Small Town News



Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blog links:

New York Newspapers

Various Hometown Newspapers

 

vintage newsThe printed newspapers are going by the wayside with media being in digital form now, but luckily the print newspaper was a steady staple of most hometowns for decades. Those reporters wrote about the community, its people, society events, good and bad news. So newspapers from any hometown that your ancestor lived in, even for a short period of time, could had great potential of undiscovered information about your relatives.

Here is a classic example; The News of Frederick, Maryland, on October 10, 1887, there was a medium-sized article about Mr. and Mrs. Levi Groff and their house boarder, Capt. Alfred Schley. It provided a good deal of information about the couple and how Capt. Schley had won the affections of Mrs. Nancy Groff, enough to run off with him. It even described Levi’s attempt to stop them as they were ready to leave on the train.

ARTICLE: Eloped With Another Man

 “Mr. and Mrs. Levi Groff have lived together as man and wife in Liberty district this county, for the past 34 years. Between Capt. Schley and Mrs. Groff, a very close intimacy sprung up. On Saturday last Mrs. Groff came to this city, with the understanding that she was to return home Tuesday (tomorrow.) This morning Capt. Schley left his room before daylight, bundled up a number of articles and came to this city also. Mr. Groff suspected something wrong and also came to Frederick as soon as possible. When he reached here he was informed that his wife and the captain had been seen going into the Methodist church, and the supposition was that they had been married, as they immediately left for the Baltimore and Ohio depot and purchased tickets to the Monumental City. Mr. Groff reached the depot a few minutes before he train pulled out, and walking along the side of the train descried his runaway wife and her new found love calmly seated in one of the cars anxiously waiting for the train to move out. Captain Schley arose in the seat at the sight of Mr. Groff and remarked that it was too late then to repair damages and Mrs. Groff shook hands with her former husband, bade him good bye and wished him success. The unfortunate husband is a brother of Capt. Joseph Groff of this city. Mrs. Groff is 51 years old and very genteel in appearance.”

Capt. Joseph Groff was my gr gr grandfather, making Levi Groff my gr gr granduncle. Such a family occurrence would not have been written in the family Bible and may not ever been known if it wasn’t for an article printed in The News in Frederick.

There are several digital vintage newspapers available online. One titled ‘Small Town Newspapers‘, which is Free, just might provide an interesting story about your family.

vintage news-2You can check which states are available and from there which towns / cities. There are even larger cities with small circulation newspapers. Remember big and small town could have more than one printed newspaper. Try your family surnames to see what you come up with.

Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blog links:

New York Newspapers

Various Hometown Newspapers

 

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