The library’s collection of newspapers, magazines, and manuscripts brings the past to you. Explore local, state, and national resources.
Digitized Resources
Stillwater Public Library partners with state organizations to digitize our collections and offer them nationwide.
Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub
Digitized, searchable newspapers from the Minnesota Historical Society using text recognition technology. Newspapers are searchable for any name or phrase. Pages are free to view and download. Local newspapers include:
Stillwater Daily Gazette (1888-1929)
Stillwater Gazette weekly (1870-1874)
Stillwater Messenger/Republican (1857-1928)
The Mirror/The Prison Mirror (1887-1925)
Microfilm available for additional years:
Prison Mirror 1887-1982 (Print copies for 2001-2022)
Stillwater Messenger/Post Messenger 1857-1950
By the end of 2025, additional local newspapers will be digitized through the Stillwater Area Historic Newspaper Initiative, a collaboration between the Stillwater Public Library, Stillwater Public Library Foundation, Washington County Historical Society, and the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission:
- Three Forest Lake newspapers covering more than 70 years: the Enterprise (1903-1906), Advertiser (1909-1915) and Times (1916-1977).
- Additional Stillwater issues of the Gazette (1875-1888, 1930-1945) and Post-Messenger (1928-1950).
- A wide variety of shorter-running titles from other communities: Bayport, Lake Elmo, Marine on St. Croix, Newport, St. Paul Park and Willernie.
Newsbank
Search full-text articles for the St. Paul Pioneer Press (1988 – current), the Star-Tribune (1986 – current), and selected other Minnesota newspapers..
Historical New York Times
Search for digital reproductions and articles from the New York Times from 1851-2008
Microfilm
Stillwater Gazette
Dates Available:
Stillwater Gazette Daily August 25, 1884-2016
Stillwater Gazette Weekly 1875-1957
Courier 1988-2009
Fishwrapper
Marine Messenger 1975-1986
Saint Croix Union 1854-1857
Stillwater Daily Sun 1881-1884
Stillwater Democrat 1858-1861
Stillwater Lumberman 1875-1881
Stillwater Trade News 1930-1931
Stillwater News 1932-1943
Washington County Journal 1893-1918
Washington County Post 1920-1928
Print Resources
Magazines and Newsletters
Gopher Historian, 1965-1972
Historical Whisperings from the Washington County Historical Society, 1974-current
Minnesota Genealogist, a publication of the Minnesota Genealogical Society
Minnesota History Magazine (current)
Minnesota History Magazine Index
Index to the Minnesota History Bulletin, 1915-1924
Pipost : St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society newsletter, 1982-current
Prison Mirror, 2005-current
Manuscripts
Northfield Bank Robbery of 1876, Northfield, Minnesota.
- Includes selected letters, reminiscences and government records on microfilm.
- Microfilm available at Stillwater Public Library includes Reel 1 and 2.
- More details on the content of this collection courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.