Today my employer sent me to the University of Oklahoma to do some research in old newspapers. While there, I discovered the University has quite a collection of newspapers on microfilm dating back to 1785. It never occurred to me to check the University's library for old periodicals or newspapers. I can't wait to go back on my own time to do family research. If you have a major university near you, it might be worth checking into. Here is a list of the oldest newspapers I found at OU: NY Times Sept. 1851 forward NY Times Obituary Index 1858 - forward NY Herald 1835 - London Times January 1785 - forward London Bee-Hive 1862-1876 Chicago Tribune April 23 1849 - forward Wall Street Journal July 8, 1889 - Washington Post December 1877 - U.S. Gazette 1825-1837 Anti-Masonic Enquirer (Rochester NY) Sept. 15 1829-Dec. 24, 1833 Connecticut Courant Jan 1820-Dec 25 1849 Arkansas Gazette 1819-1822 Blakely AL Sun 1818-1819 St. Stephens AL Halcyon 1818-1820 Huntsville AL Gazette 1816 Alabama Courier (Claiborne) 1819 Alabama Cahawba Press and Alabama Intelligencer 1819-20 Alabama Watchman 1820 Pendleton SC Weekly Messenger 1807-1820 >From Charleston SC: Charleston Mercury 1822-1868 Evening Gazette 1785 - Morning Post 1786- City Gazette 1787 - Daily Advertiser to 1810 Investigator 1812-1814 State Gazette Oracle 1807 - Timothy & Masons Daily Advertiser 1794 Southern Patriot 1814-1818 And other miscellaneous SC newspapers [The latest date I found for a SC paper was 1822] Camden SC Gazette 1816-1822 Richmond Virginia Enquirer 1784-1831 Alexandria Advertiser 1784-85 Norfolk Chronicle 1792-94 There were papers from other northern states which I did not write down (I'm researching in the South). OU also has a drawer of microfilm labeled "Underground Newspapers" which I did not explore on this visit. There is another section of the library where Government documents are held. I ran through it quickly, but was not able to determine whether it held any documents of genealogical value. I will look into this further on my next visit. The nice thing about a University library is the extended hours. During school terms, they are open late every night (until 2:00 a.m. some nights), and are also open on Saturday and Sunday. Good luck! Marilyn Griffin Conner Researching: GRIFFIN, CRAWFORD, HANCOCK (SC>AL>MS>AR>OK) and NIX (GA>TX>OK)