OC TOb E-R
History of Newspapers In Groton
1800-1875
Thursday, October 15, 1964
The following account on the Massachusetts, were greatly depen
history of newspapers in the town dent on the newspaper as a means
of Groton has been prepared by a of media. Without the newspape
r
former Lawrence Academy stud- the local people had little or n
ent.-Editor.
knowledge of the world about
them since books and magazines
Before the invention of the tele- were very few. Also, the news-i
phone, telegraph, radio and tele- paper represented civic .imporvision, small towns, as Groton, tance, because it was an important
£HE PtBLLiC SPIR'JL
commercial mstrument for all the
businessmen
However, even with the essential need of small town newspapers, good journals were scarce.
Laborious, sometimes impossible
printing processes, lack of experienced workers, and small financial backing often led to the
bankruptcy of many small newsless, kept trying and their perserverence led to the great industry
of journalism.
This report will deal with the
newspapers of Groton during the
period of 1800 to 1875.
Bruce Miller
Groton Junction, Shirley, Harvard,
SLittleton and the surrounding
Around the 1850's a newsheet area marriages, deaths, special noproved to be an effective means of tices, and "wanteds," the third and
for political cam- fourth pages were completely fillpropaganda
paigns. Groton was not without ed with advertisements of the local
these newspapers. On July 26. craftsmen.
1848 a newspaper, The Spirit of
The editorials in the Railroad
the Times, aupeared in Groton. Mercury took the form of sermons,
The Simrit of fhe Times advocated Dissertations were presented on
General Zachary Taylor to the profanity, economy in the fampresidency.
Twelve issues were ' ily and gluttony.
printed the last being dated De-.
Since the Railroad Mercury was
cember 30, 1848. (General Taylor edited during the period of the
later became the twelfth president American Civil War, it naturally
of
the
United States.
Later, upheld Union views dogmatically,
three issues .of a journal, "Give. sometimes vehemently. For exam'em Jessie," were printed in Gro- ple:
ton by the former postmaster,
"A Northern toast - J. Davis George Henry Brown.
This poli- may he be made to see stars and
tical medium, first edited August feel stripes.
25. 1856 and ended November 1,:
"Best beverage for southern
1856, supported General Fremont ltraitors-shells."
whose wife's name was Jessie.
As for the miscellaneous items,
often there appeared one or two
Groton Mercury
sentence ditties known as fillers'
The next venture into the field in order to take up space. Never
of journalism in the town of Gro- was a filler more evident than
This this line printed in the Thursday,
ton came in June, 1851.
newspaper, incorporated in Gro- September 22, 1659, edition. It
ton under the name of the Groton stated in an unsubtle manner,
Mercury, later moved to then Gro "This line is put here to fill this
ton Junction (now Ayer, Massa- space."
Other interesting articles in the
chusetts) where it went under the
..
Railroad Mercury were: Harpers
titles of the Railroad Mercury and Magazine for May ,has been reBorwn's
Railroad
Mercury. ceived from A. Williams & Co.,
These three combined papers last- Book through Lewis Bookstore.
ed a little over two years, the The illustrated articles are, "Longlast issue being dated June 27, ing in the Footprints of the Pion1853.
eers," "Ancient Monuments in the
United States." Anthony Trollope,
Railroad Mercury
Rev. W. S. Plummer, R. H. StotW. M. Thackeray are among
tard,
later
years
six
Approximately
S
Editor'sLif
Lowell Weekly because of
anohroxesp a
er
contributors. It is sufficient to
the
Editor's Life
new newspaper apeared know that Harper's is appreciated
threat of bankruptcy.
The Gro-A another
also
.theheading of th Ral- by its circulation. about 180,000
During his brief life James Fer ton Herald served the townspeople road under
o
G
The new enterMercury.
:
guson Rogers kept an intensiv with a first rate printing shop prise got its name because it was
Girls Thert are two kinds of
diary.
In this passage he give which was greatly utilized as ev- located in the railroad town of girls. One is best that appears the
Iviid picture of his life in Gro idened by the multitudes of i~d Groton Junction. Under the dir- kind abroad, the girls that are
ntas
n
an editor:
vertisements found in each issue. ection of editor George Henry good for parties, rides, visits, balls,
'adito.
oThere
was very little local news,
and whose chief delight is in
the weekly lasted two et
The winter of 1829 found m but certain interestirig articles as Brown,
the Editor of a paper in the tow the thirteen Chapters of Butler's years from September 15, 1859to such things. The other isthe kind
home ..
that appears the best at
modify
will
education
of Groton, Massachusetts. Here, al. History of Groton, were publish September 26,of 1861.
right.
The
modify
twill
education
right
Th
MerRailroad
the
issues
All
though a mere boy, I placed my ed.
t e t h e r g o od
and u
h tt l
b o th
one.
in
qualities
Science,
Art,
of
"A
Journal
cury,
on e
es
self in a responsible situation. Bu
Chronologicall
Litera
I_was cheered on by the success o
Chronologically the next "news- Mechanics, Agriculture,
Joke-Railroad Passenger and
/my writing, and, so far as I hav papers publishedin the town o Gture and General Intelligence,
knowledge, gave g neral satis- Groton had rather brief existences. adhered to a very similar pattern. Small Boy.
A
four-page, five-column paper,
Passenger: What did the car stop
faction to my readers. Involve The Groton Post and Business Adin all the difficulties which atten vertiser was edited for, thd first, the first page would be concerned for?
the life of an editor, I pressed for and last time iii June, 18 . ' A with poetry and miscellaneous ar- Boy: Totake on water.
Passenger: What is that?
ward and got through wonderfull similar, one-edition newspaper, ticles ranging from agriculture to
Here I was obliged alternately t The Golden Rule, was publishled in zoology; the second page with ani
Boy: I don't know.
editorial, local news from Groton, *
May, 1846.
Passenger: What do you know? !
Political Newspapers
First Paper 1829
Tbe poet, politician, novelist, and
everything eles that is required in
Although the art of journalism a country paper. Wrote verses for
was well established, the firstl the ladies-praised the crops for
newspaper was not started in Gro- the farmers-looked grave with
ton until 18 29 . This pioneer paper the parson and cunning with the
of the town, The Groton Herald, lawyer; and in fact did everything
was founded by George Whitte- which a country editor is always
more Stacy and James Fergusol dbliged to do, even unto folding
Rogers.
Mr. Stacy was' born il and carrying papers, sticking type,
Boston, March '13, 1:809. He learn. and working at press, and in short
ed his trade as a printer at Dut becoming a perfect Caleb-Quotum
ton and Wentworth of Boston in real life.
After he came to Groton, he mar
"Before the first year had elapsried a local womanand later be
came a minister. George Whitte. ed, the income of the concern bemore Stacy, as senior member o ing small, and not relishing the
the firm of Stacy and Rogers, wa manner of the majority of the
an outspoken advocate of tern. peole, I resolved to relinquish the
'pearance. An early abolitionis, hd publication and try my fortune
Iwas always ready to express de, elsewhere. Accordingly I disposed
cided views on all puiblic affairs of the establishment, and again
The jun took up my residence in Boston.
Mr. Stacy died in 1,890.
ior member of the firm, James But it was not without some
Ferguson Rogers, was born in New. gloomy feelings that I left Groton.
buryport, June 6, 1810. He servec It is a beautiful spot, and I have
his apprenticeship under the dir left many warm friends and a great
ection of Ephriam Allen, publish. many cold and indifferent acquainer of the Newburyport Herald tances. But I am convinced that a
As editor of the Groton Herald person, who is born and bred in
Mr. Rogers contributed many in cities, can never gain popularity
teresting articles il Laden witt among the great body of our countalent, he aspired to be a writer try people.
poet.
Many of his works wer
Groton Herald
published in well-known presse
of the day as The New York Mir. As for the Groton Herald, a
ror, The Philadelphia Album, Th( newspaper "devoted to News Lit'Philadelphia Gazette, L-die's Mag- erature, Morality,
Agriculture, Polainpe, American ,-Moithly Maga itics, Arts, Sciences etc." it was
zine, Literary Magqzine and Essay was first edited on December
5,
ist.
Unfortunately fate tru 182,9, next to the post office
-erly
and the promnising Jamie, Published every Saturday, the
ierguson Rogers died of choler paper lasted until September 4,
*in July, 1832, at the age of 22.
1830, when it merged with the
:1