The Spirit of Thanksgiving
• Charles Town - Farmers Advocate
• Elizabeth - Wirt County Journal
• Glenville - The Glenville Democrat
• Lewisburg - Mountain Messenger
• Marlinton - ​Pocahontas Times 
• Pennsboro - The Pennsboro News
• Petersburg - Grant County Press
• Point Pleasant - Point Pleasant Register 
• Spencer - The Times Record
• Spencer - Roane County Reporter
• St. Marys - The St. Marys Oracle
• St. Marys - ​Pleasants County Leader 
• Sutton - Braxton Citizens' News
• Wellsburg - The Brooke County Review
• Westwood - The Preston County Journal
• Williamson - Williamson Daily News

Library of Virginia - Virginia Chronicle - West Virginia Newspapers

• American Union (Martinsburg, VA [W. Va.], 1861)
• American Union (Morgantown, VA [W. Va.], 1855-1859)
• Calhoun Chronicle (Grantsville, W. Va., 1896)
• Ceredo Crescent (Ceredo, VA, 1857-1860)
• Cooper's Clarksburg Register (Clarksburg, VA [W. Va.], 1851-1858)
• Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, VA [W. Va.], 1859-1865)
• Daily Register (Wheeling, W. VA, 1863-1864)
• Democrat (Weston, W. VA, 1868-1874)
• Family Visitor (Pruntytown, VA [W. Va.], 1860)
• Greenbrier Era (Lewisburg, VA [W. Va.], 1854)
• Kanawha Valley Star (Charleston, VA [W. Va.], 1858-1861)
• Monongalia Mirror (Morgantown, VA [W. Va.], 1852-1855)
• Shepherdstown Register (Shepherdstown, VA [W. Va.], 1849-1890)
• Sistersville Daily Review (Sistersville, W. Va., 1905)
• Sistersville Oil Review (Sistersville, W. Va., 1898)
• Spirit of Jefferson (Charles Town, VA [W. Va.], 1844-1867)
• Volcano Lubricator (Volcano, W. Va., 1871-1874)
• Weekly Register (Point Pleasant, VA [W. Va.], 1862-1908)
• West Virginia Journal (Charleston, W. Va., 1866)
• West Virginia Walking Beam (Volcano, W. Va., 1879-1880)
• Weston Democrat (Weston, W. VA, 1875-1880)
• Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, VA [W. Va.], 1852-1859)
• Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, W. VA, 1865)
• Wheeling Daily Register (Wheeling, W. VA, 1864-1878)
• Wheeling Register (Wheeling, VA [W. Va.], 1878-1888)
• Wheeling Sunday Register (Wheeling, VA [W. Va.], 1882-1888)

County and Library Collections:

Mercer County - Princeton Public Library

• Princeton Times

Mineral County - Potomac State College Mary Shipper Library​

• Frankfort Beacon
• Keyser Tribune
• Mineral County Gazette
• Mineral Daily News
• Mineral Daily News and Keyser Tribune
• Mineral Daily News Tribune
• Mineral Daily News Tribune and Echo
• Mineral Daily News Tribune and Mountain Echo
• Mineral News Tribune and Echo
• Mountain Echo
• News Tribune and Echo
• News Tribune and Mountain Echo
• Pasquino
• Piedmont Herald
• Potomac State Pasquino
• South Branch Intelligencer
• Tribune
• Virginia Argus and Hampshire Advertise
• West Virginia Tibune
• Wheeling Evening Standard

Ohio County - Ohio County Public Library

• Wheeling Intelligencer
• Intelligencer
• Wheeling News Register
• News Register
• Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
• Intelligencer And Wheeling News Register
• Wheeling Register
• Intelligencer Wheeling News Register

Student Collections:

Alderson-Broaddus College - Philippi

• ​Battler Columns

Concord University - Athens

• ​The Concordian

Davis and Elkins Colege - Elkins

• Senator

Fairmont State University - Fairmont

• Maroon and White Alumni Publication

Glenville State College - Glenville

• The Tower
• The Mercury
• The Phoenix

Hampshire High School - Romney

• The Trojaneer

Marshall University - Huntington

• Marshall University Parthenon

Potomac State College - Keyser

• Pasquino

Shepherd University - Shepherdstown

• ​The Picket

West Liberty University - West Liberty

• The Trumpet

West Virginia State University - Institute

• Yellow Jacket

West Virginia University - Morgantown

• The Daily Athenaeum

West Virginia Wesleyan College Newspapers - Buckhannon

• Pharos
• Seminary Herald
• Seminary Collegiate 

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Newspapers 1933-1942​

• Alpena - Panther Cry (Company 566)
• Clifftop - Camp Crazy Critics (Company 532)
• Clifftop - Camp Lee Traveler (Company 532)
• Glady - Laurel Leaf (Company 520)
• Hinton - Bluestone Outlet (Company 524)
• Hinton - Roosevelt (Company 524)
• Parsons - Hollow Stump (Company 518)
• Petersburg - Builder (Company 519)
• Petersburg - Builder (Company 519)
• Petersburg - North Fork News (Company 519)
• Richwood - Gold Brick (Company 525)
• Richwood - Puttin' 'Em In The Middle (Company 525)
• Richwood - Woodland News (Company 521)

​Small Town Papers

• Braxton Citizens News Sutton, West Virginia
• The Brooke County Review Wellsburg, West Virginia
• Charles Town Farmers Advocate Charles Town, West Virginia
• Farmers Advocate Charles Town, West Virginia
• The Glenville Democrat Glenville, West Virginia
• Grant County Press Petersburg, West Virginia
• The Hinton News Hinton, West Virginia
• The Morgan Messenger Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
• Mountain Messenger Lewisburg, West Virginia
• The Pennsboro News Harrisville, West Virginia
• Pleasants County Leader St. Marys, West Virginia
• The Pocahontas Times Marlinton, West Virginia
• The Preston County Journal Kingwood, West Virginia
• Roane County Reporter Spencer, West Virginia
• Spirit of Jefferson Unavailable, West Virginia
• Spirit of Jefferson Farmers Advocate Charles Town, West Virginia
• The St. Marys Oracle St. Marys, West Virginia
• The Times Record Spencer, West Virginia
• Wirt County Journal Elizabeth, West Virginia
• Brooke County Review Wellsburg
• Hinton Daily News Hinton
• Leader Hinton

Old Fulton Postcards

• Fairmont WV West Virginian
• Fremont WV West Virginian
• Wheeling WV Daily Intelligencer

Southern School News Archive 

The Olden Times - West Virginia

Newspaper Abstracts - West Virginia

Other Free Sites:

Martinsburg

• Martinsburg Gazette 

Wheeling

• The Catholic Spirit