Newspapers are an essential tool for genealogists. Of course they contain obituaries that provide important family information, but there are news and feature articles and even advertising that may mention your family.
There are
free historical resources for old newspaper articles in US online, covering much of U.S. history -- from the 18th to the 21st century. One place to find them -- well organized by state -- is the
National, State & Local Newspaper Archives. You'll find links to resources scattered all over the Web.