Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-01-21
ISOLDNEWSPApER
Baltimore Americans Long and
EventfuI History.
First Issued 10 1873. the Newspaper
has Continued Without Break
Until the Present Day,


Many people fini fascination In
old newspapers. 'rheN like "a read
eat Snch and such Il Iapcr is the old
Mf in Tie country. or the first Une
published, In such and such city.
And when newspaper changes 'swn-
erS, says writer IN the Christian
Science Maniior, Il Is always sure ~
flnding Interested readers fer the
scraps Of It's own history which Il
prints along with the announcement
~ the change Thus when Frank A.
Munsey's New York Herald, In aii-
nouneing recently Nj AlunSrN's pur-
chase IL The Raliirnore American, re-
ferrei ia the American a~ Older than
the government ~ the United states
itse'f. aud a. tle second oldest news
paper in America many Mha SAW tbs
item found their Thoughts turning
back 10 the days Wien newspapers
were far less vomntou than they ars
today. Iiut presumably none were
mlSleti Into taking that statement 10
Indicate that fhe American WAS Th~
second newspaper established IN the
United states az course. there Wcrs
many before IL The baltimore Amer
ican was first issued on August 70
l772. HIS founder MAS that William
Goddard Nlla WAS III the time editor
Of the Pennsylyania Chronicle " Fhil.
adelpltia aud WHO, oO the occasion OF
visit In baltimore. Mrs urged 90 nr
tertake a pm lieafian there The Bat
timore American MIS- nta specifically
the paper which Goddard founded In
Baltimore. His iirSl issue there hp
peared under the tile OF the Maryland
Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, and
continued under That little until an
other Ihilatielphian went t0 Baltimore
and purchasing the newspapers.
changed It's name IL the Baltimore
American and Commercial lntelli-
gencer Thus the name BALTIMORE
American FIRST served as he healing
for the newspaper IN 1903
hut William Goddard was already
newspaper man OF demonstrated en-
terprise and ability. even before his
experience with tile Pennsylvania
Chronicle. Apparently he had served
as an editor III New York. and cer-
tainly he had had newspaper expert
ence In Precedence, r. l., where he
established the Providence Gazette aud
Iournal IN lT0.. Thus Goddard him
self appears to have had some connec-
tion with at least three newspapers
before he ever thought OF the one
which eventually became the Ralti-
more American. And journalistic bis
tory brings up a number Of newspaper
titles which Mere antecedent 70 his
baltimore foundation. There was the
New England greup. of which the
Boston NeWs-I.etter first appeared on
April -. l704, aud early found rivals
In The Boston Gazette. initiated De-
cember 81 1910 and the New England
c0urant appearing ,n August z. 1871.
The FIRST newspaper 10 the middle colo-
nitas. the American Mercury OF Phila-
delplIIa, began publication on Deem
her ~, 1910. The Pennsylvania Ca
zette. with which benjamin F'ranklin's
name was aNsnciated appeared on he
carnI,er -. 11oS ahead Of Goddard
IN Maryland. William I'arks. who had
heen made public printer there, ex-
tabllshesi the MARYLAND Gazette at
Annapolis. on Sep'elnher 49, 1927. But
the Baltimore American gained itS
temporary precedence over newspapers
now In existence mud claims Its title
as the second oldest In America for
continuing issues without break from
the day when Goddard first issued the
Maryland Journal Ia 1873.