The "Newspapers From The Past" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching the files of LancasterOnline, reading newspapers from the 1800s.  Since Lancaster Newspapers inventoried and digitized all their newspapers dating back to the late 1700s, I have enjoyed reading the news from different periods in the history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Since I am a subscriber to the print edition of the daily newspaper, I also have the chance to check out the digital issues each day.  And...the digital newspaper is updated several times a day which gives me up-to-date history of my community.  I also have the chance to search their archives which is very interesting.  Looking up relatives from the past, athletic teams I may have played on as a child and young boy and events that influenced myself and the city since the late 1700s.  The original newspapers were mostly 4 pages in length which were set in metal type, by hand, and printed on the Ben Franklin press that is on display in their museum.  

Lancaster Intelligencer from April 11, 1837.  Click on images to enlarge them.

Today I picked out a few dates and began reading some of the news and stories on life in 1837 and 1888.  The story from Tuesday, April 11, 1837 came from the 4-page Lancaster Intelligencer which had an Old English masthead.  A 6-column newspaper which looked to be perhaps 10 point type in order to accommodate the 6 columns.  A bit hard to read, but that may have been because the original paper that they digitized was very light in color due to the ink getting lighter over age.  One of the stories I found on the back page was titled "Man and Wife". I have posted it below so you can attempt to read it for yourself.  A rather unusual story that told about life in Lancaster in 1837.  I really had a hard time believing that it was a real story, but as I searched the rest of the paper, it seems that all the stories were fact and not fiction.  Read for yourself the story which is rather hard to read due to the printing being rather worn.  Remember to click on image to enlarge it.

Story titled MAN AND WIFE

The second newspaper I explored was the Lancaster Intelligencer from Friday, June 15, 1888.  The paper had one more column than the first one I read, but seemed to be easier to read since the type was darker.  Still seemed to be in 10 point type, but it may have been 12 point.  The paper cost 2 cents and had news, advertisements and stories in it much like the other paper I read.  I chose a story from the back page to share with you that was titled, "The Bones Should Be interred".  It is about a new candy factory being built over the site of an old cemetery and finding the human remains of those buried in the graveyard. 

The Lancaster Intelligencer with its logo. 

Read it and see what they did!  Both newspapers had very interesting news articles, but it was the stories that seemed to be a bit more than just news that made reading it much more interesting.  Do we have articles in our newspapers today such as these?  I don't think so unless you live in an area where you get a newspaper only every week or so.  I also realize that many readers don't have the chance to subscribe to a newspaper, and for you...I am truly sorry that you don't have the chance to explore your town and surrounding area by reading about it.  Too many newspapers are finding it not profitable to print a paper anymore and are closing.  So sad to see the history of a city or town not being documented for the sake of history.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.