Digitizing Local Newspapers Preserves Weiser’s History

The saying goes that the press is the fourth pillar of democracy. For decades, it’s also been the pillar of rural communities across the Mountain West, documenting important events, daily life, and even entire generations of families. Weiser’s local newspaper, the Weiser Signal American, has been doing as much for more than a century. Its archives date back to the 1800s, a treasure trove for community members, historians, researchers, and local schools. The problem is many of the Signal American’s archives are only available in person where they require a specialized microfilm reader to view. One local volunteer with the Washington County Historic Preservation Commission wanted to solve the problem by digitizing the Signal American’s archives. In need of help, he reached out to LOR. LOR’s funding will help Washington County hire a contractor to preserve 18 rolls of microfilm and create an online portal for the Signal American’s archives. The portal will be available on local websites so Weiser residents can learn about their community’s past while looking ahead to its future.