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The Albuquerque Journal
Ever wonder what life was like in old New Mexico? Or do you have ancestors from that area? Check out the Albuquerque Journal on Newspapers.com, with issues dating back to 1882.
The Albuquerque Journal’s history began in 1880, when the death of the publisher of a paper called the Golden Gate left Albuquerque without a daily paper, creating an opening for the launch of an evening paper called the Albuquerque Daily Journal. The paper (renamed the Albuquerque Morning Journal) became a morning daily in 1882, and it is actually from this date, rather than 1880, that the paper calculated its centennial celebrations held in 1982.
In 1887, the Morning Journal was absorbed by the Albuquerque Daily Democrat, but in 1899 the combined paper was renamed the Albuquerque Journal-Democrat. It claimed to be the only New Mexico paper at the time that published the full afternoon and night Associated Press dispatches. In 1903, the name changed once again—this time reverting to the title of Albuquerque Morning Journal. It was a self-proclaimed Republican paper, though it would later shed its party affiliation and become politically independent. The paper finally landed on the title it has today—the Albuquerque Journal—in 1926, the same year it merged with the Evening Herald.
In 1933, then-publisher of the Albuquerque Journal Thomas Pepperday changed the newspaper industry when he created the nation’s first joint operating agreement by combining the business operations of two papers (the Journal and the Albuquerque Tribune) but keeping their editorial staff separate. Other cities later followed suit and adopted this model, sometimes called the “Albuquerque Plan,” which allows cities to support two daily papers when they otherwise could only support one.
Throughout its history, the Albuquerque Journal has covered local, state, national, and international news. Today, it is New Mexico’s oldest and largest paper, with circulation throughout the state, as well as into parts of Texas, Colorado, and Arizona.
Get started searching or browsing the Albuquerque Journal on Newspapers.com!
* With a Newspapers.com Basic subscription, you can view issues of the Journal from 1882 to 1977; or, with a Publisher Extra subscription, access those early years as well as issues between 1978 and 2017.
The Banner Yet Waves
Today in 1814, Francis Scott Key memorializes the experience of watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British forces during the War of 1812.
The sight of the lone United States flag still waving over the fort the following morning inspired Key, who later wrote theses lines which, paired with song, eventually became the U.S. national anthem.
Find more on Francis Scott Key and the “Star-Spangled Banner” with a search on Newspapers.com.
Patriot Day, National Day of Service and Remembrance
On September 11, 2001, 2,997 people were killed and thousands more injured in a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks that at once shocked and unified the United States and the world.
On September 11, 2002, the first official Patriot Day was celebrated in the U.S. to remember those who perished in the attacks.
On September 11, 2009, the first official National Day of Service and Remembrance was observed to encourage the nation to volunteer and unite together. It has since become the largest day of charitable service in the U.S. anually.
Find more on the observance of this national day of service with a search on Newspapers.com, and be sure to keep a look out for volunteer opportunities near you!
Death of President Garfield: September 19, 1881
On the night of September 19, 1881, President James A. Garfield died in New Jersey, largely due to infection that set in after he was shot in the back by an assassin more than two months prior.
A former Civil War general and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Garfield wasn’t even one of the candidates for nominee when he attended the 1880 Republican presidential convention. Instead, there were initially three other contenders: former president Ulysses S. Grant, Senator James G. Blaine, and Treasury Secretary John Sherman. However, due to fierce divisions within the party, Republicans were unable to come to consensus on a nominee.
Finally, after more than 30 ballots without a winner, Garfield’s name was suggested. Garfield was acceptable to all the various factions within the Republican Party and quickly won the nomination. In the general election later that year, he beat the Democratic nominee by a comfortable margin in the Electoral College, though his popular vote win was much more narrow.
Garfield took office as president in March 1881, but he did not have time to accomplish much. On July 2, just four months after his inauguration, Garfield was at a train station in Washington DC, when he was shot in the arm and back from close range by Charles A. Guiteau. Guiteau—who believed that it was God’s will that he kill Garfield to save the Republican Party—was apprehended at the scene and willingly admitted to shooting the president. He would be executed a year later.
The wounded Garfield was taken to the White House, where over the next two months he got worse and worse as he developed a serious infection in his back wound, likely due to the unsanitary treatment of his wound by his doctors. The public closely followed newspaper reports of his health, though Garfield’s doctors sugarcoated their accounts of his condition.
Finally, in September, Garfield was moved to New Jersey in hopes that the seaside air would improve his health. But the infection was too severe, and on the night of September 19, Garfield passed away in great pain at the age of 49. He was succeeded by his vice president, Chester A. Arthur, and would go down in history as the president with the second-shortest time in office (following William Henry Harrison, who served just 31 days).
Learn more about the shooting of President Garfield on Newspapers.com.
Discovering the Titanic
On this day in 1985, the famous and much sought out wreck of the RMS Titanic was found miles beneath the ocean’s surface, 73 years after its sinking. The expedition, headed by Dr. Robert Ballard, used experimental technology in the form of an unmanned submersible that scanned the ocean floor until it passed over the Titanic’s boilers, and the rest is history.
Find more articles and headlines from the discovery of the Titanic wreck with a search on Newspapers.com.
The Wizard of Oz Released Today in 1939
A look back at The Wizard of Oz, released in theaters on this day in 1939:
Find more on The Wizard of Oz and reactions to its release with a search on Newspapers.com.
Newport News Daily Press
Do you have ancestors from the Tidewater region of Virginia, or are you interested in the area’s history? Check out the Newport News Daily Press on Newspapers.com, with issues dating back to 1898*!
When the Daily Press began publication in 1896, Newport News was in the middle of making the transition from rural town to urban city. Fifteen years earlier, a railway had been built to allow coal to be shipped from the town’s port, and a few years after that, an influential dry dock and shipyard had opened on the waterfront—both of which led to an economic boom for Newport News.
The Newport News Daily Press started out as a four-page paper, sold for a penny a copy. The owner and first editor was Charles E. Thacker, who ran the paper for about 14 years. The Daily Press eventually became the primary daily morning paper of the Virginia Peninsula. In 1913, the new owners of the Daily Press also bought the Times-Herald (the area’s main afternoon paper), and the two papers were jointly owned but separately operated for many years (until 1991, when the Times-Herald ceased publication).
In 1930, the two papers were bought by William E. Rouse, and they stayed in the family for more than 55 years. From 1958 to 1973, the Daily Press was published in a 9-column format, making it the widest in the state. In 1986, the papers were finally sold to the Tribune Company (now Tronc, Inc., which continues to own the Daily Press). The Daily Press is today the main paper of the lower and middle peninsulas in Virginia.
If you’re looking for your ancestors in the Daily Press, a good place to look—as in many papers—is the society and personal columns. Over the years, as the Newport News got bigger and the paper got longer, so did the society column, which eventually evolved into a society section multiple pages long. Society news is wonderful for finding anecdotal information about your ancestors, such as whose card party they attended, where they traveled, whose funeral they attended, when they got sick or went to the hospital, where they went to school, and so on.
If you love old comics, the Daily Press is a great place to find them, as it expanded its Sunday comics section to 16 pages starting in February 1935.
Get started searching or browsing the Newport News Daily Press on Newspapers.com!
* With a Newspapers.com Basic subscription, you can view issues of the “Daily Press” from 1898 to 1922; or, with a Publisher Extra subscription, access those early years as well as issues between 1923 and 2017.
Solar Eclipse – 100 years ago
Solar eclipses are remarkable natural phenomenons that reliably send humanity’s gaze skyward. The upcoming solar eclipse is particularly exciting, with the phrase “100 years” getting thrown around a lot. It’s not because this is the first solar eclipse to happen in 100 years—far from it. But it is the first solar eclipse in nearly 100 years to cross over the width of the United States, making it possible for millions to witness totality from within the arching pathway. The last time that happened, it was June 1918.
Traveling to the path of totality was just as expected then as it is now—and automobiles have definitely been in use for a while these days.
With any luck, good weather will allow clear observation of this century’s sequel to 1918’s eclipse, with all its similarities and differences.
Safe travels to those making their way to the path of totality! Find more on the 1918 eclipse and reactions to it with a search on Newspapers.com.
Find: Vintage Jell-O Recipes
While many of us probably associate Jell-O most closely with the 1950s and ’60s, this gelatin dessert has actually been around since 1897. Recipes using Jell-O started appearing in newspapers not long after, which means there are roughly 120 years’ worth of Jell-O recipes out there! If you love Jell-O, Newspapers.com is a great place to discover vintage Jell-O recipes from decades past.
Some early Jell-O recipes include:
- Wine Jelly (1903)
- Jell-O with Tapioca (1903)
- Banana Cream (1903)
The number of Jell-O dessert recipes out there is truly astounding. Have you tried any of these?
- Apple Snow Jell-O (1928)
- Molded Stuffed Prunes (1956)
- Crested Jell-O Whip (1949)
- Sparkling Jell-O (1931)
- Lemon Jell-O Cake (1970)
- Strawberry Springtime Surprise (1929)
- Lemon Jell-O Salad (1964)
Or have you ever tried a savory Jell-O recipe?
- Salmon Mold (1948)
- Piquant Ham Mold (1944)
- Ham and Celery Loaf (1931)
- Jellied Pineapple Relish Salad (1930)
- Tart Tomato Salad (1930)
On Newspapers.com, you can also find tips and trivia about Jell-O, see some of the earliest Jell-O newspaper ads, and read about the Jell-O recipe a Kansas minister claimed was sure to make the fish bite.
Share your favorite Jell-O memories with us in the comments! Then get started searching for Jell-O recipes on Newspapers.com, or look for other recipes that interest you.