Unrecorded Missouri Newspaper Prospectus

[Missouri]: Frank C. Neely & Co.:

[Prospectus for the Establishment of a Newspaper Called the Greenville Reporter in Reconstruction-Era Missouri].

Greenville, MO: [ca. 1870s]. Small broadside, 8 x 4.25 inches. Light foxing and toning, old horizontal folds. Very good. Item #12948

An unrecorded promotional circular for a weekly newspaper in southeast Missouri called The Greenville Reporter. According to Rowell's American Newspaper Directory, the paper was established by Frank C. Neely & Company in 1869. The present prospectus was authored by Neely, and is singed in type by them at the bottom. The text here begins: "The necessity of establishing a permanent and reliable journal in South-East Missouri, to advocate the advancement of the interests of its citizens, and those owning Real Estate in any of the counties embraced therein, being apparent to the undersigned, they have established themselves in Greenville, Mo., and will hereafter publish a weekly paper entitled 'The Greenville Reporter.'"

This is followed by the mission of the newspaper: "This journal will be especially devoted to the development of the vast resources an indigenous wealth of our section. Special attention will be paid to the landed interests of the same." Further, the text details additional reporting to be found in the paper, including news on manufacturing, capital investment, court schedules, reporting census data and lists of delinquent lands, and more. Neely then calls for subscriptions, especially for those who live outside Wayne County, then concludes by couching the newspaper as "a medium through which the progress of South-East Missouri may be greatly facilitated." As such, the paper seems to be one of the legion of commercial-minded special interest periodicals that flourished in the western United States in the 19th century. We could find no other examples of this circular, nor any institutional holdings for the newspaper itself.

Price: $450