The Jamesburg Record (Jamesburg, N.J.)
Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.
1,013 issues from 1882 to 1904, published in Jamesburg, New Jersey, digitised for Chronicling America.
The Jamesburg Record was a four-page, seven column weekly newspaper published on Saturday by Edward S. Hammell from 1882 until 1904. Its politics were independent.
Located in Middlesex County, N.J., the town had several names prior to becoming known as Jamesburg. It came to be named after James Buckelew, a local resident and mill owner who, in 1845, became incensed that the local school would not admit a Black boy who lived with him. Buckelew built his own schoolhouse where all were welcome. The story goes that Buckelew’s friends suggested he allow a cornerstone marked “James B.” be placed on the building and soon afterward the settlement became known as Jamesburg.
By 1882, when Hammell launched the Jamesburg Record, Jamesburg, N.J. had a population of 681. It was the town’s first newspaper, and Hammell relocated from Burlington County, N.J. to Jamesburg purposely to establish a newspaper. In his first column on May 2, Hammell talks about the great potential of Jamesburg, extolling its position between New York City and Philadelphia, “Your churches well attended; your schools well conducted; your fertile farmlands constantly improving; your bank admirably managed; your location healthy ….” Hammell says that the paper will be independent of party, despite the manager’s strong political feelings.
The first page of the newspaper consisted of advertising, poetry, a column called “wittylings,” general interest news, and advice. The second page was reserved for happenings in…
- Genres
- News
- Published in
- Jamesburg, New Jersey, United States
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Chronicling America
- Licence or status
- None stated by the archive
- Rights
- The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety.
- Credit
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities
- Who can read it
- Teens profiles and older (placed by Invisible Network from what the archive says; archives give no ratings)
- Archive
- Library of Congress