Newspapers Have Been Published In Illinois For Over 210 Years

By Tom Emery

Newspapers have been published in Illinois for over 210 years, dating to a small paper in the territorial capital of Kaskaskia in 1814. In the two centuries since, the newspapers of the state have carved a rich and storied history.

“Newspapers offer a window into the past,” said Dr. Samuel Wheeler, a research historian from Springfield. “If you want to really understand what life might have been like in a specific place during a specific period of time, you might start by simply reading their local newspaper.”

Journalism in Illinois pre-dated statehood by four years. The first new...