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November in the Old West

by Jacquie Rogers

I can’t help myself—just keep poring over those old newspapers. There’s no better way that I know of to get the genuine flavor of post-Civil War daily life west of the Mississippi than to read contemporary reports of the day. Of course, we know they printed what sold papers, just as now. Old-time editors weren’t above sensationalizing, or throwing in an editorial comment here and there—and sometimes even made a joke of one of the esteemed residents.

These snippets all come from The Owyhee Avalanche, first established in Ruby City, Idaho Territory, and then moved to Silver City (as did everyone else—they even moved the hotel). They began publishing in 1864 and still have a going concern today, so this is their 150th year in business.

With the war over, the United States concentrated on building the infrastructure we enjoy today. Every move the railroads made was news and reported in every newspaper in the territory—and usually the adjacent states and territories as well. Here’s an example from November 4, 1865.

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 4, 1865

In a mining camp (Silver City was always called “camp” and locals call it that to this day), a good share of the articles concerned who dug up how much of what ore and who came up empty—that sort of thing. This article, dated November 22, 1873, gives us an insight into what all those numbers mean. How much is a ton ore worth?

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 22, 1873

The Paiute hadn’t quite come to terms with being ousted from their homeland, and few of the immigrants had any idea why the Indians were in a toot about moving on (not that they had anywhere to move to). Articles in The Owyhee Avalanche and other newspapers in the Pacific Northwest aren’t kind, to say the least, and definitely not politically correct by today’s standards.

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 11, 1865

When a man takes off into the wild country to find his fortune, in his zeal for riches he sometimes forgets his family. But working alone on top of a mountain is a good way to remember. Here’s an item about a man who did just that.

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 4, 1865

Life can get a little barren when there are no supplies to be had, but entrepreneurs were always ready to fill the void. Generally the storekeepers made more money than the miners. In fact, just about everyone made more than about 90% of the miners—poor fellows. Anyway, Silver City definitely was excited when a new shopkeeper came to town bringing wagons full to brimming with goods, as reported in the same issue.

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 4, 1865

Nineteenth Century newspaper editors weren’t a bit afraid to make light of important persons. In fact, if they didn’t make fun of you, you just weren’t important enough. So it was a dubious honor to be mentioned. This item was published in the November 11, 1865 issue.

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 11, 1865

And of course we can't forget the local gossip.

The Owyhee Avalanche, November 8, 1873

That's it for now!  See you next month with more news from the Old West.

Muleskinners #1: Judge Not

Elsie Parry and her eight mules survived the war, but can they escape the wrath of the Danby Gang? She lived alone for five years after the Recent Unpleasantness and was overcome with happiness to be reunited with her father. Now, his fondest desire is to leave all the bad memories behind and see the Pacific Ocean, so she agreed to head west. All’s well until they approach Wolf Creek, where they’re set upon by the notorious gang of ex-Confederate guerrillas… intent on proving the war is not over, after all.

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