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Chicago's First Newspaper
Kristen Rooke One of the things that makes Chicago interesting is its many newspapers. The Chicago Democrat was the first of its newspapers. Without the Democrat, the people of early Chicago would have known little about what was happening in their city. Also, they would not know what was going on in the world around them. In 1833 the Chicago Democrat was begun by a twenty-five-year-old printer and editor, John Calhoun. Calhoun's youth shocked many Chicago citizens. He knew then that he had to work very hard on his newspaper to gain the citizens' respect. The newspaper was bigger than most newspapers in Illinois. The Democrat was a six-column, four-page weekly with sketches of scenes in the Far West. The beautifully drawn sketches got people's attention. Calhoun felt better, but he knew the newspaper needed more. Calhoun put in many other items in his newspaper to furthur improve it. These included information about preemption claims, comments on the Pottawatomie Treaty, news from Alabama and Missouri, and poems. The Democrat also printed notices, announcements of marriages, business advertisements, and announcements of stray cows. Calhoun paid close attention to other newspapers, trying to see what he needed to have. The Chicago Democrat's first issue was sent out in November 1833. The main story noted that 150 buildings had been built since the start of the year. The first issue was a hit, and subscribers lined up to get the Democrat. About 450 subscribers lived outside town, and the paper had to be delivered to them by stagecoach. However, by 1834, Calhoun had sold more than seven hundred subscribers living in or near Chicago. Each copy of the paper sold for 12.5 cents and a yearly subscription sold at $2.50. Since there was little competition, people bought the Chicago Democrat. Today Chicagoans have a choice of only two daily newspapers. In this photo, Chicago Sun-Times employees watch the presses as an issue rolls through the labrynthine machinery.
ILLINOIS HISTORY/APRIL 1997 45 By 1834 the Chicago Democrat was very popular. Almost every home in Chicago received the Democrat. The Democrat carried lots of local news. On May 9, 1834, the Democrat carried a notice from town authorities that anyone riding across a bridge any faster than a walk would be fined $5. Considerable information was carried about crime and education in the city. Many subscribers liked this because it showed that the Democrat was concerned about Chicago.
Calhoun was very serious about what was put in his newspaper. When the topic of women working at home or outside their home came to his attention, he was unsure of what to do. Writing about the topic could hurt the Democrat, but it could also bring new subscribers. In 1845 the Democrat issued a report on women, concluding that women should live a life outside home as well as inside home. This was quite smart of Calhoun because he appealed to those on both sides of the issue. By 1850 the Democrat carried news by telegraph. By then the Chicago Democrat sold more than six hundred daily copies and thirty-five weekly copies. That was very good for a newspaper. By the late 1850s the Democrat offered a weekly as well as a daily paper. Calhoun had witnessed the Chicago Democrat become a famous newspaper. He was quite happy. He was getting more critical on writing about laws and the good of the city. The public liked that, and he knew it although the newspaper did lose some subscribers. The Democrat had a very good artist who drew cartoons for the newspaper. When the Great Chicago Fire occurred, the artist drew a cartoon. The cartoon was thought cruel, and the newspaper lost some of the subscribers. Calhoun fired the artist and was very upset. Most of the time the Democrat favored public opinion. The Chicago Democrat was one of Chicago's best newspapers. It was the start of the many newspapers that many people read today. Its stories informed and entertained the people of Chicago for years. Without the Democrat people would not have been able to keep current on what was going on in their city. The Democrat will be remembered as truly one of the finest early newspapers in Chicago.--[From: Robert Cromie, A Short History of Chicago; Herman and Rick Kogan, Yesterday's Chicago; Edgar Lee Masters, The Tale of Chicago; J. John McPhaul, Deadlines and Monkeyshines; Louise Bessie Pierce, A History of Chicago 1673-1848; Louise Bessie Pierce, A History of Chicago 1848-100871.] 46 ILLINOIS HISTORY/APRIL 1997 |
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