Historic Newspapers: The Wild West

THE MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL, Tennessee, Aug. 19, 1880  Among the front page articles are: "Crime & Criminals" "Oklahoma - Arrival of Captain L. D. Payne at Fort Smith Under Rest" "After the Apaches"… more

DEADWOOD DAILY PIONEER, Black Hills, (South Dakota) May 23, 1889  A rare publication from this famous, "old west" town. This city would arguably be--along with Tombstone & Dodge City--one of the… more

TOMBSTONE PROSPECTOR, Arizona, June 4, 1889  

* Very rare wild West publication
* Gunfight at the O.K. Corral fame

We have had a few other newspapers from the iconic Old West town of Tombstone, but… more

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

SAN DIEGO DAILY UNION, California, Jan. 3, 1872  

* Rare & early from Southern California

Very early from San Diego--a volume 2 issue--when the population was just 2,300, with a nice engraving of the… more

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

* Adolf 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

THE MONTEREY DEMOCRAT, Salinas City, Monterey County, California, Nov. 27, 1880  An early title from the county seat of Monterey County, just south of San Francisco. Very typical of newspapers from… more

ARIZONA CITIZEN, Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [Arizona Territory] July 3, 1875  

* Very rare old Western publication

Many years ago we had a reasonable inventory of this title, but today this issue is… 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

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 ADVANCE, Red Wing, Minnesota, Oct. 25, 1882  Page 2 has a somewhat inconspicuous report; "Female Bandit Caged" which reports: "...the capture in the Indian Territory of  a female desperado named… 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 SILVER STATE, Winnemucca, Nevada, Sept. 19, 1877  Page 2 has a nice account of the infamous Big Springs train robbery.
This was a robbery of a Union Pacific train near present-day Big Springs,… more

SAN DIEGO WEEKLY BULLETIN, California, Aug. 21, 1869  This is the volume 1, number 1 issue of this very early San Diego newspaper.
Gregory notes only two newspapers in San Diego preceded this one,… more

SACRAMENTO DAILY UNION, California, Nov. 15, 1860  While most newspapers on the East Coast reported Lincoln's election in their November 7th edition, West Coast newspapers were reliant upon the… more

THE PIONEER, San Jose, California, Aug. 16, 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 REPUBLICAN, St. Louis, Missouri, April 13, 1882   Page 4 has an article with column heads: "The Killing Of Bandit James" "More Comfort for the Murderer's Friends".
This is an interesting… more

DEADWOOD DAILY PIONEER, Black Hills, (South Dakota) June 1, 1889 

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

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

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 

* Franklin Pierce's presidential campaign
* Extremely rare old West publication 

Beyond being a campaign newspaper, which by nature was… more

SEYMOUR WEEKLY CRESSET, Seymour, Baylor County, Texas, June 9, 1887  

* Very rare Southwestern publication

A very rare newspaper which is believed to have existed for ten years, from 1879 to 1889,… more

PANHANDLE INTERSTATE, Lipscomb, Texas, Aug. 30, 1889  

* Very rare Southwest 19th century publication

A very rare newspaper, as Gregory's "Union List of American Newspapers" believes it existed from… more

THE MEXIA DEMOCRAT, Mexia, Texas, Aug. 22, 1889  A very rare newspaper, as Gregory's "Union List of American Newspapers" believes it existed from 1887 to 1893, however, only one American institution… more

THE LONE OAK NEWS, Lone Oak, Hunt County, Texas, Feb. 28, 1890  A very rare newspaper as Gregory's "Union List of American Newspapers" notes that only one institution (Bancroft Library) had any 19th… more

ALPINE SIGNAL, Markleeville, California, July 4, 1879 

* Very rare old West publication

 A very rare title that lasted less than one year, and only one institution has scattered issues. This is a… more

LEAD DAILY TRIBUNE, Lead City, Black Hills, South Dakota, July 3, 1906  Beyond all the historic reports of world history reported in newspapers, curiosities have always been of interest as well.… 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, May 29, 1851  

* Very early Old West title (rare)
* California gold rush era

The very first title in the Golden State was the "Californian" begun in 1846, followed… 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

WEEKLY TRINITY JOURNAL, Weaverville, California, Aug. 14, 1875  

* Rare wild old West publication
* Use of colored "Necessity Paper"

A rare issue from this town in Northwest California.
Weaverville is a… 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