Filling the Gap: Library Saves 'Lost' Newspapers

Fifteen previously thought "lost" local newspapers are now available on microfilm at Lewis County Public Library and Archives. Included in this collection are ten issues of the Hohenwald Herald dating from 1907 to 1912 and five issues of the Lewis County Herald dating from 1924 through 1944. Working together with the Tennessee State Library and Archives to complete this preservation and microfilming project, the local library has made these rare snapshots of our county's history accessible to our community.

Although the local and state library both maintain microfilmed Lewis County newspapers, this collection is incomplete. Numerous gaps exist between issues because those papers are thought lost; and of the issues microfilmed, many have missing sections or damage including wear and tear, or in some cases, homemade dress patterns cut out of them. With the addition of these fifteen discovered newspapers, the Lewis County Public Library and Archives continues to locate and fill the critical gap in these historic periodicals.

The papers were donated by people who found them while cleaning out houses and thought the library might need them. The newspapers are in poor condition, with many disintegrating each time they are handled. Some issues arrived in pieces and had to be reassembled like a puzzle. Library Director Crystal Nash and her assistant Jaimee Troutt took great care to accurately assemble, date, inventory, and prepare the newspapers for their hand-delivery to TSLA where they were microfilmed as part of their preservation.

It is important for Lewis County Public Library and Archives to hold this type of local history material because the library has, and should have, a reputation for being an open and reliable source to learn about our community, past and present. Due to the fragile nature of these documents, it is necessary for the public to view them on microfilm.

Newspapers are useful when conducting historical research because they contain primary sources and provide a glimpse back into time with a direct reflection of the society during which they were originally published. They are also one of the best resources when conducting genealogical research. Researchers who visit the library and archives in search of genealogical information such as marriage announcements and obituaries can meet with frustration and disappointment when the newspaper they need falls in "the gap" of missing issues.

For more information about these newspapers and other ways the Lewis County Public Library and Archives is working to preserve and share local history, visit the library at 15 Kyle Avenue.