First newspaper in Nevada…
January 18, 2011 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
“Nevada” received its name from a Spanish word meaning “snow clad”. Outside of the Native Americans one of the earliest settlements was by the Mormons at Genoa, in 1849, then part of California. It later would be attached to the Utah Territory, then became the Nevada Territory before being admitted as a state in 1864.
It was at the town of Genoa that the first newspaper in the state began in 1858, the “Territorial Enterprise“. Just a year later it moved to Carson City, and yet another year later to Virginia City where it continued until 1916. One of its claims to fame is having Samuel Clemens as a reporter and editor in the early 1860’s. Although issues from the 1870’s and 1880’s have been in our inventory for some years, issues from the 1860’s–particularly from the territorial period before statehood–are very difficult to find. (credit: “Printing In The Americas” by J. Oswald)
Thankfully no arboreal collaborators…
May 22, 2010 by TimHughes · 1 Comment
The following brief item appeared in “The Daily Picayune” of March 4, 1845. I’m not sure what the last sentence is meant to imply but it adds a comical note for the modern reader:
Better luck next time…
May 15, 2010 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
“The Evening Wisconsin” of Milwaukee, Dec. 17, 1888 reports a bad day for two train robbers. Perhaps their watches were set for the wrong time zone?
19th century newspapers… revisited…
December 26, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Over the past three weeks Timothy Hughes has explored his thoughts concerning what he believes to be the top ten newspapers from each of the pre-18th, 18th, and 19 centuries (see below), the most recent being the latter. Some of his thoughts concerning the 1800’s historic newspapers were captured in the following video:
Collecting authentic rare and historic newspapers from the 1800’s can be exciting, rewarding and surprisingly affordable. Daily newspaper reports of America’s tumultuous 19th Century included first hand accounts of historic turning-points like….. the Louisiana Purchase…the Civil War…and Spanish-American conflict. As cries of “manifest destiny” signaled America’s unbridled expansion west, newspapers became a crucial link for a people suddenly united in a common quest that would set their young nation on a course of unprecedented and historic prosperity.
There are many sought after “holy grails” from the 19th century, including: o President Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination o Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address o Battle of the Alamo o Deaths of Jessie James and Billy the Kid o Issue from Tombstone Arizona (Tombstone Epitaph) o Winslow Homer’s “Snap the Whip”
Of course, select accounts of the most historic & desired events of 19th century America are available for premium prices.
However, a wealth of fascinating original newspapers from the vast inventory of Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers are available for much less…often as little as $30 – $50. These include first-hand news from the War of 1812, Yankee & Confederate Civil War battle reports, slave ads from the South, the California Gold Rush with outlaw & Indian battle accounts, the Mormon migration to Utah and fascinating reports of when baseball was in its infancy.
The “Old West” and America’s westward expansion are represented in genuine newspapers from California, Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Arizona. You’ll also find affordable issues from the illustrated press which graphically documented every aspect of 19th century America in the pages of Harper’s Weekly, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated, Gleason’s, Ballou’s, and The London Illustrated News.
Whether your interest is in the War of 1812, westward expansion and the gold rush, the Civil War, and/or the Wild West, original newspapers provide an excellent view of history in context. History is never more fascinating than when when it’s read from the day it was first reported. If you love history… you deserve to have it in your hands. Rare newspapers make this possible. Please enjoy the hobby.
Top ten newspapers: 16th and 17th centuries…
Top ten newspapers: 18th century…
Top ten newspapers: 19th century…
Beware of the pony…
August 22, 2009 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
I suspect this little item printed in “The Sag Harbor Express” newspaper from Long Island, New York on February 23, 1871 is fictitious, but it gives a sense of 19th century humor nonetheless.
Thoughts on the most historic 19th century report…
October 21, 2008 by TimHughes · 7 Comments
A few weeks ago we had some interesting comments on what collectors thought was the most historic 20th century newspaper report. Let’s try the same with the 19th century. But given the tremendous diversity of events from 1801 thru 1900 I’m going to break the century into three parts: pre-Civil War; the Civil War; and post-Civil War. Let’s work our way backwards and discuss the post-Civil War era first.
There are many ways to approach “most historic”. My approach will be the most life-altering event with emphasis on “event”. One could argue that the second Industrial Revolution dramatically changed the world but it cannot be pinned down to a single date or event.
Several items come to mind: the first successful Atlantic cable in 1866 was a major step in causing the world to be much smaller–a trend which continues to this day; the completion of the transcontinental railroad in the United States was a major step in the westward expansion & settlement of the United States which changed the country in many ways; and then there is the Battle of Wounded Knee which was the last battle in the American Indian Wars and the official end of the Old West. Not to be omitted would be the invention of the automobile by gentlemen in Germany in 1889.
I’m going to go with the completion of the transcontinental railroad. In thinking of the multitude of events which played off this event and how it changed the fabric of America (pardon the ethnocentrism) I’ll vote for it as the most historic event of the 19th century post-Civil War era.
What are your thoughts?




