THE WEEKLY RECORDER, Chillicothe, Ohio, July 11, 1815  

* Very early & rare for the state of Ohio

This was one of Ohio's most important frontier and early statehood communities. Chillicothe served as the capital of the Ohio Territory and later the state itself for several periods between 1803 and 1812, making it a center of politics, commerce, and communication in the Old Northwest.
Published during the early 19th century, the Weekly Recorder was part of the rapidly expanding newspaper culture that accompanied settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. Of the first ten newspapers published in Ohio, only two were from the 18th century. This title was the 9th by one ranking. Of the first ten, four were published in Chillicothe, giving evidence to the historical significance of this town.
Over half of the issue is taken up with: "Religious Intelligence - A Narrative of the State of Religion...The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America".
Six pages, 9 by 11 inches, library stamp at the top & bottom margins, good condition.

Background: The Weekly Recorder, published in Chillicothe, Ohio, stands as a vital cultural artifact from the American frontier, capturing a pivotal moment during the Second Great Awakening when religion served as a primary anchor for community building and societal order west of the Appalachian Mountains. By dedicating over half of its unique six-page layout to the Presbyterian Church General Assembly’s "Narrative of the State of Religion," this specific publication underscores how isolated pioneer settlements relied on the religious press to maintain structural, intellectual, and spiritual ties to the established East Coast. Furthermore, that this paper flourished in Chillicothe—the frontier powerhouse that served as Ohio’s first state capital and generated four of the state's first ten newspapers—highlights the town's immense historical significance as the communication epicenter of the Old Northwest Territory. Printed during a period of severe postwar paper scarcity immediately following the War of 1812, this rare surviving issue reflects not just a rapidly expanding media culture, but the deliberate use of the printing press to transform a rugged frontier outpost into a civilized, politically unified, and deeply pious cornerstone of the expanding United States.