Besides the “news” part of a newspaper, your ancestor could appear in the classified ads section. This ad from a Rock Island, Illinois, newspaper in 1905 mentions a bay mare owned by August Mortier.
The ad provides evidence that he was alive on the 4th of July night and was living at 2609 4th Avenue in Rock Island on that date as well.
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Don’t forget the Legal announcements. The courthouse burned during the civil war and I could not find deed records for my ancestor. The University in that area put the old newspapers on line (it was just a miracle that the newspapers survived!) I found in the “Legals” that the executor of the estate was selling the property and the land description was given. I was then able to plot his land on the county map and see just where it was.