Historic issues of the Goldsboro Headlight from 1887 to 1903 are now available in the North Carolina Newspapers collection. Advertised as a “first class Democratic family newspaper,” the Headlight was published weekly and was typical of the newspapers of the time in that it included a little local news and politics, a regular column reporting on social activities in the town, and a lot of features and illustrations borrowed from other publications around the country.
Some of these papers seem more like issues of Reader’s Digest than what we know of newspapers today. In just one issue from January 1891 I found articles on travel in Japan, the use of the letter “J” in Holland, and a story about how stuffed owls are still in fashion.
The Goldsboro Headlight was nominated for digitization by Wayne County Public Library.
