About The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???
Lambertville, N.J. (1858-1???)

The Lambertville Press

The Lambertville Press was begun on November 4^th, 1858 by Benjamin Bond Blackwell of Lambertville, N.J. It was independent in politics and in the editorial of that day called itself a non-partisan journal of "literature and news." Published on Wednesdays, it initially had 163 subscribers and ended with 1,500 subscribers when it was sold in October of 1861.

Lambertville, Hunterdon County's only city, is set on the banks of the Delaware River approximately 15 miles north of the state capital, Trenton, and 12 miles south of the county seat, Flemington. It was incorporated in 1849, and although only slightly larger than a square mile in area, Lambertville was home to industry and manufacturing such as paper mills, pottery works, and iron foundries. It was a well-connected city with a canal built in 1834, a railroad first built in 1851, and access to Pennsylvania via the river and the historic York Road.

Although non-partisan in outlook, the Press took a stand on the biggest issue of the time, slavery and its expansion. Blackwell was opposed to re-opening the slave trade and published news articles about captured slavers, as well as letters from missionaries describing the horrors of the middle passage. The Press was not, however, a supporter of abolition or equality. For example, Blackwell ran several articles critical of John Brown, used casually derogatory language and chose to include articles showing African Americans in unfavorable circumstances.

Once war was declared, residents of Lambertville, as in New Jersey generally, were eager to preserve the Union. "The Republic Will Be Saved" was Blackwell's editorial headline on April 24, 1861. The newspaper boasted of the number of men voluntarily offering to serve in the military, both native born and immigrants. Within a week, two companies were organized within Lambertville.

In a May 29, 1861 article, Blackwell complains, "Many people think the selection of suitable matter for a newspaper is the easiest part of the business, how great an error. To look over hundreds of exchange papers every week, from which to select enough for one, especially when the question is not what shall, but what shall NOT be selected, is no easy task." The first page of the Lambertville Press offered the reader poetry, literature, history, geography, and homilies. The second page was news of state and national interest, which once war was declared included information about troops, battles, and displays of patriotism and solidarity. The third page was "Local Affairs," which included Hunterdon and Warren Counties and New Hope, Pennsylvania, in addition to Lambertville.

Blackwell sold the Lambertville Press in October of 1861 to seek other opportunities in another place " … the duties of an editor, we have learned ere this are too laborious for the renumeration received" (October 30, 1861). Blackwell went to work as a printer in Queens, New York where he filed several patents for printing aids.

Provided by: Rutgers University Libraries