100 Years Of Newspaper Archives To Be Housed At Limon Memorial Library

With the unfortunate closing of The Limon Leader, the Limon Memorial Library is honored to become the new home for more than a century of local newspaper archives. The collection includes issues of The Limon Leader, Eastern Colorado Plainsman, the Lincoln County Democrat, The Hugo Range Ledger and more, preserving the written record of the people, places, and events that have shaped Limon and the surrounding Eastern Plains communities for over 100 years.

The archives will be housed at the Limon Memorial Library, where visitors can explore physical copies for research, genealogy, or personal interest. This extensive collection captures the stories of local life — from community milestones and business openings to school events, agriculture, and everyday happenings — offering a vivid picture of the region’s history.

“The closing of The Limon Leader marks the end of an era,” said Library Director Katie Zipperer. “By preserving these archives, we’re ensuring that the voices and history of our community will continue to be accessible for generations to come. The library receives about two dozen requests for newspaper lookups each year, and having the collection here will make it much easier to keep up with these requests and serve our community. We also expect the number of lookup and research requests to increase.”

The library is also exploring options to digitize the collection in the future, which would allow for easier searching and long-term preservation of the materials. Community members who would like to support the digitization project are invited to contact the library to make a donation.

Colorado has a strong tradition of preserving local journalism through library and historical partnerships. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection (CHNC), managed by the Colorado State Library, provides free online access to more than 2.5 million digitized pages from over 600 newspapers published between 1859 and 2023. Libraries and museums across the state — including the Denver Public Library’s Western History and Genealogy Department, the Fort Morgan Library and Museum, and the Trinidad Carnegie Public Library — maintain their own historical newspaper archives to protect community heritage and support local research.

By housing the Limon newspaper archives locally, the Limon Memorial Library joins this statewide effort to preserve Colorado’s journalistic history. The collection ensures that the voices of Eastern Colorado’s communities — their triumphs, challenges, and everyday life — will remain accessible to researchers, historians, and future generations.

The newspaper archive will be available to the public beginning December 1, 2025. Community members are encouraged to visit the library to explore the collection and celebrate this important piece of local history.

For more information, contact the Limon Memorial Library at 719-775-2163.