The Ohio County Public Library has digitized microfilm versions of local newspapers, including the Wheeling News-Register and The Intelligencer.
Complete runs of The Intelligencer from 1852 to the present are available online. The library is in the process of digitizing the News-Register, with issues from 1863 to 1989 and from 2010 to 2024 currently online, along with many Sunday papers to the present. Additional issues will be added as microfilm processing continues.
Patrons can also access digitized Wheeling newspapers prior to 1922 through the Library of Congress website Chronicling America (see below).
Recently, the Library upgraded its Community History Archives. The website has a new look but the same functionality. The digital archives are now more mobile-friendly and easier to use. The interface has been upgraded and the search engine is more powerful, but the content is as great as ever. Over 2.5 million images dating back to 1852 are ready to view here.
The Ohio County Public Library also provides access to The New York Times, a vital news source with fearless reporting, diverse opinions and practical advice on virtually every subject.
In addition, patrons can access The Wall Street Journal from anywhere through the library. Just create an account and you can start using wsj.com immediately. Access is good for 3 days and can be renewed thereafter.
Chronicling America, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress, allows searches of historic American newspapers from 1789 to 1924. The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer is available on Chronicling America from 1852 to 1922, the Wheeling Daily Register from 1863 to 1897, along with several other historic Wheeling newspapers.
NewspaperARCHIVE.com, the world’s largest online newspaper archive, is also available through the Ohio County Public Library. It contains more than 400 years of family history, local events, world news and more, including many newspapers from West Virginia, Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Many issues of Wheeling’s historic newspapers, including the News Register and Intelligencer, are available on NewspaperARCHIVE.com.
