Historic Newspapers: The Old West

LOVELAND REPORTER, Colorado, Feb. 19, 1891  

* Rare Larimer County publication 
* Death f William T. Sherman w/ print

This paper was founded in 1880, only a few years after Loveland itself was… more

COMMERCIAL HERALD & MARKET REVIEW, San Francisco, Jan. 29, 1880  The focus of this newspaper seems to be on the mining industry, not surprising given the era. The issue is mostly taken up with… more

THE CONTRA COSTA GAZETTE, Martinez, California, April 24, 1875  An early newspaper from Northern California, just east of San Francisco on the bay. It published in Pacheco until 1873 when it was… more

GUNNISON REVIEW-PRESS, Colorado, March 11, 1884 

* Rare Old West publication
* Woodstock, Colorado avalanche 
* Gunnison County ghost town 

An uncommon title from this boom mining town in the… more

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Jan. 15, 1884 

* William F. "Buffalo Bil" Cody death 
* Wild old West show fame 
* "Died with his boots on"

 Page 3 has a classic article  from the Old West with over half a… more

SAN DIEGO DAILY UNION, California, Jan. 3, 1872  Very early from San Diego--a volume 2 issue--when the population was just 2,300, with a nice engraving of the harbor in the masthead.  All four pages… more

NEW YORK TIMES, Rotogravure section only, April 7, 1935 

* Adolph Hitler & Hermann Goering
* German - Nazi air force revealed

 This rotogravure section has a front page pictorial regarding the newly… more

DEADWOOD DAILY PIONEER, Black Hills, (South Dakota) July 26, 1889

* Rare publication
* Famous wild West town
* "Wild Bill" Hickok fame

This city would arguably be--along with Tombstone & Dodge City--one… more

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Nov. 7, 1879 

* Zerelda Samuel interview 
* Mother of Jesse & Frank James 
* Notorious Missouri outlaws 

 The top of pg. 2 has column heads: "RIDDLED BY RANGERS" "A Pitched… more

THE SUN, New York, Dec. 21, 1879  

* Jesse James Gang w/ Frank

Page 7 contains a wonderful, lengthy, and very detailed article with several column heads: "THE JAMES BOYS OF TEXAS" "A Visit to the Home… more

ARIZONA CITIZEN, Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [Arizona Territory] July 3, 1875  Many years ago we had a reasonable inventory of this title, but today this issue is among our last.
A nice assortment of… more

BIKUBEN, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 2, 1907

* Danish language publication 
* Church of Latter-Day Saints 
* Mormons - Mormonism - LDS

Here is a quite unusual and scarce newspaper from Utah,… more

ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, England, Nov. 15, 1851  Pages 3 and 4 contain an article on a famous case involving the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance, headed: "Californian Lynchings". Included as… more

NEW YORK TIMES, Jan. 17, 1874  

* Arkansas stagecoach robbery - holdup
* Jesse James & Younger gang ? - outlaws

The front page includes: "Stage Robbery by Masked Highwaymen" being a brief… more

LAS VEGAS DAILY OPTIC, New Mexico (Territory), Feb. 19, 1898 

* Very early for this state

An uncommon territorial newspaper from 14 years before statehood
Four pages, large folio size, edge… more

THE PENNSYLVANIA MAGAZINE, Philadelphia, February, 1775 

* Pre American Revolutionary War 
* Thomas Paine - first time as editor 

This is a very rare magazine, published only from January,… more

FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED, New York, April 4, 1885   The front page has 4 prints with the caption: "Kansas - The Proposed Invasion of Oklahoma - Scenes at the Boomers' Camp at Arkansas City" plus… more

THE PIONEER, San Jose, California, Aug. 9, 1879  The masthead notes: "Devoted To The Interests Of The Pioneers of California And the Resources of the Golden State."
The masthead is one of the more… more

THE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS, Nebraska, March 22, 1883  We seldom encounter Nebraska newspapers from during the Wild West era, but here is one. Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska and this issue is dated… more

VELASCO DAILY TIMES, Texas, Feb. 28, 1892  

* Rare Southwestern "Boomtown" publication
* Possibly the first time offered anywhere 

A rare title as it existed for less than six months.
Velasco was a town… more

SAN DIEGO BULLETIN, California, Feb. 13, 1872  

* Volume 1 Number 1 issue
* Southern California first 

This is the first issue published of the daily paper, the volume 1, number 1 issue. It was… more

TOMBSTONE PROSPECTOR, Arizona, Nov. 20, 1889  

* Very rare wild West publication
* Gunfight at the O.K. Corral fame
* The Wham Paymaster Robbery trial

We have had a few other newspapers from the iconic… more

DEADWOOD DAILY PIONEER, Black Hills, (South Dakota) July 23, 1889  This city would arguably be--along with Tombstone & Dodge City--one of the more famous of all the towns from the rough & tumble… more

THE SAN DIEGO UNION, California, May 4, 1877  Among the front page articles: "Arizona" "Agent Clum Completely Successful in Hunting up the Renegade Apaches--Latest Sonora News". Clum is John Clum… more

THE SAN DIEGO UNION, California, Oct. 21, 1879  The top of the first column is headed: "The Indian War" "Present Situation of Affairs in Colorado" which has two reports, and this is followed by:… more

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGNER, Sacramento, California, Aug. 14, 1852  Beyond being a campaign newspaper, which by nature was short-lived, existing only until the November election, this is also a very early… more

SEYMOUR WEEKLY CRESSET, Seymour, Baylor County, Texas, June 9, 1887  A very rare newspaper which is believed to have existed for ten years, from 1879 to 1889, however records are not clear.… more

BLACK HILLS DAILY PIONEER, Deadwood, Black Hills, March 3, 1878  

* Rare publication
* Famous wild West town
* "Wild Bill" Hickok fame

This town would arguably be--along with Tombstone &… more

DAILY ALTA CALIFORNIA, San Francisco, July 5, 1852  

* Very early Old West title (rare)
* California gold rush era
* Printed on "necessity paper"

This is a very early newspaper from California, just 14… more

SAN DIEGO DAILY UNION, California, Sept. 23, 1871 

* Rare & early from Southern California

Very early from San Diego--a volume 2 issue--when the population was just 2300, with a nice engraving… more

NEW YORK TIMES, June 15, 1874 

* Tribal Chief Cochise death (1st report)
* Chiricahua Apaches - Indians

The very bottom of the front page has a very brief and discrete report headed: "Death… more

THE LOWER LAKE BULLETIN, Lower Lake, California, March 9, 1889 

* Very rare publication on "necessity paper"
* Koi Nation of the Lower Lake Rancheria
* Lake County - Clear Lake region 

 Not only is this… more

KERENS ENTERPRISE, Texas, Aug. 29, 1889  

* One of a kind ? Navarro County

An exceedingly rare newspaper, in fact this is the only issue recorded anywhere according to Gregory's "Union List of… more

MIDLAND GAZETTE, Texas, Feb. 7, 1890 

* Very rare Southwest publication

This is the volume 1, number 35 issue of a title we've never offered previously. Quite rare, as Gregory's "History &… more

THE OVERTON RECORD, Texas, Oct. 31, 1889  

* Very rare Southwest publication
* Jesse James & the Ford Brothers 

Overton only had one newspaper thru 1936 and this was it. It is not known how long this… more

THE HOUSTON AGE, Texas, July 3, 1889  This is one of the earlier Houston newspapers we've offered. Typical news and ads of the day.
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed, a few minor archival mends at… more

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCAT, Dec. 5, 1883 

* Mormons and polygamy
* President Chester A. Arthur
* Outlaw Frank James trial

Over half of the front page and page of pg. 2 are taken up with: "The… more

DAILY EVENING HERALD, Stockton, California, Nov. 22, 1870   

* Wild Old West
* Rare publication 

The city, founded in 1849, is named after Robert F. Stockton and it was the first community in… more

THE DESERET NEWS, Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 2, 1870  

* Mormons - Mormonism 
* Utah polygamy argument

This newspaper was published 26 years before Utah became a state.
Most of the front… more

THE DESERET NEWS, Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan. 19, 1870  This newspaper was published 26 years before Utah became a state.
Included is the lengthy: "Governor's Message" reading much like a… more

THE MOUNTAIN MESSENGER, Downieville, California, August. 6, 1881  

* Rare Old West title
* Gold mining town
* Sierra County

Downieville is a very small town at 3,000 ft. elevation in… more

SALT LAKE DAILY TRIBUNE & UTAH MINING GAZETTE, March 7, 1872 

* Mormons - Mormonism
* Rare publication

The first 26 issues of this newspaper were titled "Mormon Tribune", followed by the "Salt Lake… more

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Missouri, Aug. 20, 1883  The front page has: "Criminal Calendar - Additional Particulars of the Tragedy at Estancia Ranchm NB.M. - Frank James Trial--A Gang of Burglars… more

SRPSKO JEDINSTVO, "The First And the Only Slavonian Weekly In Montana", Aug. 25, 1900  

* Extremely rare publication
* In Slavic and English Languages 

Little is known about this unusual… more

NEW YORK WEEKLY TRIBUNE, Aug. 21, 1867  The years following the Civil War were years of expansion west, causing the inevitable conflict with the Native American tribes. Such reports were not… more

THE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS, Nebraska, March 17, 1883  

* Home of the Cornhuskers 

We seldom encounter Nebraska newspapers from during the Wild West era, but here is one. Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska… more

THE NAPA REGISTER, Napa City, California, Oct. 15, 1873  

* Rare old West publication
* From the wine country

Although in the heart of the wine region, for which this city is famous today,… more

THE PIONEER, San Jose, California, Aug. 2, 1879  The masthead notes: "Devoted To The Interests Of The Pioneers of California And the Resources of the Golden State."
The masthead is one of the more… more

THE RECORD, Moore, Oklahoma, March 6, 1903  

* Pre-Statehood - territorial publication

This is actually a "territorial" newspaper, as Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, one of only 3 of the… more

THE SAN DIEGO UNION, California, Nov. 11, 1879  

* Rare & early from Southern California

The front page has two reports which are interesting to read some 140 years later: "The Future of Southern… more