Delaware Archives: 135 Newspapers for Genealogy Research

If you are researching your ancestry from Delaware, you will want to use GenealogyBank’s online DE newspaper archives: 135 titles to help you search your family history in the “First State,” providing coverage from 1785 to Today. There are millions of articles and records in our online Delaware newspaper archives!

Photo: the Delaware River in the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area. Credit: Kritzolina; Wikimedia Commons.
Photo: the Delaware River in the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area. Credit: Kritzolina; Wikimedia Commons.

Dig deep into our online archives and search for articles about your ancestors from Delaware in these newspapers. Our DE newspapers are divided into two collections, each with their own search page:

  • Newspaper Archives (complete paper with all articles, including historical obituaries, with a number of very rare single-issue newspapers – many of them are the only known issues of the paper)
  • Obituaries (including both historical and recent obituaries, if obits are specifically what you are searching for)

Search Delaware Newspaper Archives (1785 – 2018)

Search Delaware Obituaries (1991 – Today)

Illustration: Delaware state flag. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Illustration: Delaware state flag. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Here is the complete list of Delaware newspapers in the online archives. Each newspaper title in this list is an active link that will take you directly to that paper’s search page, where you can begin searching for your ancestors by surnames, dates, keywords and more. The DE newspaper titles are listed alphabetically by city.

City Title Years of Coverage Issues Available Collection
Clayton Clayton call 07/06/1897 – 07/06/1897 1 Newspaper Archives
Clayton Clayton herald 08/17/1867 – 07/31/1869 12 Newspaper Archives
County Delaware Business Daily 04/22/2012 – Current Obituaries
Delaware City Delaware City news 07/09/1887 – 04/11/1889 5 Newspaper Archives
Delaware City Delaware City press 02/28/1913 – 12/12/1913 39 Newspaper Archives
Delmar Delmar news 05/20/1904 – 05/20/1904 1 Newspaper Archives
Dover Daily State News 11/02/1991 – Current Obituaries
Dover Dover Post 06/04/2008 – Current Obituaries
Dover Constitutionalist, or, Defender of the People’s Rights 09/06/1804 – 07/11/1805 7 Newspaper Archives
Dover Delaware State Reporter 06/17/1853 – 10/14/1859 376 Newspaper Archives
Dover National Recorder 11/23/1820 – 03/22/1821 6 Newspaper Archives
Dover Delaware State Reporter 04/26/1853 – 09/24/1858 10 Newspaper Archives
Dover Delawarean 05/26/1900 – 02/13/1901 16 Newspaper Archives
Dover Dover argus and Delaware advertiser 10/24/1804 – 10/24/1804 1 Newspaper Archives
Dover Dover herald 01/16/1800 – 01/16/1800 1 Newspaper Archives
Dover Delaware State News 01/04/1945 – 12/31/2018 20866 Newspaper Archives
Dover Delawarean 04/11/1900 – 02/02/1901 34 Newspaper Archives
Faulkland Faulkland quiz 06/25/1892 – 06/25/1892 1 Newspaper Archives
Georgetown Sussex Countian 10/05/2009 – 05/20/2022 Obituaries
Georgetown Messenger 12/30/1858 – 03/16/1864 12 Newspaper Archives
Georgetown Sussex gazette 09/14/1838 – 09/14/1838 1 Newspaper Archives
Georgetown Union 09/11/1863 – 08/26/1864 36 Newspaper Archives
Georgetown Sussex Republican 11/10/1894 – 12/09/1911 6 Newspaper Archives
Georgetown Union Republican 10/21/1904 – 12/02/1904 4 Newspaper Archives
Harrington Journal 01/04/2007 – 06/28/2017 Obituaries
Hockessin Brandywine Community News 01/09/2011 – 03/22/2013 Obituaries
Hockessin Hockessin Community News 06/04/2008 – 02/04/2022 Obituaries
Holly Oak Holly Oak journal 02/01/1889 – 02/01/1889 1 Newspaper Archives
Laurel Delaware leader 05/08/1920 – 05/08/1920 1 Newspaper Archives
Laurel Sussex Countian and Laurel gazette 10/24/1896 – 10/24/1896 1 Newspaper Archives
Lewes Cape Gazette 03/11/2016 – Current Obituaries
Middletown Middletown Transcript 06/04/2008 – Current Obituaries
Middletown Middletown transcript 01/04/1868 – 12/30/1922 2128 Newspaper Archives
Middletown New era 08/28/1890 – 08/28/1890 1 Newspaper Archives
Milford Milford Beacon 11/10/2010 – 04/06/2022 Obituaries
Milford Milford Chronicle 01/04/2007 – Current Obituaries
Milford Sussex Post 01/04/2007 – Current Obituaries
Milford Peninsular News and Advertiser 08/02/1861 – 02/13/1863 70 Newspaper Archives
Milford Diamond state 10/05/1855 – 10/05/1855 1 Newspaper Archives
Milford Peninsular News and Advertiser 09/27/1872 – 06/29/1877 3 Newspaper Archives
Milford Diamond state 07/20/1855 – 02/06/1857 2 Newspaper Archives
Milford Milford beacon 04/07/1854 – 04/07/1854 1 Newspaper Archives
New Castle New-Castle Gazette, and Farmers’ and Mechanics’ Advertiser 08/27/1836 – 08/27/1836 1 Newspaper Archives
New Castle Newcastle Argus 08/09/1805 – 08/09/1805 1 Newspaper Archives
Newark Newark Post 10/06/2006 – Current Obituaries
Newark Newark ledger 08/07/1880 – 08/07/1880 1 Newspaper Archives
Newark Newark post 01/26/1910 – 12/20/1922 647 Newspaper Archives
Newark Saturday visitor 02/12/1876 – 02/12/1876 1 Newspaper Archives
Newark Delaware ledger 08/04/1883 – 04/06/1889 265 Newspaper Archives
Newark Delaware Business Ledger 06/06/2008 – 01/12/2010 Obituaries
Newport Newport enterprise 03/02/1889 – 03/02/1889 1 Newspaper Archives
Odessa Odessa herald 11/03/1888 – 05/02/1891 3 Newspaper Archives
Odessa Odessa leader 09/21/1892 – 09/21/1892 1 Newspaper Archives
Seaford Leader & State Register 01/04/2007 – 01/28/2010 Obituaries
Seaford Delmarva leader and the Seaford news 04/11/1958 – 03/18/1960 3 Newspaper Archives
Smyrna Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times 10/08/2009 – Current Obituaries
Smyrna Delaware herald 05/28/1851 – 06/28/1854 16 Newspaper Archives
Smyrna Herald 08/06/1870 – 08/05/1871 48 Newspaper Archives
Smyrna Smyrna call 10/08/1901 – 10/08/1901 1 Newspaper Archives
Smyrna Smyrna telegraph 01/03/1850 – 03/28/1850 4 Newspaper Archives
Smyrna Herald 04/06/1883 – 04/01/1890 354 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Advance 09/22/1900 – 09/22/1900 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington American Watchman 06/19/1809 – 01/08/1828 1514 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware and Eastern-Shore Advertiser 05/31/1794 – 03/04/1799 38 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Courant 05/05/1787 – 09/08/1787 12 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Freeman 09/21/1810 – 10/27/1810 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Gazette 06/28/1785 – 07/27/1799 176 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Gazette and State Journal 08/02/1809 – 06/30/1810 32 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Gazette and State Journal 04/19/1814 – 11/20/1835 400 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Patriot and American Watchman 01/25/1828 – 12/05/1828 84 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Patriot and Eastern Shore Advertiser 07/09/1816 – 10/04/1816 13 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Register, or, Farmers’, Manufacturers’ and Mechanics’ Advocate 11/01/1828 – 10/24/1829 52 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Statesman 07/10/1811 – 07/03/1813 29 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Federal Ark 06/22/1803 – 10/26/1804 22 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Mirror of the Times, and General Advertiser 01/18/1800 – 08/22/1806 278 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Monitor, or Wilmington Weekly Repository 10/07/1800 – 01/06/1802 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Museum of Delaware and General Advertiser 09/08/1804 – 06/17/1809 19 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington Daily Commercial 12/18/1866 – 12/30/1876 2704 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Advertiser 11/22/1879 – 12/20/1879 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Advertiser 11/22/1879 – 01/17/1880 5 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington American Watchman 01/11/1822 – 03/12/1822 18 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Blue hen”s chicken 08/03/1849 – 05/09/1851 4 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Business index 05/24/1876 – 08/05/1876 8 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Daily enterprise 04/03/1858 – 04/23/1858 2 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware advertiser & star 07/05/1832 – 07/05/1832 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware farm and home 03/11/1886 – 08/22/1895 6 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Gazette 07/08/1809 – 06/06/1810 47 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Gazette and State Journal 05/24/1817 – 12/25/1902 994 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware inquirer 07/23/1859 – 03/22/1862 6 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware patriot & American watchman 01/18/1828 – 12/05/1828 87 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware register, or, Farmers”, manufacturers” and mechanics” advocate 11/01/1828 – 10/24/1829 52 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Republican 10/08/1841 – 05/20/1903 7249 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware State journal and statesman 04/27/1827 – 04/19/1870 990 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware straight-out truth teller 10/01/1872 – 10/01/1872 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware tribune 01/03/1867 – 10/18/1877 279 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware weekly Republican 04/30/1847 – 07/31/1884 63 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delawarean, and farmers” and mechanics” advertiser 12/17/1836 – 12/17/1836 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Grimshaw”s messenger 04/01/1858 – 04/01/1858 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Holiday journal 11/26/1879 – 12/31/1879 6 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Independent Delawarian 11/29/1848 – 11/29/1848 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Mirror of the times & general advertiser 02/25/1804 – 02/29/1804 2 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Monitor & Wilmington repository 09/20/1800 – 11/16/1801 4 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Morning herald 08/23/1875 – 06/19/1879 938 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Museum of Delaware & general advertiser 06/24/1809 – 06/24/1809 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Society news 10/13/1883 – 12/15/1883 2 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Sun 10/25/1897 – 12/31/1901 957 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Sunday critic 12/16/1883 – 12/16/1883 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Weekly post 11/09/1889 – 11/09/1889 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Weekly times 10/16/1886 – 03/19/1887 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington argus 01/14/1880 – 01/14/1880 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington Democrat 01/12/1901 – 01/12/1901 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington lokal-anzeiger und Wilmington freie presse 05/16/1914 – 05/16/1914 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington mercury 09/18/1798 – 10/30/1798 33 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmingtonian 06/14/1884 – 09/08/1888 80 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware state journal 07/01/1870 – 12/06/1883 211 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Evening journal 05/21/1888 – 02/17/1923 10504 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial 01/01/1906 – 01/13/1923 1435 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Weekly Delaware State journal and statesman 01/11/1861 – 11/01/1861 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington Daily Commercial 01/01/1872 – 12/30/1876 1147 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmington expositor 08/26/1831 – 07/06/1832 28 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Constitutionalist 04/03/1833 – 08/29/1836 146 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmingtonian 06/26/1823 – 10/20/1831 203 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Daily Gazette 04/02/1872 – 12/07/1883 3567 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Advance 09/22/1900 – 09/22/1900 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Blue hen”s chicken 10/27/1848 – 07/28/1854 14 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Blue hens chicken & Delaware Democratic Whig 11/21/1845 – 03/05/1847 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Commonwealth 08/14/1858 – 09/30/1863 3 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware abolitionist 01/01/1848 – 12/31/1848 2 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Democrat 08/29/1857 – 10/17/1857 4 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware Democrat 09/23/1882 – 09/23/1882 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware inquirer 05/07/1859 – 02/14/1863 48 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Delaware State journal and statesman 08/28/1857 – 08/28/1857 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Sunday mirror 07/25/1880 – 07/25/1880 1 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Weekly Delaware State journal and statesman 03/21/1862 – 02/05/1869 4 Newspaper Archives
Wilmington Wilmingtonian 04/22/1882 – 09/01/1888 120 Newspaper Archives

*Date Ranges may have selected coverage unavailable.

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Note on the header image: the Delaware State Capitol in Dover, Delaware. Credit: Joshua Daniel Franklin; Wikimedia Commons.

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