Some newspapers printed ship arrival announcements. These announcements listed both the names of the individuals who died on board the ship and the names of those who arrived safely. In addition, this type of announcement may list a port of exit.

The directories listed below will help you find the current owners of old newspapers from the time and place when the announcement was published. If the individual spoke a foreign language, check to see if there was a newspaper in that language, too. Once you have located the current owners, you can request to search the appropriate copies. The current owners should be able to direct you in your search.

Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals, available at most community libraries.

Winifred Gregory's American Newspaper, available at community and genealogical libraries.

The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) microfiche. The OCLC has a database of the U.S. Newspaper Program National Union List. You can access the OCLC at most university libraries and some community libraries.

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