March, 2024 Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers…
March 15, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Dramatic Headlines Speak for Themselves… Martin Luther King Jr Assassinated!
March 11, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The best headlines need no commentary. Such is the case with The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, April 5, 1968, which featured a report on the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:
“DR. KING IS SHOT TO DEATH”
This Month in History – March…
March 8, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When considering the month of March what historical events come to mind? I’m sure if we each came up with a list of ten, while there may be some overlap, our lists would be quite diverse. A quick internet search turned up an exhaustive list which included the following:
- the “Articles of Confederation” was ratified
- the Lindberg baby was kidnapped
- FDR gave his “Fear Itself” speech
- the famous Woman’s Suffrage March took place in Washington, D.C.
the Philippines gained independence- the Peace Corps was established
- Ulysses S. Grant became the commander of the Union armies
- Albert Einstein , David Livingston, and Wyatt Earp (among a long list of others) were born
- the Boston Massacre occurred
- the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by the Senate
- the Spanish Flu struck America
- Patrick Henry declared: “…give me liberty, or give me death!”
- the War in Iraq began
- the “Camp David Accord” was signed by Menachem Begin & Anwar Sadat
- the death of Isaac Newton
- Churchill gave his “Iron Curtain” speech
- the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was founded
- the Soviet Republic of Georgia declared their independence
Collectors of rare and early newspapers know that coverage of such events can nearly always be found in old newspapers; however, one of the added pleasures is discovering reports of previously unknown or long-forgotten events which inspire a deeper look – aiding the lifelong learning process which helps to keep us mentally engaged as we progress through life.
The link below will take you to a reverse-chronological list (1600’s-20th century) of our currently available newspapers from the month of March. There’s no need to buy anything. Simply enjoy your march backwards through time.
RareNewspapers.com has over 18,000 collectible newspapers available for under $50…
March 4, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When it comes to authentic, collectibles from the past, it is hard to imagine that items 100-300 years old can be had for under $50, but it’s true. RareNewspapers.com has greater than 18,000 original newspapers priced under $50, of which well over 10,000 are 100-300+ years old. A chronological list can be found here:
Authentic/Collectible Newspapers Priced Under $50
The images below show a few snippets of what you may find.
The New York Draft riots from during the Civil War (1863)…

A newspaper from 1682 by a woman publisher…

Peace between Israel and Palestine?

Beloved actor Henry Fonda’s death report in a regional Hollywood srea newspaper (Los Angeles Times)…

Announcing: Catalog #340 for March, 2024 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
March 1, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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[The links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days
upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.]
“The Idea of a President” – Food for thought on Presidents’ Day…
February 19, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
When you hear the phrase, “The Idea of a President”, does anything come to mind?
It is no secret my wife loves Disney World. I love(ish) it to, because “a happy wife makes a happy life”, and there are few things more enjoyable than watching her delight in the escapism that is Disney World. If you’ve never been there, the combination of the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, enhanced by Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs makes for a splendid vacation. Of course, at this point some might be wondering where I stand in regard to Disney’s recent political engagement, but that very question is the reason for this post:
THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS
Nestled in the middle of The Magic Kingdom is a colonial-style building which houses The Hall of Presidents. Walt Disney was a huge fan of Abraham Lincoln in particular, and of the American concept of a “President” in general. Without going into detail about the presentation itself, simply said, I can’t recommend it enough. Thanks to my wife I have had the opportunity to view the program during multiple administrations over the past (many) decades, and I have never failed to walk away with a greater appreciation for the one in office – not due to my alignment with their politics or their wisdom-buoyed leadership, but because of the office itself and the weight of responsibility which those who hold the office inherit. It truly is a fantastic presentation!
I was recently reminded of this point when I came across an issue of The New York Times dated March 16, 1976 which included an inside article headed: “Disney’s Hall of Presidents Not ’76 Politics”. As I read through the article and viewed the corresponding photos my appreciation for “the presidency” itself was lifted, and I was encouraged, at least for a day, to set aside my political arrows and thank God for all those who have, are, and will serve, 1st-hand, “The Idea of a President”.
May HE give them the wisdom to honor the position, as I honor them. Happy Presidents’ Day!
They Put It In Print – The 12th President of The United States…
February 16, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Who was the 12th president of The United States of America? Okay, perhaps your high school civics teacher didn’t require you to memorize their names in chronological order, but in case they did I’ll give you a little more time so you can run through them starting with Washington (hint, you’ll need more than both hands to count them out).
At this point I’m sure many have opted to simply do a quick internet search to “remember”. Cheating??? No judgement here. Do you have your answer?
Here goes…
So, did you come up with rolyat yrahcaz (the name is spelled backwards so your eyes wouldn’t easily notice it while reading the 1st two paragraphs)? However, NO! Sorry.
The one who was elected to be the 12th president refused to be inaugurated on the given day (March 4, 1849) since it was scheduled to be held on a Sunday. Being a “religious man”, he felt it improper to take the oath of office on the Christian Sabbath. Left with the unacceptable dilemma of having the top seat in the land left vacant, albeit for a short time, David Rice Atchison was sworn in to serve as “president for a day”. How do we know? The National Intelligencer for March 10, 1849 put it in print:

While the state of Missouri (Atchison’s home state) affirms this, the official website of the Senate of the United States says otherwise – and provides their reasoning.
Yet, who is right? I’m not a political scholar, but if accuracy of information provides a clue this same “official” article also says this rumor 1st appeared in the March 12th issue of the Alexandria Gazette… and we know for a fact this to be false. Again, how do we know? Our newly discovered issue is dated two days prior.
I love this collectible!
An inside look at Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers… History’s Newsstand…
January 29, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
WGRC (“The message is in the music!”)… While being a radio station, they feature the video series, “Around the Valley”, which focuses on various businesses from around the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania. A few weeks ago they spent several hours learning about “Rare & Early Newspapers” – both as a business and as a collectible. They were truly delightful, and their authentic enthusiasm for the hobby was evident.
The 14-minute synopsis of our time together is shown below. Please enjoy.
This Day in “News” History… January 26th…
January 26, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Another day of news as reported in original newspapers… January 26th…
There are many internet sources available to explore what happened on a particular day in history. However, as collectors and resellers of “Rare & Early Newspapers”, our curiosity lies in what people were reading in their morning newspaper on specific days in history. In nearly every instance they were discovering what happened the day prior – and if one reaches back into the 1600s, 1700’s, and early 1800s, when news travelled a bit more slowly, they very well could have been (finally) reading about “rumored” and/or anticipated events from days, weeks, or even months prior.
Today’s adventure?
What about January 26th? The following link will take you to all of our available newspapers dated January 26th:
NEWS REPORTED in NEWSPAPERS on January 26th (through time)
Enjoy the trek. Oh, and if you want to try other dates, go here and plug in any month/day of interest.

Taking Stock… Post-New Year’s Eve…
January 12, 2024 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Now that the holidays are in the rear-view mirror…
New Year’s Eve is traditionally a time of reflective celebration with family and friends, accompanied by great fellowship, an abundance of food, and a drink or two… or three… or four… or… Perhaps it was during just such an occasion back in the 1700’s which inspired Ben Franklin to (supposedly) pen, “”Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Before anyone fires off a corrective note in my direction, it doesn’t take a lot of internet-browsing to learn that while this rumor went viral in the 1990’s, his actual statement was in regard to wine – but the point is the same. This beloved forefather loved the company of others, and raising a glass while dining in their company was not a rare occurrence. For better or worse, and with few exceptions, the masses have embraced his lifestyle, with this reality on full display each New Year’s Eve.
No judgement here. After all, let’s review: A wise man once concluded, “Beer (wine) is proof…”. However, an even wiser Source (also referred to in Franklin’s quote) admonishes us to not over-indulge.
Seizing this position, the famed 18th century doctor, Benjamin Rush, put together a “Moral Temperance Thermometer” (shown below) which was printed in multiple publications of his day – The Columbian Magazine for January, 1789 being the first. Does it have validity? Before deciding, why not give it a gander, chew on it a bit, and drink in Dr. Rush’s illustrated thesis on the matter?

Regardless of your final analysis, may 2024 be a year for us all to enjoy the blessing which come our way… in moderation. 🙂





Welcome to the March Newsletter from Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers. In addition to the ongoing monthly features (Newly added catalog items, this month’s discounted newspapers, links to recent posts, etc.) we also have two “fun” items:


The March catalog (#340) is now available. Shown below are links to various segments of the catalog, our currently discounted