Month: November 2007

The History, Philosophy and Newspaper Library is pleased to announce the launching of the digitized version of the Urbana Daily Courier for the years 1916-1925.  This project was funded by a grant from the Illinois State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act, with additional support from the Clifford Family Endowment. Click image at right to open a printable pdf.

 

Perhaps more than any other original source document, historic newspapers provide a window onto our past.  No other primary source conveys as readily and vividly the sensibility of an era and the feel of a place.  Published from 1897 through March 1979 under a succession of titles, the Urbana Daily Courier provides rich documentation of the development of commerce and industry, the course of local and regional politics, and the history of cultural and social life in our community, as well as the local experience of global events.

 

 

The decade from 1916 to 1925 spans a number of pivotal events in world history as well as key developments in local and regional history.  At the international level, these years saw the entry of the U.S. into World War I, the Russian Revolutions of 1917, and the flu pandemic.  Nationally this decade encompasses the Scopes trial, the East St. Louis riots of 1917, the founding of the Ku Klux Klan, prohibition, the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting female suffrage, and the postwar recovery and rapid rise of science, technology and industry.

 

The digital Courier offers extensive documentation of the impact of these events on the lives of ordinary residents of East Central Illinois.  Through this project, this rich primary source material is freely available to anyone, anywhere with access to the internet.  The issues are presented as cover-to-cover digital facsimiles, completely browsable and keyword searchable, with full downloading and e-mailing functionality.

 

Thanks to the Urbana Free Library and the Champaign County Historical Archives, we launched the digital Courier on Saturday, July 28 2007 with a public presentation at the Auditorium of the Urbana Free Library from 10 a.m. to noon.    We demonstrated use of the database, discussed our ongoing work and future digitization plans, and shared information about other historic newspaper digitization projects.  Attending the event were many former Courier employees (pictured on left), who enjoyed sharing stories about their experiences working at the Courier.

Access the Digital Urbana Daily Courier | View the Presentation Slides [Slides No Longer Available]