NEWSPAPER MASTER INDEX – VARIOUS OSAGE COUNTY NEWSPAPERS

This index of over 40,000 records includes names and significant events compiled by a former researcher and president of OCHS, Margaret Hawley.  She spent many hours looking at microfilms of weekly newspapers of the listed towns and writing (in longhand) entries on sheets of notebook paper.  Then she would transfer the data to computer spreadsheets.  Eileen Davis would sort, proofread, and alphabetize her work and Margaret’s granddaughter, Samantha Adams (then our webmaster), would transfer the data to our website.

“Significant events” includes articles about births, birthdays, biographies, engagements, marriages, anniversaries, military happenings, deaths, obituaries or death notices, and anything of uncommon interest.  When it could be discerned, women were listed with maiden name and married name(s).  Some death notices or obits may be duplicated in the Obituary Master Index.  Spellings of first names and surnames were entered exactly as found in the newspaper.

The articles were gathered from newspapers of the following Osage County towns:  Carbondale (from 1885), Melvern (from 1884), Michigan Valley (published 1914 for one year only), Overbrook (from 1889), Quenemo (from 1883), and Scranton (from 1890).  All papers were searched on microfilm from start to end of publication.  (OCHS owns reels of microfilmed newspapers for all towns in Osage County which can be viewed on our viewer at the research center.)

If more than one newspaper was published at the same time in the same town, only one microfilm reel was purchased by OCHS.  Those newspapers can be viewed (up through 1923) at Newspapers.com, a subscription website.  Later years can be viewed on microfilm at the Kansas History Center in Topeka, KS.

The data is formatted as follows:  Last name, first name; date of publication; newspaper abbreviation; page and column; event.  For example, Aaron, Gayle; 1966-11-03; OV CIT; P-11 C-1; wedding; indicates that Gayle Aaron was married and the announcement appeared in the Overbrook Citizen on Nov. 3, 1966, page 1, column 3.  Please try to include the information in this format in your research request. The fee for each requested item is $5.00 which includes research time, copying or scanning, and postage.  The request can be made via telephone, 785-828-3477 (leave message), 785-220-3839 or 620-340-2347; postal mail, OCHS, PO Box 361, Lyndon KS 66451; or e-mail (osagechs@gmail.com).  Payment can be made by check or money order.  Upon receipt of payment, we will send or scan/email the requested material.