HMCPL Explores Huntsville's History
Have you ever wondered how your hometown experienced the Roaring Twenties? The Korean War? The hippie revolution? Do you want to learn more about what has made your city the way it is?
Most of us have had the desire to know more about where we came from, but finding easy-to-use resources for learning about local history can be a daunting task. If you are anything like me, the idea of having to dig through reels and reels of microfilm and read old records just to find something feels very intimidating.
That is why the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library is excited to announce that, for the rest of 2026, all patrons will be able to access the Huntsville Times Historical Archive. This collection stretches all the way from 1928 to 2018, providing an amazing resource for anyone digging deep into local history.
“Using newspapers for research is the gold standard in understanding past cultures,” says Cait Monroe, Special Collections Manager for the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. “If you are someone who wants to do research, newspapers are an incredible primary resource. Being able to see how people were thinking and reacting to these historic events is gold. Or if you are looking into genealogies – again, a gold mine.”
The Special Collections team has been able to accomplish far more research than before thanks to this access, gaining insights into the world of our ancestors living in North Huntsville. They are excited to be able to use the Huntsville Times Historical Archives to benefit patrons, from genealogy help to local history and even a daily “This Day in History” post.
“Each day I post a photo from our collection highlighting something from Huntsville’s history,” Thomas Hutchens, Special Collections Assistant, said. “And I connect it to one of the articles in the Huntsville Times. I always loved the newspaper growing up. Wedding announcements, obituaries, sport teams – they were all in the paper, and you could always know what was going on by reading it. It really forged that connection and community spirit.”
The advanced keyword search feature allows patrons to find that connection with ease – and has the Special Collections staff eager to dig into this resource.
“The advanced search really makes a difference for researching,” Hutchens said. “With microfilm, you would just have to sit there and scroll through until you found something. This way is much more efficient.”
Monroe echoes the same sentiment, as the difference between this database and scrolling through microfilm is like night and day.
“It really is so cool. I did some great-grandparent searches in it, and it’s incredible what all you can find through the keyword searches,” said Monroe. “We have basically the entire history of the city of Huntsville on microfilm, going back to the early 1800’s, but unless you have a specific date in mind, it would be impossible to search. Having this now be keyword- searchable is a gamechanger for us.”
Patrons will have access to the archive until the end of December 2026. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library is delighted to provide this offering to patrons and looks forward to seeing how this resource will enrich the Huntsville community.