It has often been said that newspapers are the first rough draft of history. Residents of Gloucester and Mathews, and elsewhere, will get a chance to glimpse some of that local history in a new book on sale at the Gloucester Museum of History.

The book, “Gloucester and Mathews Newspaper Articles,” chronicles the day-to-day activities in the two counties drawn from a variety of newspaper sources spanning the years 1737-1922. It is being sold by the Friends of the Museum for $20.

Joan Charles of Hampton researched and pulled together the items for this compilation and the Gloucester Historical Society of Virginia published the 189-page book.

The first entry, from the Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg) of Feb. 25, 1737, states, “We hear from Glocester County, That Miss Betty Washington, Daughter of Major John Washington, of that County, a young Gentlewoman of great Merit and Beauty, died there lately, very much lamented.”

The final entry, of September 11, 1922 fro...