Newspaper Indexes
Barnstable Patriot Digital Archive
We're excited to introduce our digital archive* of the Barnstable Patriot newspaper covering Cape Cod and the Islands from 1830 to 1930. This archive allows researchers to search and view issues of the newspaper online using keyword searching. The Barnstable Patriot is the oldest continuous, uninterrupted publication in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and is the seventh oldest newspaper in the United States. During the first hundred years, the weekly issues covered world, national, regional, and local news, with a particular emphasis on Cape Cod history, maritime news and shipping, cultural events, as well as news of Cape Cod families and individuals. Births, deaths, marriages, baptisms, and obituaries were regularly published as well.
Please be aware that dial-up internet users may experience slow response time when using this archive.
Please contact us at (508) 362-6636 or at for assistance using this archive.
Print Newspaper Holdings
The Library also has complete holdings of the Barnstable Patriot and the Register on microfilm from 1830 to date, and the Patriot in print from 1890 to date. Researchers may come into the library and use the microfilm in person, or may contact library staff at (508) 362-6636 or for research assistance.
The Sturgis Library and Falmouth library both own microfilm copies of miscellaneous issues of Cape Cod and Boston newspapers, predominantly from Falmouth. They are held in the microfilm collections. Click here for a complete list of titles.
Other Cape Cod Newspaper Archives
- Provincetown Advocate Live!
- Chatham Monitor
- The digitized Harwich Independent and Cape Cod Republican newspapers are available for in-house use at the Brooks Free Library and at the Brooks Academy Museum, operated by the Harwich Historical Society.
More Cape Cod Newspapers
- Barnstable Patriot Online (Current Issues)
- Cape Cod Times (Current Issues)
- The Register Online [Dennis, Yarmouth, Barnstable] (Current Issues)
- Your CLAMS library card gives you access to newspaper databases that contain full-text articles of the Boston Globe (1980 to present) and the New York Times (1985 to present), through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Massachusetts Library System.
*The digital archive project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the state of Massachusetts. Additional funds were provided by the Lothropp Family Foundation and the Town of Barnstable Community Preservation Committee. The Library is indebted to Vincent Golden, Curator of Newspapers and Periodicals at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester for his assistance with this project.