Even before I became a journalist, old newspapers and magazines fascinated me. 

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I’d visit the Carnegie Library in downtown Atlanta and scroll through microfilm copies of the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution, and of the AJC for issues published after the two papers merged.

When I entered Georgia State University in 1969, I spent a lot of time browsing through bound stacks of periodicals.

I’d sometimes be surprised at what subject matter and language were allowable and what was missing from coverage at different historical points.  

For instance, I ran into several instances of mass-circulation news publications from the 1910s and 1920s  that used overtly racist language in what were purportedly hard news articles.

In 2024, there are more efficient ways of reading news from the past than microfilm, microfiche, and turning pages in bound volumes from beginning to end.  

In Georgia, we have the Georgia Historic Newspapers database, a fantastic digital collection of newspapers extending back to the 1700s.

The selection of Cobb County newspapers in the collection begins with two newspapers founded in 1843, soon after the county was formed and Marietta was settled.  The Marietta Advocate and the Marietta Helicon both began publishing then within a few months of each other.

Sometimes, I search the collection for specific serious subjects, and sometimes, I just browse, hoping to stumble on something interesting to highlight here in the Courier. In this article I’ll focus on a few advertisements that caught my eye.

Early newspaper advertising

I began focusing on advertisements during my last visit to Georgia Historic Newspapers.  In some ways, the ads tell us as much about people’s lives in previous decades as the hard news articles.

Here are a few examples of the type of ads that appeared in newspapers in 19th Century Cobb County, with the image followed by the text:

This first ad is from the March 13, 1877 issue of the short-lived newspaper Field and Fireside.

According to the description of this newspaper on the Georgia Historic Newspaper website:

J. G. Campbell & Company published the first issue of the Field and Fireside on March 13, 1877 in Marietta, Georgia. The four-page newspaper circulated weekly at a subscription cost of $1.50. Politically, the paper identified itself as independent and supported William H. Felton during his reelection campaign in 1878. The Field and Fireside’s support for Felton, an Independent Democrat, and criticism of the more conservative and popular Bourbon Democrats drew the ire of surrounding North Georgia newspapers. The paper was short-lived and ceased publication by 1880.

E.A. Withers,

Iron Founder & Machinist. 

Manufacturer of Steam Engines, Circular Saw Mills, Improved Sorghum Mills, Grist Mill Machinery

Running Gear for Water Wheels of every size and description. Plans and specifications for mill work furnished free of charge. Also, manufacturer of gold mining machinery with the latest improvements. 

Prices to suit the times. 

All work is first class and guaranteed.

Having just built new buildings and acquired the best machinery available, I feel confident that I can defy all competition in terms of the quality of work and the affordability of prices. Being a practical mechanic with thirty-five years of experience, I am not afraid of my ability to give satisfaction to all who may choose to patronize me.

Marietta, March 13, 1877.

Cobb was still a rural, sparsely populated county in 1877, and it’s no surprise that a machinist would focus his ad on milling equipment.  Flour and lumber are two of the most basic needs in a rural 19th-century county.  Also note the mention of gold mining equipment.  Even though it was clear by 1877 that Cobb would not be a gold rush county like Lumpkin County, hope sprang eternal.

In that same 1877 issue of Field and Fireside the ad below appeared.  This ad might be of interest to modern preservationists, because it’s from one of the enterprises of William Root, the builder and resident of what is now the historic William Root House Museum adjacent to Marietta Square.

Building Hardware!

I have on hand a good assortment of:

• Locks for Dwellings, Storm Doors, Closets, Trunks, Smoke Houses, etc.
• Padlocks
• Nails, 2d to 60d
• Tacks and Brads
• Harness Buckles
• Copper Rivets
• Sash Pulleys
• Files
• Hinges
• Picture Nails
• Strap Hinges
• Brass Bolts, etc.
• Hooks and Staples
• Butts, 1 inch to 6×6
• Wardrobe Hooks
• Sash Cord
• Wagon Nails
• Garden Hoes
• Garden Rakes
• Spade Forks
• Manure Forks
• Carriage Bolts
• Door Bolts
• Sandpaper
• Glue, etc.

The largest assortment in town.

William Root
Marietta, March 13, 1877

The last ad I will feature is a Civil War-era ad from the February 19, 1861, issue of the Marietta Advocate, a newspaper that did not survive the Civil War. It’s from a photographer who advertised a changed location for his store. By 1861, the ambrotype process the photographer advertises was already becoming obsolete. For a description of the process, follow this link to the Library of Congress article about ambrotypes and tintypes.

Ambrotype Gallery
REMOVED!
To the Northwest Corner of the Square, Marietta, Georgia.

Thankful for the very liberal patronage I have received over the past four years, I am happy to inform the public that I have fitted up a Picture Gallery second to none in the state. I am now prepared to furnish my friends and customers with pictures of all sizes and styles, equal to the best produced by the photographic art.

All are invited to call and see specimens. Prices are low.
Terms Strictly Cash.

GEO. J. Gable

Whether you’re doing historical research, taking on a genealogy project, or just curious about what newspapers covered in past decades, Georgia Historic Newspapers is a useful and easy-to-use online database.

About Georgia Historic Newspapers

Georgia Historic Newspapers is a part of the GALILEO project and is housed at the University of Georgia. It’s an amazing resource for anyone with an interest in the history of Georgia and its regions.

According to the “About” page on its website:

The Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG), a part of Georgia’s Virtual Library GALILEO and is based at the University of Georgia Libraries. Since 2007, the DLG has partnered with universities, archives, public libraries, historical societies, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions to digitize historical newspapers from around the state. The archive is free and open for public use and includes over two million Georgia newspaper pages between 1763 and 2021.

Newspaper titles are regularly digitized and added to the archive. If you are interested in including a particular title, you can visit our participation page. A majority of the newspapers on this site were digitized from the microfilm produced by the Georgia Newspaper Project (GNP). For more information about the microfilm available through the GNP, please visit their website.