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1776-2026: The Dream Still Shines at Dawn’s Early Light!
January 5, 2026 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Whether we call it the Semiquincentennial, America250, the Quarter Millennial, the Sestercentennial, or simply the 250th birthday of the boldest experiment in self-government, 2026 rises like a new dawn—filled with promise, reflection, and hope for every American and every friend of liberty across the world.
The front page below, taken from a newspaper celebrating the Centennial Fourth of July in 1876, carries us back to that earlier moment of celebration—a time when a young nation looked proudly to its past and eagerly toward its future. It reminds us of the countless generations whose courage and sacrifices made possible Franklin D. Roosevelt’s enduring truth:
“We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions—bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality.”
That vision still lights our way. Yet we are also called to remember Frederick Douglass’s wise and urgent reminder, spoken on the 23rd anniversary of emancipation in the District of Columbia:
“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.”
As we celebrate this extraordinary milestone, may we lift our hearts in gratitude for the Divine grace that has guided us through triumph and trial alike. And as we look ahead, may we renew our shared promise—to preserve every hard-won freedom and to keep lifting the banner of justice, opportunity, and dignity for all who call this land home.
Here’s to the journey still unfolding. Here’s to the dream still alive.
Happy 250th, America!
Announcing: Catalog #361 for December, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
December 1, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Announcing: Catalog #360 for November, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 31, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Catalog #360 (for November)
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The reason I collected it: a single-focus newspaper…
October 13, 2025 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
The general rule for a newspaper of any era is to report the news of the day on a regular basis, typically daily or weekly. Some have a thematic focus whether it be the slavery issue, the military, masonic events, etc., but even such newspapers maintained a history of publishing on a regular basis.
I don’t believe we have previously discovered a newspaper that had a singular focus on a specific event until we acquired “The Trainwrecker” from Pond Creek, Oklahoma Territory, 1894. This is not just a rare title; this could be a unique issue being the volume 1, number 1 issue of a newspaper about which nothing can be found. It is not listed in Gregory’s “Union List of Newspapers”, nor have we found anything on the internet.
Its purpose is noted on the front page, and it seems to have a singular focus: the dispute the Pond Creek area had with the Rock Island Railroad.
As a bit of background, I might encourage a visit to “Hell on Rails: Oklahoma Towns at War with the Rock Island Railroad“, which details the backdrop for why this newspaper was created. It is rather convoluted and relates much to how the Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, was settled and how the railroads were a factor in town settlements.
The issue begins with: “The only paper in the Cherokee Strip capable and willing to take up and handle without gloves the action of the Rock Island Railroad, in the pursuance of their policy to rule or ruin.”
Then the “Salutary” begins: “In placing the TRAINWRECKER before the public, we ask for no sympathy–realizing full well the step we have taken. Our object is to give to the people of L county a complete account of the fight between the Rock Island railroad and Pond Creek, the county seat of L county and the only live, energetic city in the Strip…” with much more not just on the front page but on inside pages as well.
It is possible this newspaper existed for just this one issue, but without documenting records we cannot confirm. Printed as it is on green paper, it certainly doesn’t seem as though the publisher planned for a lengthy run.
This is part of the fascination with rare titles, as their scarcity simply implies a lack of information. Although we have encountered other newspapers that failed to exist beyond just a few issues, this is the first that seems to have existed to exploit a singular concern.
Personal note from Guy: “If historical fiction is within your wheelhouse of interests, I found ‘The Assassin’ and ‘The Wrecker’, both by Clive Cussler, fun reads. The former focuses more on the O.T. region (with a mention of some of the locations indicated above), while the latter zeros in on the sabotaging of trains during this era.”
Announcing: Catalog #359 for October, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
September 30, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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October’s catalog (#359)
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Announcing: Catalog #358 for September, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
August 29, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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September’s catalog (#358)
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Snapshot 1866 – Slavery: A Wound on the Soul of a Nation…
August 25, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Few institutions in human history have inflicted more suffering or revealed deeper moral failings than slavery. Its cruelty was evident to many, even in its own time, and voices of conscience spoke out with clarity and passion against it.
Frederick Douglass exposed the hypocrisy of those who justified such inhumanity in the name of religion:
“The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus.”
Abraham Lincoln, never one to shy away from blunt truths, offered this biting reflection:
“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”
William Lloyd Garrison cut to the heart of the injustice:
“The slave is doomed to toil, that others may reap the fruits.”
And Harriet Tubman, who risked everything to lead others to freedom, distilled its evil to its core:
“Slavery is theft — theft of a life, theft of work, theft of any opportunity to shape one’s own destiny.”
While President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, marked a turning point, the road to slavery’s demise was long, brutal, and soaked in the blood of those who fought to end it. The institution did not go quietly—it clung on with all its bitter force until finally it was defeated, leaving behind a scar but also a renewed hope for the American promise.
This complex and painful chapter was not lost on poet William Cullen Bryant. In 1866, just a year after the Civil War’s end, he shared his reflections in a powerful poem published in the July issue of The Atlantic Monthly. That poem, in its entirety, is presented below—a poignant reminder of what was endured, and what was overcome.
One that didn’t get away: a golden nugget discovered within an 1884 newspaper…
August 11, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Over the years we have emphasized one of the pleasures that is relatively unique to the hobby of collecting rare and early newspapers; that is, discovering hidden gems within their pages. These “finds” are most-often unearthed by those who call to tell us what we missed, and their stories rarely disappoint. In some cases the golden nuggets may significantly impact the collectible value of the issue – such as finding a period mention of Abraham Lincoln prior to him entering the national stage buried deep within a newspaper, or, thanks to the advanced search capabilities now available through the internet, learning that an unsigned letter in an issue of The Gentleman’s Magazine out of London was actually written by Ben Franklin. However, in other instances the value gained is personal.
Such was the case with the January 1, 1884 issue of The Prattsburgh Breeze (NY) – and thankfully, it was discovered while we still had the issue in hand. We already knew it was the 1st issue (vol. 1, #1) of this extremely rare title, and it was listed as such. However, when someone from a (ok, “an”) historical society contacted us to ask if there was a mention of a the neighboring town, as we carefully read through the pages, we discovered the following:
While this may not seem significant to most, it delighted my wife who is an avid fan of all things Joel Chandler Harris in general, and Uncle Remus in particular. If you are unfamiliar with either Mr. Harris or the beloved Uncle Remus, a deep dive into this tandem will be well-rewarded.
Since the saying ‘Happy wife, happy life’ is emphatically true—and since this discovery just upgraded my wife’s happiness—once again, I am compelled to proclaim: ‘I love this hobby!’.
Announcing: Catalog #357 for August, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
August 1, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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August’s catalog (#357)
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Announcing: Catalog #356 for July, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
June 27, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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