History and family history naturally go hand in hand, and since I've always loved learning about history, I've always been drawn to historical newspapers. They are the diaries of days gone by.

I can remember one of my first research outings with my mother, as a teen (more years ago than I'd care to count!), when we went to the Chicago Public Library to search microfilms of Chicago newspapers for a client she was working for. I knew what I was supposed to be looking for, but, much to her chagrin, I was constantly getting distracted and reading everything but that targeted information.

One of the most enlightening parts of my job as editor of the Ancestry Daily News is choosing the Clipping of the Day. And since I still haven't outgrown my tendency to wander off the path, it can also be one of the most time-consuming tasks. I still get lost in the pages of these periodicals, and with more information available at the click of the mouse, the next thing you know I'm following up articles with research on other websites as I seek to learn more about some interesting event that I've run across. On more than one occasion, I've been embroiled in some fascinating era of long ago, only to discover that my deadline is fast approaching (or occasionally has past!). “Newsletter, what newsletter? Was I supposed to be working?”

Despite the logistical problems it can create, I refuse to change my ways. These daily meanderings have really given me a feel for the times in which my ancestors lived. It allows me to see the “big picture” when I try to place my ancestors in the context of history. So in today's column, I thought I'd take a look at how you can access historical newspapers (both free and for fee) and how you can find unexpected gems that can advance your family history research within their pages.

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