We are happy to announce the addition of the Tulsa World to our archives. The paper was founded in 1905 when Oklahoma was still a territory, two years before achieving statehood. At the time, the big news in Tulsa was a brand new strip of cement paving in front of the Alexander building on Main street. Since its humble beginnings, the Tulsa World has chronicled local, national, and international news in Tulsa for more than a century. This archive also includes issues from The Tulsa Evening Sun and The Tulsa Sentinel.
Two months after the Tulsa World published its first paper, oil was discovered on property owned by Tulsa resident Ida E. Glenn. The discovery became known as the Glenn Pool Oil Reserve and brought an oil boom to the state. By 1908, the fields had produced more than 20 million barrels. The Tulsa World reported that they couldn’t make barrels fast enough. Tulsa promoted itself as the “Oil Capital of the World” and became home to oil tycoons, including Harry Sinclair and J. Paul Getty. The oil boom brought tremendous growth to Tulsa.
In 1921, Tulsa was the scene of an outbreak of violence known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. Following WWI, Tulsa received national recognition for its thriving and affluent Black Community known as the Greenwood District. But the area became the center of violence for 18 hours between May 31 – June 1, 1921. On May 31, a young Black man allegedly assaulted a white woman in an elevator at an office building on South Main Street. Various accounts of what transpired emerged and became exaggerated throughout the day. Fury intensified, and a white mob began attacking residents and their property in the Greenwood District. Some 35 city blocks were destroyed, with many injured and killed. Death certificates were issued for 37 people, though experts suspect the death count was much higher. Recently, Tulsa began excavating a cemetery to find and identify victims of the 1921 massacre.
The Tulsa World provides a unique resource for researching area residents and the city’s history. If you have ancestors from Tulsa, you might find them mentioned in news articles, obituaries, birth announcements, personal columns, and more. Imagine discovering a story about your ancestor like this 1925 clipping that tells of a young Tulsa man known for his sunny disposition. Despite being paralyzed, he attended high school, riding in a red wagon using his hands to push it along.
What will you discover in the pages of the Tulsa World? Start searching nearly two million pages in our Tulsa World archive on Newspapers.com™ today!
Well.. I’m back to comment to once again say that I’d be interested in The Monroe (Evening) News from Monroe, MI being added to the site soon. And – as a bonus – the Gannett paper for Ashland, OH would be another nice addition too.
More NYC papers (NY Journal American, NY World, etc.) & LA papers (LA Herald Examiner, etc. please 🙂
Trying to find papers on my great grandmother, no record of her death any where in Oklahoma. She was last heard of in Searcy and Cleburne Arkansas. Also it shows her family moving to OK and then there was someone had put out that they found and obit on her in the Baltimore Sun. The family was in OK and Arkansas. It would be for Mary Ann Patterson Fisher .
I have worked with the Arkansas Gravestones Project for over 17 years. Upon searching our listings I found the following, and do not know if this is your ancestor since there is no mention of the Patterson surname.
Mary Ann “Mollie” FISHER
Smithville Cemetery
Lawrence County, Arkansas
17 Oct 1846 – 20 Aug 1872
Wife of Sherrod Lewis Fisher (marr. 15 Nov 1866); daughter of David and Martha G. Barnett McKnight
I encourage you to search our records for any other surnames that may lead you to the answers you seek.
If you will I would like to have the newspaper from Trinidad, Colorado. I am not sure what the name of it would be. My family was from there for many generations. The name’s are Lopez, Malone, Fikani, Slotterback. Thank-You very much.
It’s always great to see new papers added. Are there any plans to eventually add any of these papers: Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News or the Pueblo Chieftain? Thanks!
The Colorado Daily Chieftain and some of the other early paper archives are online through Colorado Historic Newspapers: https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=q&hs=1&r=1&results=1&txq=pueblo+chieftain&t=0&dafdq=&dafmq=&dafyq=&datdq=&datmq=&datyq=&txf=txIN%7CtxCO%7CtxTA&ssnip=img&ccq=Pueblo&ciq=Pueblo&puq=&oa=&e=——-en-20–1–img-txIN%7CtxCO%7CtxTA-pueblo+chieftain——-0–Pueblo—-
What Canadian newspapers to you have in your library?
Please alert me when you publish new columns. I don’t always see the notices on Facebook. Thanks.
Is the Lawton Constitution (Lawton Oklahoma) available?
I second that question!
Would like to see newspapers from Marshall, Missouri. Have a lot of ancestors from that area.
I would like to see newspapers from Knox County, Illinois. I know they are on microfilm. There are a lot. I would also like to see the Sentry from Cedaredge, Colorado.
Thank you.
Thank you for adding a newspaper from Tulsa! I have had family in the area for over a century.
Any news paper info from the Cordell Beacon or Sayre or Elk City, Oklahoma in the 1800-1950’s?
Why can’t you view the births, marriages, or deaths of Oklahoma?
From my experience with Ok and birth records—they will not release ANY, less than 100 yrs old, unless lineage is proven thru the OK courts. This took time and money to accomplish for my ancestor. A letter to the State Legislator might help, if enough do so.
The county or town news papers you would sometime find news on the day to day living.
I am so excited to have the Tulsa World available now. And I would love it if you would add the Scottdale Independent, from Scottdale, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
Thank you very much.
Can you please add the New York Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Boston Herald, Denver Post, The Harrisburg Patriot News as well as the newspapers published by Digital First Media and Advance Publications? That would be good. Thank you.