Historic Newspapers: The Wild 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  Page 3 has a classic article  from the Old West with over half a column taken up with: "DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON" "Tragic Incidents in the Life of a Typical… 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  This city would arguably be--along with Tombstone & Dodge City--one of the more famous of all the towns from the rough & tumble… 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

THE MONTEREY DEMOCRAT, Salinas City, Monterey County, California, Oct. 2, 1880  

* Rare publication
* Old Wild West

An early title from the county seat of Monterey County, just south of San… 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

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

THE STOCK EXCHANGE, San Francisco, California, May 26, 1875  The top of the back page has a great map headed: "Map And Description of the Comstock Lode & Adjoining Districts, Virginia City,… more

THE RECORD, Moore, Oklahoma, Feb. 6, 1903  This is actually a "territorial" newspaper, as Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, one of only 3 of the contiguous 48 to join the union in the 20th… more

THE PEOPLE'S CAUSE, Red Bluff, California, March 11, 1876  An interesting title from Northern California. Quite scarce as well, as we only had 3 issues.
Red Bluff was originally known as Leodocia,… more

VELASCO DAILY TIMES, Texas, Feb. 28, 1892  A rare title as it existed for less than six months.
Velasco was a town in Texas that was later annexed by the city of Freeport. Founded in 1831, Velasco is… more

SAN DIEGO BULLETIN, California, Feb. 13, 1872  This is the first issue published of the daily paper, the volume 1, number 1 issue. It was preceded by almost 3 years by the weekly edition. It also… more

TOMBSTONE PROSPECTOR, Arizona, Nov. 20, 1889  We have had a few other newspapers from the iconic Old West town of Tombstone, but this is is perhaps the most uncommon. The masthead features a great… more

THE DAILY PEOPLE'S CAUSE, Red Bluff, California, May 27, 1876  An interesting title from Northern California. Quite scarce as well, as we only have 3 issues. The front page has: "The Mormons & New… 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

ALPINE SIGNAL, Markleeville, California, July 4, 1879  A very rare title that lasted less than one year, and only one institution has scattered issues. This is a volume 1 issue.
This small town is… 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  Not only is this the first of this title we have offered, but it is a rarity in that it is printed on orange "necessity paper". Such… more

KERENS ENTERPRISE, Texas, Aug. 29, 1889  An exceedingly rare newspaper, in fact this is the only issue recorded anywhere according to Gregory's "Union List of American Newspapers". It notes that… more

MIDLAND GAZETTE, Texas, Feb. 7, 1890  This is the volume 1, number 35 issue of a title we've never offered previously. Quite rare, as Gregory's "History & Bibliography of American Newspapers" notes… more

THE OVERTON RECORD, Texas, Oct. 31, 1889  Overton only had one newspaper thru 1936 and this was it. It is not known how long this title existed, but Gregory's Union List of American Newspapers notes… 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

RENO EVENING GAZETTE, Nevada, March 20, 1879  An early issue from this famous gambling city in Northern Nevada near Lake Tahoe.
Gold was discovered in nearby Virginia City in 1850 and a modest mining… more

THE DAILY BEE, Sacramento, California, July 13, 1874  This is one of the more successful and long-running newspapers on the West Coast, having begun in 1857 and is still publishing today.
Typical… 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