Newspapers
Repository

Welcome to the portal of the Sparta Township Historical Commission's Newspapers Repository which features many of the early issues of our hometown newspapers under the following banners, as well as some from the not so distant past: The Sentinel-Leader, Sparta Sentinel-Leader, The Sentinel Leader and Comstock Park Courier-News, and the North Kent Advance. Issues from 1901, 1906-1971, and 1977-1978 are included in the STHC archives.

The Sentinel-Leader for 1918 & 1919 are in an off-site database on Central Michigan University's website.

Helpful Tips:

1. Enter your search term into the box below to explore our STHC Newspapers Archives.
2. If you are using a laptop or full sized computer, look in the upper right corner of the results box where there is a drop down menu, from that, you can select either "Relevance" or "Date". If you choose to have the results arranged by date, you will generally see the oldest newspaper first. This feature may not be available on smaller devices.
3. To assist in locating your item on the newspaper page, use your computer's "find" feature of your browser which will highlight the search text where it is located on each page.
4. Use your back button to return to your search results.

I Remember Finding Aid

I Remember Finding AidOur newest addition to the research tools provided by Sparta Township Historical Commission is the I Remember Finding Aid from the The Sentinel-Leader columnist, Arzie Pinckney and compiled by Karl Nickolai. Published between 1964-1971 and arranged chronologically by publication date, it provides a convenient summary of topics from each article, date, and a direct link to the newspaper images from our repository. Try it out!

Contact

Our History Center is conveniently located at 71 North Union Street in downtown Sparta. Please join us for coffee and lively conversation on Monday mornings. Visits to the History Center can also be scheduled by appointment, for your convenience.

We do not receive mail at the History Center, instead, please use our mailing address, which is:

attn: Sparta Township Historical Commission
Sparta Township
160 E. Division St.
Sparta MI 49345

Our complete archives are now available online for your convenience. Just click STHC PastPerfect Catalog Access and begin your research!

For other inquiries, the Sparta Township Historical Commission can be reached by phone at: (616)606-0765 or via email at the following address: