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Early from 1880 Salinas, California...
Early from 1880 Salinas, California...
Item # 722563
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October 02, 1880
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 Francisco. Very typical of newspapers from the era with a nice mix of news of the day and advertisements, some illustrated.
Gregory's 'Union List of American Newspapers' notes only 3 institutions have any holdings of this title.
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed, news agent's stamp in an upper corner, some minor tears, a few discrete archival mends at margins, nice condition.
background: In 1880, the Monterey Democrat served as the authoritative, albeit fiercely partisan, voice for the agricultural community of Salinas City under the editorship of J.W. Leigh. Published every Saturday, the four-page broadsheet was deeply embedded in the political fervor of a presidential election year, championing the Democratic ticket of Winfield Scott Hancock while frequently clashing with its local rival, the Salinas City Index. Beyond national politics, the paper acted as a vital economic ledger for the region, documenting the rapid expansion of the Southern Pacific Railroad, fluctuating grain prices, and the burgeoning local business scene that followed the 1872 relocation of the county seat to Salinas. Its columns provided a dense, text-heavy mix of legal notices, livestock advertisements, and localized "frontier" news, offering a granular look at a community transitioning from a rugged ranching outpost into California’s premier agricultural hub.
Category: The Old West
No Longer Available
