Houston has a rich history. Residents — new and old — can learn more about the community through the pages of the local newspaper, which recently completed a project that puts all of the past issues online.
About 89,000 pages of previously printed issues of the Houston Herald dating to the late 1880s are available at houstonherald.com/archives. It is believed to be the most complete digital archive among weekly newspapers in the state.
The searchable collection begins in May 1881 and extends until this year. Users click the “archives” tab on the home page at houstonherald.com.
Curious about the town’s history? Searchable images show each week’s newspaper, and allows a user to complete a detailed search for information, save a clipping into their own scrapbook and share the information by email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or embed the clipping on a website. Previously, the information was only available on scratchy microfilm at the Texas County Library or in Columbia at The State Historical Society of Missouri
About 13 years ago, the Herald rolled out its archives from 1948 to the present. The latest content fills the gap from the 1880s to 1947. In addition to the Houston Herald, archives include some select issues from the Houston Republican, Texas County Pioneer (a southern Missouri journal in 1869), Texas County Sentinel (1890-1893) and Houston Democrat (1881-1883). Here’s how it works:
• Archives can be accessed through the houstonherald.com website under “archives.” The cost is $4.95 for a month’s access or $19.95 for six months. The Herald’s host vendor, Newspapers.com, and its affiliate, Ancestry.com, have archives of thousands of publications.
• The database is searchable by name, subject or by date. The online search will display the whole page, articles, photos and ads.
• Two videos are included on the page to help start using the archives. One is an introduction and the other teaches how to search.