Facts and figures from 19th century U S and Canada
The Philadelphia umbrella industry produced 10 million dollars of goods. Athens Alabama hosts 8 000 residents and 8 million valuation. Mexico has about 3 000 steam powered establishments. Griffin Georgia owns a 600 acre peach orchard with 50 000 trees plus 4 000 grafted apples and 5 000 pears. The Sharpless reunion near Waterville Pennsylvania drew 4 000 family descendants. US property value around 50 billion. England 44.1 billion. France 37.2 billion. Canada malt production about 66 million pounds. 23 million pounds exported to the US. Toronto beer volume 1 800 000 gallons. peach basket making grows into large factories along Maryland railways using Maryland pine bottoms and Delaware gum staves.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia
Athens
Ala
Republic of Mexico
Griffin
Sharpless
France
England
United States
Chicago Herald
Canada
Alumbia
Toronto
Maryland
Chicago Times
Wit and Wisdom Quips and Curious Exchanges
A collage of pithy quotes and humorous anecdotes drawn from various papers. Notable lines touch on love time and absence, slander, weather versus corn-husks, canal lore, a revolving house idea, school discipline, a daughter's remark on her mother, a brash coachman and a doctor, and a saloon keeper’s watered liquor joke.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Julia
Prince of Science
Chicago Times
A Chase for a Baby in Plainville
A Plainville Connecticut train incident ends with a mother losing then regaining her infant. After the train departs with the baby, a vigilant ticket agent telegraphs to Bristol, the infant rides to Forestville, and a local man returns the child to Plainville. The mother travels to Forestville, then back to Plainville to recover the baby.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Plainville
Conn
Bristol
Forestville
Springfield
Mass
Republican
The Piano and Its Place in the Home
The article mocks old piano myths and vanity in the home. It argues the piano’s true use is decorative and social rather than for performance, noting it supports photos, lamps, and a flower vase while hosts display status through the instrument. It ends claiming piano playing has passed into folly.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New London Telegram
Religious and Educational Outlooks Across Faiths
The piece notes Moravians counting 20 009 at home but converting 73 000 heathen, Waldensians sending more missionaries abroad than at home, and 3500 churches built in fifteen years. It cites a teacher’s exam explaining long summer days, Miss Anna Oliver on Christian womanhood, a Hindoo mother’s praise for salvation talk, industrial schools aiding Indians, Hampton and Carlisle training young shoe and harness makers, Spurgeon preaching in Benmore with 5000 listeners, and Puritan attitudes toward Sabbath observance.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
el Dorado
Leavenworth Times
Anna Oliver
Armstrong
Hampton
Carlisle
Chicago Journal
Spurgeon
Scotland
Benmore
N. Y
How Tarantulas Fight In Prolonged Desert Duel
Two full grown tarantulas, one brown and one black, were placed in a glass-top box. They fought for six hours before the black spider died. The victor then tore the carcass apart and ate it, leaving only legs and shell fragments. Denver Tribune report.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Shere
Denver
Denver Tribune
Ada Worden Survives 60-Foot Fall Amazes Doctors
Ada Worden, twelve, fell sixty feet in Boston but is eating well. Her mother attributes recovery to faith and prayer, while doctors are surprised by her resilience.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ada Worden
Boston
How the Czar Enjoys Himself in Peterhoff and Court Life
St. Petersburg dispatch reports Tsar Nicholas I’s near frugal court bearing, with electric sloop travel to Peterhoff and a large fleet guarding the palace. Empress Alexandra’s recovery lags, coronation postponed amid advisers’ fears on crown symbolism. Modernized palace staff costs drop dramatically, while late‑court parasites suffer.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Peterhoff
Russia
Cronstadt
Constantine
Nicholas
Alexis
Vladimir
Winter Palace
Nevsky
St. Petersburg Cor
London
Boy’s late night candle prank alarms Texas home
A Texas Siftings anecdote recalls an Austin boy who kept a candle burning at night. His parents feared a fire so their waiter relit and then blew out the light. One night the boy cried out in alarm asking what to do after the light was extinguished.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Austin
Moses
Texas Siftings
Baby reunion delights Atlanta family in heartwarming tale
A man and woman from Atlanta marry against parental wishes and, after a baby is born, a kind stranger abducts the infant to reunite the families. The grandmother and grandfather, charmed by the baby, embrace the couple, and a public reunion follows with the whole family aboard a Constitution office carriage.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Atlanta
Constitution Office
The
Constitution
Allanta
Directions for Making a Shirt from a 19th Century Guide
Step by step instructions describe constructing a shirt with linen bosom, yoke or sack styles, sewing shoulder seams, attaching sleeves, and finishing details. Emphasis on proper neckband fit, circular band pattern, and lining the bosom for durability, as outlined by the Wisconsin State Journal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Wisconsin State Journal
Why a Kerosene Lamp Bursts
An old warning explains how kerosene vapors ignite explosively even without touching fire. Evaporation from half full containers forms an invisible cloud that can explode when disturbed by a flame. The piece cites benzine and other liquids and recounts a New York incident of a boy injured by an invisible vapor cloud.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Onu Yins
Christian Union
Harmony in Nature and Society Across Modern Life
The piece argues harmony comes from aligning with Nature rather than cities and crowds. It warns that urban life disrupts balance, causing fragmented conversation and polarized views. It suggests true unity requires time, attention, and living in unison with the natural world.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nature
Great
Ciue
London
Speet Tor
Funeral in Philadelphia for Mrs George Leidy
At Mrs George Leidy’s funeral in Philadelphia the cotfi was borne by the six adult sons of the deceased. The display moved many witnesses with its solemn, poignant nature during the service.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
George Leidy
Philadelphia
Also Mentioned on This Page
WIT and Wisdom
Dryden
George Eliot
Detroit Free Press
Lowell
Religious and Educational
Czar
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!