Rhode Island Newspapers

Search free Rhode Island newspaper items including birth announcements, marriage notices, obituaries, and other newspaper items for your genealogy and family history research.

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Historical Vital Records & Obituaries (1636-1850)

If you are doing genealogical research, much of the historic data spanning these counties has already been extracted from newspapers into state databases:

Arnold's Vital Records (1636-1850): Compiled by James N. Arnold, these 21 volumes consist of newspaper extracts and church records organized by county (Providence, Newport, Kent, Washington, and Bristol).

Rhode Island Newspapers by County

State-wide Microform & Digital Repositories

Rhode Island Historical Society (RIHS): RIHS is the state's record repository, holding almost every newspaper published in the state on microfilm (1732–2010).
Providence Public Library: Partners with RIHS and the Library of Congress on the Rhode Island Digital Newspaper Project.