Torrance Historic Newspaper & Directories

Local newspapers are the records of the communities they serve. Reading the Torrance Herald or Torrance Press will reveal the politics, people, issues and hopes, much of it surprising, of the City of Torrance and the greater South Bay area.

Search the entire collection here or browse individual newspapers or city directories by date

• Archived Newspapers
• City Directories

The Torrance Press
The Torrance Press started as the Peninsula Press in 1949 and ending in a 1964 merger with arch rival the Torrance Herald. The Torrance Press is an invaluable historical resource chronicling Torrance during the time of the city's greatest growth. The Torrance Press is provided through the courtesy of the Torrance Historical Society.

The Torrance Herald
The Torrance Herald was the city's newspaper of record from 1914 to 1969. The Herald started as an advertising sheet singing the praises of the new "modern industrial city" and evolved into the premier newspaper of the rapidly developing city.

City Directories
The library has a collection of city directories from Torrance and South Bay area dating from 1922 to 1975. The city directories are provided through the courtesy of the Torrance Historical Society.

The Torrance Public Library is proud of its collection of historical documents vital to the preservation of our local history. The digitization of the resources is the result of the generous support and collaboration
of the City of Torrance, the  Friends of the Library , and the Torrance Historical Society