Historic Newspapers: Search Results
THE NEW YORK TIMES, June 14, 1867
* L. Harris Hiscock assassination
* New York State Assembly - Albany
* General George W. Cole
Page 4 has a small one column heading: "The Albany Murder" (see images)
Complete with 8 pages, nice condition.
Background: The assassination of L. Harris Hiscock by General George W. Cole represents a watershed moment in American legal history, as the subsequent trial fundamentally shaped how the nation navigated the defense of temporary insanity and the culturally…
NEW YORK TIMES, July 17, 1865
* Post Abraham Lincoln assassination
* Owner of Ford's Theater letter signed
Page 5 has one-third of a column headed: "Ford's Theatre--Letter from the Proprietor to a Clergyman" which is a letter signed by John T. Ford concerning a minister's opinion on reopening the theater. It is very rare to find in newspapers letters signed by the proprietor of Ford's Theater, particuarly in his defense of attempting to reopen his theater after the assassination.
Page 5 also…
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, March 4, 1876
* Johann Philipp Reis
* German scientist & inventor
* Make-and-break telephone
The ftpg. shows: "An Australian Man-Of-War" with a related article. Inside print: "Professor Reuss' Telephone" with article; "the Invention of the Telephone" , a crane mounted on a railroad car, and various other articles with prints.
Sixteen pages, some light staining on the front page, otherwise very nice.
Background: This exceptional 16-page issue of the Scientific…
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Feb. 17, 1876
* Evangelist Dwight L. Moody's sermon
* Preaches at P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome
The top of page 2 has a one column heading: "THE REVIVAL" with subheads. Text takes up about 2 1/3 columns.
Other news of the day. Complete with all 8 pages, minor spine wear, nice condition.
Background: The New York City Hippodrome Campaign of 1876 stands as a pivotal moment in American religious history, marking the definitive transition of evangelism from rural "tent revivals" to…
THE NEW YORK TIMES, July 23, 1870
* The tenth Intercollegiate rowing Regatta (1870)
* Famous Yale foul giving Harvard the win
* Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts
The top of page 5 has a one column heading: "THE WORCESTER RACES" with subheads. Text takes up over 2 full columns.
Eight pages, print flaw with a little wear along the last column of the front page, small piece torn away at the upper left corner, otherwise good.
Background: The disqualification of the Yale varsity crew for a…
THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, September 6, 1866
* Jay Cooke & his banking house
* Financier of the Civil War
* Wall Street Panic of 1873 fame
Page 6 of this newspaper contains an advertisement for the: "Banking House of Jay Cooke & Co." with a few more details (see). Other high profile financier ads as well. (see)
The life of Jay Cooke and his considerable influence in banking & business in the last half of the 19th century can be read at this website.
Complete in 8 pages, various news of the day…
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Feb. 12, 1876
* Evangelist Dwight L. Moody's sermon
* Preaches at P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome
The top of the 1st column of the front page has a one column heading: "THE REVIVAL'S PROGRESS" with subhead. Text takes up about 2 1/2 columns.
Other news of the day. Complete with all 8 pages, minor spine wear, nice condition.
Background: The New York City Hippodrome Campaign of 1876 stands as a pivotal moment in American religious history, marking the definitive transition of evangelism…
THE SHAKER, Shakers, New York, and Shaker Village, New Hampshire, July, 1877
* Uncommon title
A monthly publication "Published By The United Societies" for folks in the Shaker community, quite famous today for the style of furniture they produced. This issue has much religious-related content.
Eight pages measuring 13 x 10 1/2 inches, a little irregular along the spine, generally in very nice condition.
Background: This July 1877 issue of The Shaker represents a rare, primary-source artifact of…
THE NEW YORK TIMES, June 7, 1868 Page 3 has an article related to the 1st official Memorial Day which includes a touching letter from a young girl who had lost her father during the war, addressed to Col. Leaming: "Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldier's grave? My dear papa is buried at Andersonville, and perhaps some little girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers on his grave," signed in block type, "JENNY VERNON." It is interesting to note that they did find one…
Item from last month's catalog - #367 - released for June, 2026
SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN, Massachusetts, Nov. 8, 1865
* Samuel Bowles' serialized travelogue : "Across The Continent"'
Over half of the front page is taken up with a portion of the Samuel Bowles book: "ACROSS THE CONTINENT" "Letters From Mr. Bowles--No. 29" "Our Farewell to Frisco--Dinner & Ball...A final Review of the Mining Questions...Latest News from the Mines--Copper and Quicksilver--The Petroleum Questions--Oil vs. Wine--Through the Golden Gate". Fascinating reading from just after the end…
Item from last month's catalog - #367 - released for June, 2026
NEW YORK TIMES, April 21, 1868
* President Andrew Johnson
* Reconstruction era impeachment trial
The entire front page is taken up with reports on the Johnson impeachment trial, with first column heads: "IMPEACHMENT" "Further Testimony Offered by the Prosecution" "All the Evidence Submitted and the Case Closed" "Arguments to be Commenced on Wednesday" "The Impeachment Trial".
Page 4 has an editorial on the impeachment trial, as well as: "The Issue In Impeachment".
Eight pages, minor light foxing,…
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, July 6, 1865
* Soldiers' National Monument
* Gettysburg battlefield cemetery
* Laying the cornerstone celebration
Much coverage on the celebration of the 4th of July, the first since the end of the Civil War. The front page includes: "The Gettysburg Celebration" "Laying the Corner-Stone of the Monument--An Oration and a Poem--A Letter from the President".
Page 4 includes: "Home, Sweet Home!" which begins: "Mrs. Jefferson Davis...writes in March last from Montgomery, that she…
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 removed to Martinez.
this is a quite scarce title, as only a few scattered issues are held by institutions outside of the California State Library. The Bancrsoft Library holdings were deaccessioned many years ago, from which this issue came.
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed with wide margins, a news…
THE NEW YORK HERALD, Oct. 25, 1873
* Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873
* Memphis, Tennessee & more
The top of page 4 has a one column heading: "PLAGUE-STRICKEN MEMPHIS" with subheads. (see images) Text takes up over 1 1/2 columns.
Complete with 12 pages, very minor margin wear, nice condition.
Background: The 1873 Mississippi Valley yellow fever epidemic was a devastating outbreak that primarily struck river cities such as Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans, killing thousands and causing widespread…
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Feb. 28, 1876
* Evangelist Dwight L. Moody's sermon
* Preaches at P.T. Barnum's Hippodrome
The top of page 2 has a one column heading: "TURNING MEN TO CHRIST" with subhead. Text takes up almost 2 full columns.
Other news of the day. Complete with all 8 pages, very minor spine wear, nice condition.
Background: The New York City Hippodrome Campaign of 1876 stands as a pivotal moment in American religious history, marking the definitive transition of evangelism from rural "tent…
PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL, New York, May, 1865
* Abraham Lincoln assassination w/ print
Phrenology is a theory that the personality traits of a person can be derived from the shape of their skull. Although holding no validity today, it was a popular science in the mid-19th century and this periodical focused on it.
The feature of this issue is the page near the back which is devoted to Abraham Lincoln, including a nice portrait of him and a black-bordered article on his life.
Seven other pages has…
NEW-YORK TIMES, Sept. 23, 1870 Page 3 has: "Base-Ball The Championship Contest--Mutual vs. Atlantic--The Mutuals Win the Champion Pennant --Score 10 to 4". The summary (see) mentions that there was: "...a very large gathering of spectators on the Union Grounds...despite the fact that the admission fee was double the usual charge." Also says there was the largest gathering of fence peepers ever seen at a baseball match, and because there was such an interest in the game: "...the telegraph…
Item from last month's catalog - #367 - released for June, 2026
NEW YORK TIMES, April 11, 1868 The top of the first column has heads: "IMPEACHMENT" "The Opening Argument for the Defense Concluded" and more, with the text taking the entire front page and half of the back page.
Eight pages, very nice condition.
Item from our most recent catalog - #368 - released for July, 2026
(Added to the July, 2026 catalog [#368] after its initial release - only available on-line.)
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 have various news tidbits of the day, including local, regional, and national reports. A great wealth of advertisements as well, several of which are illustrated.
Four pages, 11 3/4 by 17 3/4 inches, printed on high-quality newsprint, very nice condition.
Item from last month's catalog - #367 - released for June, 2026
THE OHIO SPY, Springfield, December, 1877 This is a product of the amateur press, an avocation for amateur printers which was popular in the latter part of the 19th century. They were typically small in size and short-lived.
Four pages, 7 1/4 by 10 1/4 inches, very nice condition.
Background: The historical significance of The Ohio Spy (December 1877) lies in its status as a preserved artifact of the Amateur Press Movement, a post-Civil War phenomenon that represents arguably the first distinct…
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Nov. 22, 1875
* Ira D. Sankey & Dwight Lyman Moody
* Evangelist - Evangelism - sermons
Page 2 has two columns taken up with: "MOODY AND SANKEY" "A Wonderful Beginning in the New Field".
This is on Dwight L. Moody, a notable American evangelist, and Ira D. Sankey, an American gospel singer and composer, known for his long association with Dwight L. Moody in a series of religious revival campaigns in America and Britain during the closing decades of the 19th century.
Eight pages,…
HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, June 5, 1875 Full front pg. Nast illus. of "Captured At Last." (Phil Sheridan). Inside is a 2/3 pg. illus. of "The New Arctic Expedition-The "Alert" and the "Discovery"." Six illus. pertaining to "The Fulton Street Prayer Meeting-North Dutch Church."
Doublepage centerfold of "The Last Muster." Full pg. Nast illus. of "This Tub Has No Bottom to Stand on." 2/3 pg. illus. of "Venetian Loafers." Also, a 1/4 pg. portrait of "Henry Ward Beecher."
Complete in sixteen pages.
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Aug. 9, 1865
* Civil War reconstruction era
* Negroes in the Southern States
The top of the back page has a small heading: "From Mississippi" "Southern Opinion of the Negro..." (see images)
The front page column heads include: "FROM TEXAS" "Proclamation by Gov. Hamilton" "Recent Order to Gen. Sheridan" "Two-Thirds of His Army to be Mustered Out" "SARATOGA RACES" "The Cup Won by Kentucky" and much more. The back page has a report of a baseball game, with the box…
NEW YORK WEEKLY DAY-BOOK CAUCASIAN, March 18, 1865
* Final weeks of the Civil War
* Rare pro-white - slavery title
A decidedly racist newspaper which began well before the Civil War & lasted a few years after. As such their reporting on war events provide a contrasting perspective beyond most other Northern newspapers.
Some articles include: "Confederate Congress" "Corruption in the White House" "Who Are the Friends of the Negro?" "The American Flag In Mourning" Sherman's Army in North Carolina"…
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, August 26, 1865
* Horace Greeley letter - his opinion of African Americans
* Andersonville prison trial... Henry Wirz
The most historically significant content is the intriguing letter on page 4: "A Letter To the Hon. A. O. P. Nicholson", signed in type: H. G., for Horace Greeley.
Following the end of the Civil War, this discussion addressed the physical, intellectual, and emotional condition of African Americans now that they were free. The exchange with Nicholson, often…
SUPPLEMENT TO HARPER'S WEEKLY, Sept. 30, 1876
* Centennial Exposition
* Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Hard to find in undamaged condition
This is a huge foldout print captioned: "The Centennial---Balloon View Of The Grounds" which gives a terrific overview of it and showing Philadelphia in the background. Rarely do such large, foldout prints from Harper's Weekly survive intact, as they were typically removed for their displayability or damaged after many years of folding and…
THE CORRECTOR, Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York, Oct. 29, 1870
* Anti-Mormons - Mormonism book advertisement
The back page has an advertisement for the publication of: "LIFE IN UTAH or the MYSTERIES OF MORMONISM" with some text noting its "...unprecedented success, one reports 186 subscribers in four days, another 71 subscribers in two days."
The book is described as: "An Expose of the Secret Rites and Ceremonies of the Latter-Day Saints, with a Full and Authentic History of Polygamy…
BROUGHTON'S MONTHLY PLANET READER AND ASTROLOGICAL JOURNAL, Philadelphia, Oct., Nov., Dec., 1869
Also: SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, May 29, 1869
The former was a fascinating and very unusual newspaper of small-size themed on predicting what would happen in the future--great to read in hindsight.
The feature article, which takes all of pages 1 thru 5, is headed: "A Reply to An Attack on Astrology and Astrologers which was published in the Scientific American, May 29th, 1869". The…
THE NEW YORK HERALD, April 17, 1874
* Brooks-Baxter War
* Little Rock, Arkansas
* Republican Party factions
The top of page 7 has a one column heading: "BROOKS' COUP D'TAT" with subheads. (see images) Text takes up almost 1 1/2 columns.
Complete with all 12 pages, nice condition.
background: The Brooks–Baxter War of 1874 in Little Rock, Arkansas was a violent political conflict rooted in a disputed Republican gubernatorial election. Elisha Baxter, who had been certified as governor, faced a…
THE WORLD, New York City, April 24, 1869
* Spirit photography - ghosts
* William H. Mumler fraud trial
The top of the front page has one column headings that include: "THE GHOSTLY CONTROVERSY" "Continuation of the Case Against the Spiritual Photographers" "The Process Very Mysterious" and more with loads of testimony. Lengthy report continues on page 2 for a total of about 3 1/3 columns of text.
Complete with 8 pages, a little irregular along the spine, nice condition.
Background: In 1869, William…
WEEKLY MERCURY, Constantine, Michigan, January 26, 1871
* Rare Midwestern title
* St. Joseph County
This 4 page newspaper has news of the day and several period advertisements.
Complete in nice condition.
Background: The Weekly Mercury was a 19th-century local newspaper published in Constantine, Michigan, primarily serving St. Joseph County and its surrounding communities. It appeared under names such as the Weekly Mercury and St. Joseph County Advertiser, reflecting common naming practices of the…
BOSTON DAILY JOURNAL, April 14, 1865 This is one of those fascinating newspapers that "reports" one of the great ironies in American history.
This was the date when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while attending a performace of "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Page 3 of this newspaper has an advertisement for the Boston Theatre, noting: "This (Friday) Evening Benefit and Positively Last Night of EDWIN BOOTH who will appear as Sir Edward Mortimer..."To-Morrow…
Item from last month's catalog - #367 - released for June, 2026
THE NEW YORK HERALD, May 20, 1874
* Mill River flood disaster - Northhampton
* Williamsburg & Haydenville, Massachusetts
The top of page 7 has one column headings that include: "MILL RIVER CALAMITY" "Continues Efforts to Recover the Missing Dead" "Funerals At Haydenville" and more. (see images) Text takes up over 2 1/2 columns.
Other news of the day. Complete with 12 pages, nice condition.
Background:The 1874 Mill River Flood was a catastrophic disaster in western Massachusetts…
SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN, Massachusetts, June 20, 1867
* First Belmont Stakes - Jerome Park Racetrack
Near the bottom of page 2 is a seemingly innocuous report but which has great significance in the sport of horse racing: the very first running of the Belmont Stakes.
Headed: "Sporting Intelligence" "Commodore Vanderbilt Defeats Gen. McClellan". The text reports on several races, and includes: "...The summer race meeting at Jerome Park commenced on Wednesday...The Belmont stakes were won…
THE GREENSBORO PATRIOT, N.C., Oct. 19, 1871
* Ku Klux Klan - KKK outrages
* South Carolina brutality
* President Ulysses S. Grant
* Declares martial law in the state
The top of page 2 has a one column heading: "Martial Law" (see images)
complete with 4 pages, nice condition.
Background:In October 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant took decisive action against the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina by declaring martial law in several counties plagued by widespread violence and…
HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York Nov. 25, 1865
* Brooklyn Atlantics
* Baseball's 1st champions
Over half a page is taken up with portraits of the nine members of the Atlantic Baseball Club of Brooklyn with embellishments titled "'Champion Nine' Of The Atlantic Base-Ball Club Of Brooklyn, L. I., 1865" and an article headed: "The Atlantic Base-Ball Club".
The ball players are wearing uniforms. Some of the players include Start, Pratt, Pearce, and Crane.
Various other post-Civil War prints…
THE WORLD, April 26, 1869
* Novelist Charles Dickens
* Honorary banquet w/ speech
* Last year of his life
The front page has an article headed: "Charles Dickens" "Banquet in Liverpool--Mr. Hutchinson's Speech" (see images)
Complete with 8 pages, a little irregular along the spine, nice condition.
DESERET EVENING NEWS, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, July 9, 1874
* Mormons - Mormons - LDS
* Secular vs. Ecclesiastical Authority
* Targeting the "School of the Prophets"
Page 2 has nearly two columns taken up with the details report of a Utah Supreme Court case concerning wives testifying as witnesses against their husbands.
The report is headed "Supreme Court Decision" "Wives as Witnesses" being the case of Edward Friel vs. Lyman Wood.
The front page has a lengthy, illustrated advertisement for…
* Creation of the National League
* Major League Baseball - MLB
On page 2 under "Base-Ball" is a report about a meeting held in New York resulting in the establishment of the National League. It begins: "A meeting of the managers of all the professional base-ball organizations in the country, excepting the Philadelphia Club, was held at the Grand Central Hotel on Wednesday, Feb. 2...".
The report continues mentioning the passage of a
DESERET EVENING NEWS, Salt Lake City, Utah, July 7, 1874
* "Montgomery Queen's Circus" advertisment
* Child performer "Little Mollie Brown"
* ‘The only Female Somersault Rider in the World’
* Girl horseback circus performer (14 years old)
The front page has a 13 1/2 x 4 inch graphic advertisement for upcoming performances of "Montgomery Queen's Circus" with featured acts that include two talented equestrian riders "Little Mollie Brown" and "Frank Berry" (see images) Little Mollie…
THE NEW YORK HERALD, April 11, 1869
* Gold Hill, Storey County, Nevada
* Comstock Lode - Virginia City
* Yellow Jacket Mine fire disaster
Page 7 has an article headed: "The Disaster In Nevada" and more. (see images)
Complete with 16 pages, nice condition.
background: In April of 1869, a devastating fire erupted in the Yellow Jacket Mine at Gold Hill, Nevada, part of the Comstock Lode. The blaze, likely ignited by a left-burning candle box, quickly spread through the interconnected…
THE NEW YORK HERALD, February 12, 1874
* Chang and Eng Bunker autopsy
* re. Siamese Twins death - embalming
The top of page 7 has a one column heading: "CHANG AND ENG" with subheads. (see images)
Complete with all 12 pages, nice condition.
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 news articles and ads. The back page has a full column: "Letter From Col. Hodge - Description of the Country About San Carlos and on the Way to Camp Apache".
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed, some minor margin tears, good condition.
Item from last month's catalog - #367 - released for June, 2026
THE DAILY TELEGRAM, Washington, D.C., March 20, 1877
* 1876 contentious presidential election
* President Rutherford B. Hayes victory
The front page has a dramatic report on the contentious 1876 election involving Hayes vs. Tilden.
Hayes won; however, it was one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history. Its resolution involved negotiations between the Republicans and Democrats, resulting in the Compromise of 1877, and on March 2, 1877, the counting of…
DER LUTHERANER, St. Louis, March 1, 1867 (in unusually good condition)
* Rare publication in the German language
* Nice decorative masthead for display
An unusual German-language newspaper. In the mid-19th century a flood of immigrants from Europe poured into the United States, Germans being the largest ethnic group at the time. Like many immigrants, the Germans wanted to preserve their language and newspapers in their native language. In 1840 there were 40 German-language newspapers in…
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, Sept. 25, 1873
* P.T. Phineas Barnum ad
The photo shows the nice page five, 2 1/2" by 12" ad for " P. T. Barnum's Great Traveling Museum Menagerie", which includes a portrait of Mr. Barnum and various details about the attractions and performances. The ad takes two-thirds of the column.
Eight pages, good condition.
Background: In the late summer and early autumn of 1873, P. T. Barnum’s enormous traveling spectacle — officially promoted as P. T. Barnum’s Great…
THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, England, Aug. 15, 1874 Formatted very much like Harper's Weekly with many nice prints, the prime feature of this issue is the very nice full page print titled: "The Americans Playing Baseball at Prince's Ground". The engraving shows the entire field with all defensive players plus a batter and a runner on first base.
On a preceding page is a nice article taking over half a column headed: "The Game Of Baseball" which relates to the engraving of the game played in…
* Fall of Richmond, Virginia
* Final nail in the coffin ?
* Civil War nearing the end
First column heads on the front page report the fall of Richmond: "GRANT" "Richmond Ours" "Weitzel Entered the Rebel Capital Yesterday Morning" "Many Guns Captured" "Our Troops Received with Enthusiasm" "The City On Fire" "Petersburg Evacuated" "Lee and His Army in Full Flight" "Grant In Pursuit to Cut off His Retreat" "Interesting Details of the Fighting on
THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 16, 1873
* Bloody Benders arrested ? (false)
* Cherry Vale, Kansas murderers
* Corpses discovered recently
The bottom of front page has a very brief and somewhat discrete article with tiny heading: "Reported Capture of the Bender Family" (see image)
Complete with 8 pages, a little irregular along the spine, nice condition.
background: The Bloody Benders, a family of four—John Bender Sr., Elvira (Kate Sr./Almira), John Jr., and Kate Jr.—operated a deadly…
JUNIATA SENTINEL, Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1865
* re. Abraham Lincoln assassination
* Funeral train on tour towards Springfield
* Closing event of the American Civil War
The front page is mostly with a lengthy & detailed report: "A Vist To Richmond - What was Seen & Learned There" with subheads: "The Captured City" "General H. White's Interview with apt. Dick Turner at Libby Prison" "John Breckenridge One of the Incendiaries".
Inide has: " The Murdered Remains of the Prince of…
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