Washington telegraph., 1921-02-18
Baltimore Americans Long
Eventful History.
First Issued In i77s, the he"spape'
Has Continued Without a Break
Until the Present Day.

Many people find fascination IN
old newspapers. They like to read
that such and such paper Is the oio-
est in the country, or the first one
published In such and such city.
And when a newspaper changes own
ers. says a writer in the Christian
Science Monitor, It is always sure OF
finding interested readers for the
scraps Of It's own history when II
prints along with the announcement
Of the change. Thus when Frank A.
Munsey's New York Herald, in an
nouncing recently Mr.. Munsey's pur-
chase of the Baltimore American, re-
ferred to the American as "older than
the government of the United States
Itself" and as the second Oldest news
paper in America" many who saw the
item found their thoughts turning
back to the days when newspapers
we're far less common than they are
today. But presumably none were
misled into taking that statement TO
indicate that the American was the
second newspaper established in the
United States. OF course, there were
many before 1t. The Baltimore Amer
lean was first issued on August 70,
1773. It's founder was that William
Goddard who was at the time editor
of the Pennsylvania Chronicle of PHI
adelphia, and who, on the occasion or
n visit TO Baltimore, was urged TO un-
dertake a publication there. The Bal
timore American was not specifically
the paper which Goddard founded In
Baltimore. His first issue there ap-
reared under the title of the Maryland
Journal and Baltimore Advertiser and
continued under that. title until an
other Philadelphan went to Baltimore
and. purchasing the newspapers,
changed its name to the Baltimore
American and Commercial Intelli-
Cencer. Thus the name Baltimore
American first served as the heading
for the newspaper in 1705.
But William Goddard was already a
newspaper man Of demonstrated en-
terprlse and ability, even before his
experience with the Pennsylvania
Chronicle. Apparently he had served
as an editor in New York, and GER
talnly he had had newspaper expert
ence in Providence, Il. l., where he
established the Providence Gazette and
Journal in 1862. Thus Goddard him
self appears to4have had some cohnec-
tion with at least three newspapers
before he ever thought Of the one
which eventually became the Balti-
more American. And journalistic his
tory brings up a number of newspaper
titles which we're antecedent to his
Baltimore foundation. There was the
New England group, of which the
Boston News Letter first appeared on
April "a, 1904, and early found rivals
In the Boston Gazette. initiated De-
cember 21, 1719, and the New England
Courant, appearing on August 7, 1921.
MES, the American Mercury Of Phila-
delphia, began publication on Decem-
her %. 1719. The Pennsylvania Ga
zette, with which Benjamin Franklln's
name was associated, appeared on De-
cember "a 172S Ahead of Goddard
in Maryland, William Parks. who had
been made public printer there, es-
tablished the Maryland Gazette at
Annapolis, on September 10, 1927. But
the Baltimore American gained its
temporary precedence over newspapers
now in existence and claims IFS title
as the second oldest I'm A~r-" for
continuing issues without 'm
the day when Goddard first 9 q
Maryland Journal in 1878.