Answered By Library Staff
Last Updated: Jul 26, 2023     Views: 3466

The answer to this is twofold. 

About finding Tulsa or Oklahoma newspaper archives:

The TCC Library does not have direct access to the historical run of the Tulsa Tribune or Tulsa World going back this far. However, you might be able to find some articles free online (perhaps because they are in the public domain and someone has digitized them) or you can access archived newspaper microfiche and historic clippings via the Tulsa City-County Library via specific dates. Also, if you can find a url to an archived version of an article, it is helpful to know about the Wayback Machine for access if you run into a paywall.

If that does not work, or if you have no url to a past version of an archived article you've seen referenced, one option the TCC Library still offers is through interlibrary loan (ILL). If you know the title of a specific article published in the the newspaper (if you need help finding an article from, say, the Tulsa World about your topic, see this FAQ), you can then place an interlibrary loan request for the material if you run into a paywall.

The TCCL public library catalog indicates that they have historic coverage on microfilm for both the Tulsa Tribune and Tulsa World. You can contact TCCL for more detailed information of holdings/availability/access. TCCL also has a local history librarian on staff if you have additional questions about accessing Tulsa history resources available from TCCL. Please see the TCCL catalog links below, as well as links to two sources available from the Tulsa World's website.

The Oklahoma Historical Society also has newspaper archives.


About the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: 

Also available from TCCL is a very helpful Tulsa and Oklahoma History research guide.

The Tulsa World provides fairly detailed information about the Tulsa Race Massacre on their current website (Tulsa World website access may require individual paid subscription to the newspaper):

Timeline: The 1921 Tulsa race massacre 

A recent Tulsa World article traced the history of the 1921 racial violence and included details of newspaper coverage from the time:Tulsa Race Massacre: 1921 Tulsa newspapers fueled racism, and one story is cited for sparking Greenwood's burning 

From the Tulsa Historical Society: 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre 

View the Interactive Map from the New York Times