Historic Leelanau newspapers dating back over 150 years are now accessible online at digmichnews.cmich.edu.

The resource is free to the public thanks to the generosity of Leelanau Historical Society members and donors who funded this $100,000 project. Leelanau Historical Society Executive Director Kim Kelderhouse notes that the newspapers “provide a fascinating glimpse into the past and help to answer previously unknown historical mysteries.”

Armchair researchers can now keyword search eleven different Leelanau County papers spanning from 1875 to 1997. Still in the works is digitization of the Grand Traverse Herald from 1858 to 1910; the Traverse City paper covered many early Leelanau happenings and predated the Leelanau Enterprise. This momentous accomplishment has been the dedicated effort of the Leelanau Historical Society since 2017.

The archived titles include: Empire Enterprise; Empire Journal; Empire Leader; Leelanau County Times; Leelanau Enterprise; Leelanau Leader; Leelanau Tribune; Northport Leader; Northport Tribune; Provemont Courier; Suttons Bay Courier

Kelderhouse says she is excited to find out what history topics will pique the community’s interest.

In addition to exploring both the newspaper archive and the historical society’s online archive, she invites those who love Leelanau County to “share directly with us what bit of Leelanau history they are most curious to learn about.”

(Above, pages excerpted from the November 1932 and Summer 1976 Northport Leader.)