Galt, California, among our Old West titles…

March 17, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We have many issues of the “Weekly Galt Gazette“, California, in our Old West inventory, but perhaps few of our collectors know this city–current population of some 23,000, in Sacramento County–had its start in the California Gold Rush.

In 1850, a group of farmers settled around the banks of a small stream, Dry Creek, close to Galt. Their plans were to grow beef and dairy products. In the year 1869, the town of Galt was laid out by the Western Pacific Railroad Company. The name Galt was given at the request of John McFarland, a local rancher, in honor of his home town in Canada. It was previously called Dry Creek Township after the stream by which they settled. By 1869, the community consisted of blacksmiths, dairymen and cattle ranchers. Raising cattle was the main occupation.

Galt was built almost entirely of wooden structures making fires the biggest problem for the town. However, many of the old original homes are still standing, in excellent preservation, around town.

In 1880, Galt had two general merchandise stores, one variety store, one hotel, one harness shop, two blacksmith shops, two wagon and carriage manufacture and repair shops, one wood yard, one livery stable, two barber shops, two shoe stores, two saloons, one meat market, one barely mill, Wells Fargo & Co.’s Express Office with three physicians and one attorney-at-law in town.

By the turn of the century, cattle raising and dairying gradually decreased and agriculture took over. The principal grain was wheat.

(credit: City of Galt)

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First newspapers in North Dakota…

March 14, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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The Dakota Territory organized in 1861 encompassed both present-day North & South Dakota. It was in 1889 when statehood was gained that the Territory was split into North & South.

But it was during the Civil War, in 1864 when two solders issued at Fort Union (present-day North Dakota) a newspaper called the “Frontier Scout” Only a few numbers were printed at Fort Union. A bit later it reappeared with a “Fort Rice, D.T.” imprint and a date of June 15, 1865, noted as “vol. 1, No. 1”. It is not known to have continued after 1865.

It was not until July of 1873 when the first permanent newspaper appeared in the Territory, located at the capital of Bismarck and titled the “Tribune“. It started as a weekly but 8 years later became a daily, which it remains to this day. It boasts that it has never missed an issue, although because of a winter blizzard it was forced to reduce its size & one number was printed on wallpaper.

Not long thereafter the second newspaper in North Dakota began, titled the “Express“, printed at Fargo on Jan. 1, 1874. The third newspaper, and in yet a third city, was the “Plaindealer” which published at Grand Forks in 1874 as well.

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Filed under: Civil War, Common Questions, Noteworthy Issues, Post Civil War, The Private Collection, Yankee
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It’s all relative…

March 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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The following item reflects court costs from 1877, fees which are very much in the distant past.  But it’s all relative. While the cost may have outweighed the benefit, sometimes things are still worth fighting for – on matters of principle. This appeared in the “Democratic Watchman” newspaper from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, dated February 16, 1877:

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The Traveler… Maine becoming a state?… the horses know the way!…

March 10, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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This week’s journey found me with the Middlesex Gazette issue dated March 7, 1811. This contained a headline “Another New State” in which the District of Maine (a part of the state of Massachusetts) had held a Convention in Boston and voted 56 to 18, that “it is expedient to take the sense of the people on a separation from Old Massachusetts.” However, they did not obtain their statehood until nine years later as part of the Missouri Comprise.

An amusing story (see below) is of a Coachman, who while fetching some straw for his seat, found his horses leaving without him. They proceeded to the next place (with the coachman in chase) and stopped as they would normally do. A countryman  entered and called “go on!” and the horses took off again at full speed to the next place, four miles away. Early auto-pilot?

~The Traveler

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One worth sharing…

March 7, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Many newspapers which are located (geographically) close to where an historic event happened tend to have the largest headlines. The “WAR ! ” issue of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporting the bombing of Pearl Harbor is a good example.

When the Apollo 11 astronauts returned home, all newspapers reported the event. But where would you expect the biggest headline on Neil Armstrong’s return? His hometown: Wapakoneta, Ohio.

The photo shows the huge headline of the “Wapakoneta Daily News” when their favorite son returned home. It is certainly one of the largest headlines of the post-World War II era.

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Damaged by kissing…

March 5, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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The following, regarding a young woman in Rochester, New York, appeared in the “Democratic Watchman” newspaper from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, dated February 16, 1877:

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Mining town of Gunnison, Colorado…

March 3, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Many of the newspapers held in our “Old West” category have a look very similar to most newspapers of the day, but have histories which tell an interesting story of the Old West. The newspapers from these towns offer a window into daily life and are much more interesting when the story of the town is known. From time to time we will provide a glimpse into the past of some of the towns in our Old West inventory.

We offer many issues of the “Gunnison Daily Review” from the early 1880’s. It was named for John W. Gunnison who first explored the area looking for a transcontinental railroad route, even though he only stayed in the town for 3 days of his entire life.

Gunnison first began to boom in the 1870’s along with the rush of mining activity in Colorado. The Ute Indians had been forced out of the area and many ranchers, traders and miners began to move in. Gunnison became the official seat of Gunnison County on May 22, 1877. In 1880 the railroad arrived, welcomed by not only miners but by the ranchers and farmers as well.

Gunnison saw one of the quickest boom and bust cycles ever as the mines and railroads came to town in the 1880s along with all the normal business increases it created. But, by 1883 a mining bust had come to town and half of the population departed. It seems the precious ore veins that were discovered turned out to be shallow and low producing. It was also at this time when the Earps, of Tombstone, and Texas Jack  set up camp on the outskirts of Gunnison. Eventually, Wyatt took over a faro game (gambling card game) at a local saloon.

Today Gunnison is the home of some 5500 residents.

(credit: Wikipedia & the Gunnison Chamber of Commerce)

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A double palindrome…

February 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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While creating and using palindromes can be fun, the following takes the science to a whole new level.  This “super palindrome”, found within the June 8, 1877 issue of “Democratic Watchman” (Bellefonte, PA),  appeared on our radar just a few weeks ago.  While some believe such word play to be evitative, we are convinced it is our civic duty to bring it to light”:

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The Traveler… Black Beard, somewhat live… “Wonderful Woman”…

February 24, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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This journey found me traveling to Boston via The Repertory dated February 22, 1811. I was instantly attracted to the front page of this issue when I spied “BLACK BEARD — The Pirate” front and center. I knew the time frame for his name would not be fitting which made me look even more so! I found that this was actually a five-act comedy musical about this monstrous pirate, of which they took some liberty in the story line as stated in the article. Inside the issue is an advertisement of the play.

Two headlines in the advertisements attracted my attention, “The Wonderful Woman!”, which I thought would have been unusual for that time period. The one was of a book being available about the life of Ann Moor, Tutbury, England, who had for more than three years lived entirely without food. The other advertisement was of a correct likeness, in wax, of Mrs. Moor, that was just added to the Columbian Museum. Was this the early beginning of the liquid diet fads or what??

~The Traveler

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She prepared for the end…

February 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Some news reports we discover in our newspapers are so beautifully written that they beg to be share with more than just the collector who buys the issue. This is one. Not only is the report of Martha Washington’s death eloquently presented, it is interesting how she knew her time was coming to an end and was prepared for it.

This report appeared in the “Farmer’s Museum or Literary Gazette” from Walpole, New Hampshire, June 8, 1802:

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