First newspapers in Montana…

August 19, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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Similar to other eventual states in the western portion of the country, it was the search for gold & other precious metals which took some of the earliest adventurers to the Montana Territory.

Gold was discovered in Montana in 1858 and a “town” immediately sprang up, named Bannack. A newspaper, title the “News-Letter“, was started but not being successful only lasted a few numbers. (Given its format and short life it is not considered Montana’s first newspaper by some, that honor given more commonly to the “Montana Post“.)

The following year a richer strike was made in nearby Virginia City, where the first issue of the “Montana Post” was printed on August 27, 1864. Its publisher, John Buchanan, sold the newspaper just two weeks later to Tilton and Dittes, and 4 years later when Helena became the state’s capital the newspaper moved to that location where the first issue from Helena was dated August 25, 1868.

The next Montana newspaper was the “Montana Democrat“, printed in Virginia City from 1865. It would be followed by a few more in the 1860’s: the “Montana Radiator” in late 1865, the “Rocky Mountain Gazette” in 1866 and the first daily newspaper titled the “Herald” from Helena late in the same year.

Collectors prize issues of the “Montana Post” from Virginia City, although those with a Helena imprint are the more commonly found.

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The influence of newspapers…

August 16, 2010 by · 2 Comments 
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I’m sure we would all agree with Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1839) that “the pen is mightier than the sword”.  What about the pen as wielded via the text of a newspaper?  Napoleon’s view was that “Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets”.  Interesting comment from one of history’s infamous (famous?) sword bearers.  The following editorial note found on the front page of the June 17, 1867 issue of the Bethlehem Daily Times (PA) provides affirmation of this view:

However, lest we become overly fearful of the devastation such influence  has upon our thinking, Erasmus (1571) provides us with a word of encouragement to the contrary:   “There is no sword to be feared more than the Learned pen”.  Perhaps we are safe.  🙂

Did you notice the 1867 price for the issue shown at the top of the image?  Apparently, if the average person was inclined to be paid “a penny for their thoughts”, newspaper editors believed their thoughts were worth double.

With the ever-decreasing circulations of newspapers, I wonder what the equivalent form of influence is today… and will be 10 years from now???

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Filed under: Food for Thought, Post Civil War, The Hobby, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
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Ben Franklin displays his wit…

August 14, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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The December 11, 1775 issue of the “Hampshire Chronicle” from Southampton, England, includes a witty note from Ben Franklin to a friend in London, which appeared in several newspapers of the day. By his mind, the Revolutionary War was not going to be won by England through attrition.

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The Traveler… a ghost of a dog…

August 12, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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This week I did not select an issue of today’s date, instead I found the Connecticut Mirror dated August 13, 1810 instead.  The front page of this issue begins with providing to the public the celebrated secret message of President Jefferson, on the 6th of December, 1805. This message was in respect of the relations of the United States with Spain and France concerning Louisiana. When I first saw this, I thought back to the 1970’s when Watergate occurred with the “missing minutes” of tape. Here they had secret messages that finally were revealed to the public five years later.

The story that was the eye-catcher was found on the back page, entitled “Ghost of a Dog”. This comes from a Dublin paper reporting of a lady who was scratched by a neighborhood dog, but she viewed it as a “breach of hospitality” that she demanded an order of execution on the dog. This was done, in a strange manner, and the dog’s body was retrieved by some friends. With some very unusual tactics over a course of about three weeks, the dog was able to run about as usual, make his rounds to visit his old friends, including meeting up with the lady he had scratched. She was so terrified that she fell into fits and at the time of the report was near death.  Now… what’s the old saying… what goes around, comes around???

~The Traveler

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Practice makes perfect???

August 7, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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An interesting note in the November 14, 1857 issue of “Harper’s Weekly” only goes to show that practice doesn’t always make perfect:

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Featured website: www.earlyamerica.com

August 5, 2010 by · 2 Comments 
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As collectors of historic newspapers, we are always on the lookout for websites which blend history with early newspaper reporting.  One such site is Archiving Early America.   It describes itself as follows:

Archiving Early America

Your Window To Early America

Here at Archiving Early America, you will discover a wealth of resources — a unique array of primary source material from 18th Century America. Scenes and portraits from original newspapers, maps, writings come to life on your screen just as they appeared to this country’s forebears more than two centuries ago.

As you browse through these pages, you will find it easier to understand the people, places and events of this significant time in the American experience.

We particularly appreciate Pages From The Past, which provides examples of various historic newspapers.  Although not directly related to newspapers, their digit library is also worthy of mention.  Enjoy.

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Interesting cure for a multitude of ills…

July 31, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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This advertisement in the August 22, 1885 issue of “Harper’s Weekly” gives evidence as to how much times have changed. And I find it interesting that cocaine–a known stimulant–would be a cure for “sleeplessness” and “nervousness”.

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The Traveler… Preferred seating…

July 29, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today’s travel is taking us back 200 years. However, I was not able to find a publication for the exact date of July 29, 1810, therefore, I selected a Columbian Centinel dated July 25, 1810 (the closest I could find). On the second page of the issue I found a header “Unfortunate Ship Margaret” which immediate intrigued me as to why it was unfortunate. This is a lengthy report of the Margaret, which we discover that while on voyage from Naples, had upset and part of the crew were saved on the long-boat while 31 others were left adrift on the ship. The article proceeds to give details of what they endured during the 23 days at sea until they were rescued by a passing ship, it being the fourth ship they had seen (ouch).

I also enjoy looking at advertisements, especially within 18th and 19th century issues, as they are often quite interesting… and at times, unique. Some  also contain woodblock illustrations – and this issue is no exception . However, I found two advertisements that were a bit different. The first was a “Stop a Runaway“, which was a notification of a runaway apprentice boy. The other was quite intriguing as it was “Pews in the First Church — For Sale”, not to take home for use but for use during the worship services! Now — we joke at our church about “my pew” or “their pew”, but this takes preferred seating to a whole new level!!  🙂

~The Traveler

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The allure of the Old West…

July 26, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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While few of us will have the opportunity to visit some of the fascinating old mining towns of the Old West, holding a newspaper from a ghost town’s hey day can be the next best thing. And with a little knowledge about the town, a newspaper from the neighborhood press takes on added appeal and intrigue.

With this in mind I will, from time to time, offer some background information on the towns from which some of our Old West newspapers came. And I’ll start with an issue with an interesting title, the “Owyhee Avalanche” of Silver City, Idaho.

Silver City is one of the few old mining towns that did not burn down or become commercialized into a modern city. Visiting Silver City is like going back into history. The Idaho Hotel is as it was 100 years ago with a few modern amenities. Rugged and picturesque, the 8,000 feet-high Owyhee Mountains surround Silver City, elevation 6,200 ft. The history-filled town contains about seventy-five structures that date from the 1860’s to the early 1900’s.

During its “heydays”, Silver City had about a dozen streets, seventy-five businesses, three hundred homes, a population of around 2,500, twelve ore-processing mills, and was the Owyhee County seat from 1866 to 1934. Some of the largest stage lines in the West operated in the area, and Silver City had the first telegraph and the first daily newspaper in the territory in 1874.

More that two dozen camps provided shelter, supplies and amusement for the thousands of people who came to the mountains seeking their fortunes in one way or another. The ruins of some of these can still be found though nature is reclaiming most of them at an accelerated rate. Almost a dozen cemeteries and many more remote burial sites attest to the hard and sometimes dangerous and violent lives led by many. Hundreds of mines pock-mark and honeycomb the mountains; one had upwards of seventy miles of tunnels laboriously hand-dug through it. Between 1863 and 1865, more than two hundred and fifty mines were in operation and hundreds more were developed thereafter. At least sixty million dollars worth of precious metals were taken from the area. (credit: historicsilvercityidaho.com)

Click HERE for some photos of present-day Silver City.

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Non-compassionate approach to advertising…

July 24, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 
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This ad is from the “Daily Delta” of New Orleans, March 29, 1861. The advertiser chose a hard-line approach to selling his product, claiming one is: “…laying the foundation stone for an early grave by your obstinacy and stupidity.”

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