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The Rochester Courier Collection
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Rochester Courier was first published by J. Frank Place as a weekly newspaper published only on Fridays nights, beginning on January 22, 1864. He distributed a prospectus, tried to get as many sponsors as he could, sold advertising space, and also printed business cards. Place was not interested in local news, and he only published the paper for a little over three years. On May 31, 1867, he sold the Courier and the printing office to Gen. C. Foster, who in turn sold half the business to Charles W. Folsom. On October 1, 1868, Folsom bought out his partner's interest in the newspaper, and he continued to publish it for the next eighteen years. Folsom was interested in publishing local as well as national news, and tried to keep his readers up to date with what was happening in the rest of the country. At that time, the subject of utmost importance was the abolition of slavery, followed by prohibition and temperance.
The collection consists of manuscript speeches, articles, editorials, and correspondence related to The Rochester Courier, a weekly newspaper first published on January 22, 1864, in Rochester, New Hampshire, by J. Frank Place. The topics deal mainly with the antislavery movement, the Missouri Compromise, temperance, and other national issues which dominated American political life leading up to and following the Civil War. Included is a notebook journal outlining the history of the Courier, its mission, political views, physical setup, and its owners, and providing a profile of Charles Folsom, proprietor after October 1, 1868; its last page gives a summary of existing newspapers in Rochester in 1872 and of the progress of the Sons of Temperance of North America.
There are several speeches addressed to "Mr. President," including a four-page speech by a "Paddy A. Rafferty" delivered at the "Grand Rally of the Democrats of Rochester" and another about freedom, slavery, and the Missouri Compromise. There is an editorial that cites Thomas Jefferson about the abolition of slavery laws and denounces the Democratic Party for wavering on slavery issues. In a one-page manuscript titled "No Hand Lost" the writer declares that Abraham Lincoln is a good candidate for the presidency. Another article relates the beginning of the American Civil War with an armed raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in May 1856. There is a "Fourth of July speech" written on Congressional letterhead stationery criticizing the presidency and mentioning "Miss Columby", a character featured in the "Lincoln cartoons."
Temperance-related material includes a speech about temperance written on "Harrison Mills" notepaper, a list of names of members of a temperance lodge, "An Appeal" by the Women's Christian Temperance Union regarding liquor, and a two-page editorial written and signed by Charles Folsom. Other material includes a notebook containing drafts of editorials, articles, poems, and correspondence; a list of items to be donated; a program for a "Grand Concert On Behalf of Sailors Orphans," dated April 21, 1900; two drafts of an article titled "Walking with God" or "Closer to God"; an editorial about summer, dated June 25, 1873; an eight-page editorial about "Romance"; and a receipt for $1000 signed by A. M. Nason, dated February 16, 1876, and with The Rochester Courier letterhead..
The folders are arranged alphabetically by title or subject in one series.
Gift of Bruce C. Willsie, Princeton Class of 1986, on November 26, 2007.
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
The material was in an original morocco and marbled boards salesman display portfolio for advertisements that were sold by the newspaper. This one being for business cards as indicated by the label.
This collection was processed by Dina Britain on January 15, 2008. Finding aid written by Dina Britain on January 22, 2008.
No appraisal information is available.
People
Organization
Subject
- Abolitionists -- United States -- 19th century
- Antislavery movements -- United States -- 19th century
- Newspapers -- New Hampshire -- Rochester -- 19th century
- Publishers and publishing -- New Hampshire -- Rochester -- 19th century
- Temperance -- United States -- Societies, etc. -- 19th century
- Fourth of July orations -- 19th century
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Dina Britain
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
No apparent arrangement scheme.
This first series contains items about the Rochester Courier such as the portfolio that was used to sell advertising to the sponsors, and the journal which contains its history. Due to lack of dates on most of the material, the folders are arranged by subject matter.
Physical Description1 box
Original morocco and marbled boards salesman display portfolio for advertisements that were sold by the Courier which also includes stock numbers and prices. This one being for business cards as indicated by the label.
Physical Description1 folder
A letter sent to Folsom who was the editor of the Courier at the time by a reader.
Physical Description1 folder
A diary or journal written in pencil by an unknown hand relating the history of the Courier starting with its first publisher in 1864; 24 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
An editorial about summer; 3pp.
Physical Description1 folder
A receipt written on the Courier letterhead for $1000 signed by A. Nason.
Physical Description1 folder
No apparent arrangement scheme.
Consists of several speeches and editorials or essays regarding slavery, justice and freedom, which may have been published in the Courier.
Physical Description1 box
An editorial regarding the Constitution, human rights, and the Declaration of Independence, which also mentions the Civil War and Garibaldi. It is unsigned and undated, but probably from the 1860s; 4pp.
Physical Description1 folder
Speech regarding the Democratic Party and its embracing slavery, the American Constitution, Washington and Jefferson, Constitutional Convention, the Fugitive Slave Law, and the Nebraska bills allowing slavery; unsigned.
Physical Description1 folder
Part of an editorial about freedom, the early stages of the Civil War and the raid on Lawrence, Kansas in 1856, the Democrats, President James Buchanan, the Lecompton Constitution and Stephen A. Douglas; unsigned, 4pp.
Physical Description1 folder
A speech given by the Hon. Paddy A. Rafferty, an Irishman, delivered at the "Grand Rally of the Democrats of Rochester" regarding freedom and slavery; 4pp.
Physical Description1 folder
A speech or editorial about slavery and suffrage also mentioning President Buchanan and his successor; two pages, with half of the third page missing.
Physical Description1 folder
An editorial criticizing the Democratic Party claiming that it has had four different doctrines regarding the issue of slavery. It also mentions the Missouri Compromise, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Kickapoo Indians of Kansas; 10pp.
Physical Description1 folder
A one-page article about founding a candidate in "honest ole Abe" in which the writer continues his praise of Abraham Lincoln as a candidate for the presidency. The page is incomplete at the bottom; unsigned.
Physical Description1 folder
A speech about slavery and the eternal rights of man, The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Democratic Party's position regarding slaves, justice and liberty. The speech consists of 9pp. However, pages 4 and 5 and stuck together and are unreadable; unsigned.
Physical Description1 folder
A short editorial about slavery, unsigned.
Physical Description1 folder
A speech given on the fourth of July by an unknown person in Maine? about the states of the Union, and about liberty and justice. The writer refers to "Miss Columby" which was a character used in the Abraham Lincoln cartoons, and writes about Hannah Cook,
Physical Description1 folder
No apparent arrangement scheme.
Consists of speeches, editorials or essays about temperance and Prohibition which was a very important issue of that period which led to the rise of many temperance societies in the United States and all over the world.
Physical Description1 box
Drafts of several editorials, essays and poems for the Courier that deal with temperance. They include a poem titled "Bygone Days" by E. F. Locke, letters addressed to "My Dear Jack Knife", and a story about "Mother Cassey's chickens".
Physical Description2 folders
Short stories on temperance in different subjects such as romance and marriage; 8pp.
Physical Description1 folder
An editorial about temperance mentioning a temperance lodge.
Physical Description1 folder
A letter or an editorial on intemperance" and how temperance is to be found in the moral town of Rochester. It is written on Harrison Mills embossed paper; unsigned, 4pp.
Physical Description1 folder
An essay on temptation which is unsigned and undated;; 3pp.
Physical Description1 folder
A story on temperance which the author uses to bring forth his message in place of a speech. The paper is embossed with a logo which might be of the lodge; 12pp.
Physical Description1 folder
An editorial about temperance written and signed by Folsom; 4pp.
Physical Description1 folder
Written by the Women's Christian Temperance Union to the church regarding liquor and its destructive influence on families; 3pp.
Physical Description1 folder
An editorial of the Women's Christian Temperance Unionabout observing the hour of prayer by using stories as examples; written in ink, 12pp.
Physical Description1 folder
The same essay as the previous one, but written in pencil and bares a different title; 6pp.
Physical Description1 folder
This is a poem written in ink which starts by listing the names of members of a temperance lodge, with additions written on small pieces of paper that are sewed to the paper. The list mentions the name of Mr. McDuffees who was an owner of the Rochester Courier
Physical Description1 folder
A program for a concert organized to collect money for the orphaned children of sailors of the S. S. Sardinian by the Chairman Dr. Georgeson; 1p.
Physical Description1 folder
A list of items given to the author of the list to try and collect on behalf of the "Philanthropic Dept." On the verso of the last page is a written "Report of the Phil. Club work for winter 1892-1893 given before the Club, April 16, 1903."
Physical Description1 folder