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First newspapers printed in Oregon…
July 18, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
It was in 1843 when the great migration over the Oregon trail to the Pacific Northwest began, with some 3000 settling in Oregon City just a few years later. Located on the Willamette 
River, this town became the Oregon Territory’s first capital.
It was also the location of the first newspaper in the territory, titled the “Oregon Spectator” which began publishing on Feb. 5, 1846. This newspaper changed hands several times, and one of its editors, George L. Curry, left the newspaper in 1848 to start the Oregon City “Free Press” printed on a press he crafted by hand out of wood and scrap iron. This newspapers lasted for less than eight months.
On June 8 in 1848, at Tualatin Plains, a religious newspaper was begun by the Rev. John Smith Griffin titled the “Oregon American & Evangelical Unionist“. By the early 1850’s Portland was being settled and numerous newspapers made their appearance, the first being the “Weekly Oregonian” on Dec. 4, 1850. As more migrated West, more newspapers (The Morning Oregonian & more) made their appearance in not only Portland but other settlement towns in the Oregon Territory. Oregon would become the 33rd state in early 1859. (credit: “Printing In The Americas”)
A well dressed runaway…
July 16, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
It is not uncommon that runaway reward ads include a small engraving of a person, but never have I seen an engraving of so well-heeled a runaway as this guy. And his reward of “1 mill” is a bit of an insult as to his value. This ad appeared in the “Middlesex Gazette” from Middletown, Connecticut, July 29, 1829…
The Civil War… 150 years ago today… July 13, 1861
July 13, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:
The front page (of the July 13, 1861 issue of my Harper’s Weekly) has a scene from: “The Battle of Boonville, Missouri”. So much gunfire & smoke! Inside has a nice print of “Fort McHenry, Baltimore”, a famous fortress from the War of 1812. There is also a nice full page print showing: “The Cabinet at Washington. It is great to put a face to so many names read in the newspapers, including Abraham Lincoln, William Seward, Simon Cameron, Gideon Welles, Salmon Chase among others.
Showing a “softer” side of the war is a full page print with 4 scenes of: “Hot Coffee Free For Volunteers Passing Through Philadelphia. Another page has a dramatic full page print of “Winfield Scott, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army” at 75 years old! (and he looks it). Also a full page print of “Major-General Scott at 41”.
Certainly the most dramatic print is the full page showing: “A Slave Auction at the South”. The whole process is incredibly inhuman and is part of what this war is all about.
There is another full page print of: “Major General John C. Fremont in His Prairie Costume”, just one of many different uniforms worn by soldiers in this war. He looks as though he stepped round of the wilds of the West.
The Traveler… times at odds… three shots, but not dead…
July 11, 2011 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I decided to travel back a little further than I have been of recent. Within the “The Post Boy” dated July 10, 1711, I found that it seemed that most of Europe was at odds with each other. The news from Paris, Lisbon, Genoa, Turin, Milan, Warsaw, Vienna and Hague all were dealing in some type of army and/or war activity.
A correspondence from Dover is of which a Privateer “had 3 small Shots in his Body, but was not dead; that only 3 of the Privateers engag’d him, and a great many are kill’d on both sides, the 3 Privateers had 300 Men each.”
Even with all that is occurring in our lives today, I’m thankful that we don’t live in the 18th century…
~The Traveler
Gen. John H. Morgan’s revenge…
July 9, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The following item from “The Crisis” newspaper from Columbus, Ohio, March 2, 1864, notes a curious revenge by General Morgan for having his whiskers shaved when in the Ohio penitentiary…
The Civil War… 150 years ago today… July 6, 1861
July 6, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:
The July 6, 1861 issue has on page 4 a very nice view of: “Jefferson City, Missouri” along the river. I always look forward to finding city views in Harper’s as they offer a perspective of the cities mentioned in battle reports which, without illustrations, are difficult to comprehend in terms of size, geography & location to rivers, etc. And in the Missouri River which runs along Jefferson City are two large paddle wheelers. It would be great to ride on one someday.
Another page is taken up with a large map showing portions of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from Jefferson City to New Orleans, and also including Florida and much of the Southeast United States. Principal cities and other rivers are noted–a terrific overview of the theater of so much military action. “Scenes of Camp and Army Life…” has 9 scenes showing just some of what soldiers do when they are not fighting.
The doublepage centerfold is very impressive, showing a “Grand Review of General McDowell’s Corps…On the South Side of the Potomac” showing simply hundreds & hundreds of soldiers at attention. And why are so many women & children in the foreground? There are several more military scenes as well, including a very nice view of “Harper’s Ferry as Evacuated by the Confederate Troops”. The Potomac runs along some very steep cliffs in this portion of Virginia.
Rhode Island’s first newspapers…
July 4, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
This history of Rhode Island’s European settlements goes back to roger Williams in 1604 but it was no until well over 100 years later that Rhode Island got its first newspaper. It was on Sept. 27, 1732 when James Franklin begin the “Rhode Island Gazette“, but it lasted for only 20 issues. James Franklin also started the “New England Courant“, one of the first newspapers in Boston, and is perhaps most famous for creating an apprenticeship for his younger brother, Benjamin, who would go on to be a very successful newspaper publisher (among many other accomplishments) in Philadelphia.
It would be another 25 years before the next newspapers would be founded in Rhode Island, it being the “Newport Mercury” begun in that coastal town in 1758. Providence would have its first newspaper, “The Providence Gazette“, in 1762.
Reporting a non-event…
July 2, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
It must have been a very slow news day as the “Boston American” of April 11, 1912 has a bold headline (see below) proclaiming a non-event (see). Ironically, this was also the day after the Titanic set sail for its maiden voyage. Four days later the headline would be extremely significant.
The Civil War… 150 years ago today… June 29, 1861
June 29, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:
With the summer months upon us I can imagine that havelocks are a necessity on the battlefield. The front page print (of my June 29, 1861 issue) shows a woman making them for the soldiers.
Not surprisingly there are many war-related prints on the inside pages, including a nice view of Camp Slifer & another showing troops marching from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Movements of rebel troops are particularly interesting, and one of the prints shows rebel troops arriving & departing from Martinsburg, Virginia.
There is much drama in two full page battle scenes, both of the battle of Great Bethel but one showing the Zouaves soldier charging in their unusual uniforms. Another print shows the moat around Fortress Monroe–it is massive and must have been difficult to cross in the heat of battle.
From long before he would become famous…
June 27, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The “SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN” issue of November 5, 1892 includes an extremely inconspicuous item that would never be noticed for what it is. Near the back of the issue the editor would answer various questions of writers, and this issue includes response to five inquiries from a nine year old boy by the name of Walter P. Chrysler. Yes, this is the same Mr. Chrysler who would found the car company some years later. Obviously he was a bright & inquisitive young boy destined for great things in life. See the hyperlink for the reference from the book “Life Of An American Workman” which verifies the mentioned questions were from him…