August 31, 1809 : Michigans First Newspaper Michigan’s first newspaper appeared two hundred years ago. The first – and possibly only – issue of The Michigan Essay; or, the Impartial Observer was printed on August 31, 1809. James M. Miller published this four-page paper, printing it on the press of Father Gabriel Richard. “A Shaky Start and a Short Life…” The paper promised to publish a new issue every Thursday. There is no evidence, however, that volume 1, no. 2 was ever printed. A shaky start and a short life were common for pioneer papers. In those days, the only thing harder to come by than a steady supply of newsprint was a good supply of paying subscribers. The Michigan Essay set its subscription for Detroit residents at five dollars per year, payable half-yearly in advance. For more distant subscribers, the price was reduced to four dollars per year. Source : Kevin Driedger, Library of Michigan, Journalism on the Frontier, Seeking Michigan, August 25, 2009 seekingmichigan.org/look/2009/08/25/journalism-on-the-frontier
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 08:34:19 +0000
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