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APL maintains this selective index of articles appearing in the The Post-Crescent newspaper. Copies of the articles are not available online through the library.
Finding Full Text
Recent articles appearing in The Post-Crescent may be available online from these sources.
The Post-Crescent Online (ProQuest Newspapers) (1999 – Current *)
Local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, and people in the community. Paid advertisements are excluded. Appleton Public Library cardholders can access this from home. *Current seems to mean “within 1 or 2 weeks.”
Important note – From outside of the library, ProQuest is available to Appleton Library card holders only. A library card number will be needed to login.
Newspaper ARCHIVE
A gateway to searching and reading Wisconsin historical newspapers online. Coverage includes
— Appleton Daily Post 1920
— Appleton Motor 1859-1866
— Appleton Post Crescent 1853-1858, 1860-1866, 1920-1932, 1937-1940, 1958-1976
The Post-Crescent Website
The Post-Crescent has a small number of articles available on their website. You can search from their home page.
Finding The Post-Crescent in the Library
- We keep paper copies of The Post-Crescent for three months.
- Older issues of Appleton newspapers are available on microfilm back to 1853, located in filing cabinets along the north-east wall of the library.
- Email, save to USB, or print copies of microfilmed articles on the reader scanner machines. Printing is $.15/page; email and saving is free.
Requesting Copies
- Requests for a copy of an article should be made by letter or email.
- We will look up articles but only when the date (or approximate date) is known.
- We will try to find the article and mail it within a week.
- The minimum charge for photocopying is $5.00 for three pages or less and $1.00 for each additional page.
- Out-of-town users who wish to borrow microfilm should consult their local library for Interlibrary Loan. Library requests should be made to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
When requesting copies from the Post Crescent, please provide a mailing address, phone number, and as much detail as possible about the article requested. Letters should be sent to
Community Partnerships Clerk
Appleton Public Library
2411 S. Kensington Dr.
Appleton, WI 54915
APL Microfilm Holdings for Appleton Newspapers
Appleton Crescent (weekly)
February 10, 1853 – December 29, 1901Appleton Motor (weekly)
September 1, 1859 – September 13, 1866Appleton Post (weekly)
September 20 1866 – April 25, 1889
(some missing between 1871-1874)Appleton City Times (weekly)
February 26, 1870 – February 25, 1871)Appleton Evening Times (daily)
December 30, 1874 – March 5, 1875Appleton Weekly Post (weekly)
May 2, 1889 – November 21, 1907Appleton Daily Post (daily)
August 11, 1899 – February 3, 1906Appleton Evening Crescent (daily)
April 18, 1901 – April 28, 1902
January 26, 1904 – April 28, 1904
October 8, 1906 – June 27, 1919Name Changed to Appleton Crescent
June 28, 1919 – January 31, 1920Appleton Daily Post (daily)
January 2, 1920 – January 31, 1920
On February 1, 1920 the Appleton Daily Post merged with the Appleton Crescent and became the Appleton Post-Crescent.
Appleton Post-Crescent (daily)
February 2, 1920 – January 2, 1964
Name changed to The Post-Crescent
The Post-Crescent (daily)
January 3, 1964 to present
About The Post-Crescent Index
The Appleton paper began publishing on February 10, 1853 and has published continuously to the present time under several different names including its current name, The Post-Crescent. Various librarians at the Appleton Public Library have selectively indexed the paper over a number of years. Their intent was to make significant current and historical information available rather than to provide comprehensive indexing of the local paper.
There are no remaining guidelines for the indexing prior to 1981 to furnish clues on how events were chosen for inclusion in the index. The majority of entries for the years 1853 to the end of 1919 are sporadic and many were added at a later time when librarians happened on reports of noteworthy events while looking for other information such as an obituary. The selective index for the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s covered primarily city and county events. The entries for these early years also included the obituaries for prominent local people. While there is indexing for the 1950s, it is uneven with large gaps in the coverage. The entries for 1960s and the 1970s covered local politics, crime, notable people as well as other significant events in Appleton and the surrounding area.
From 1981 to 1983, the index began to also include statewide legal and political stories that were thought to have widespread ramifications along with the noteworthy city and county events . The index also expanded to cover key stories from areas beyond the city and the county. The greater index coverage ends in December of 1983 when it became too labor intensive to produce. Beginning in 1984 until December of 1995 a Current Events Calendar provided access to The Post-Crescent. The calendar listed in chronological order significant occurrences in local affairs, such as prominent murders, deaths of local officials, and elections of local citizens to state office.
Beginning in January of 1994, the index was produced electronically. There was a one year overlap when the Current Events Calendar and electronic index existed together. With a grant from the Friends of the Appleton Public Library, the Appleton Library was able to make the original electronic index available. Upon completion of a retrospective project in 1999, the selective index from 1853 forward was converted to electronic format and was also made available online.
The current newspaper index is a selective index with an emphasis on
- Local politics
- Major community events
- Important social issues
- Prominent local people
- Local businesses and organizations
- Education
The index does not generally cover
- Obituaries
- Crime
- Sports
- State News
- National/International News
- Cartoons/Comics
- Advertisements/Want Ads