From the Western Democrat, 1854.

The Western Democrat, a Charlotte newspaper, is now online with issues dating from 1853 through 1868.  A weekly paper, it is interesting in that it does not contain much local news or even information which would be recognized as news by modern readers.  The front page includes such stories as “A Clever Anecdote–The Emperor and His Daughter” which is indeed a story as well as reprints from other newspapers.  Generally four pages in length, the last two contain the most local content which is in the form of advertisements.  Ads for “negroes wanted,” “negroes to hire,” and “negroes for sale” are common, such as in the the December 6, 1859 issue. Also frequent are advertisements offering rewards for runaway enslaved people.  On the same page of the March 31, 1854 issue, a $50 reward is offered for the apprehension of a 26-year-old man while a separate ad offers the same amount for the apprehension of a thief who stole fifteen turkeys.

With the start of the Civil War in 1861, the newspaper shifts focus and prints stories almost exclusively related to the war effort.  Lists of North Carolina killed and wounded are included as are descriptions of battles, discussions of the state’s defenses, and reprints of speeches and general orders.

Though lacking in local content, the Western Democrat provides insight into the important news during the 1850s and 1860s and gives the perspective of a Southern town on the Civil War.

Firestone News, a company newspaper produced by Firestone Textiles, formerly a division of Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, has been digitized and is now available on DigitalNC.

The publication, which runs from 1952 through 1971 and was bimonthly and later monthly, is specifically for the Gastonia plant. While stories about the company are included, the majority of the content is related to events and employees in Gastonia. Each issues contains a “News in Brief” section divided by plant departments such as carding, spooling, and winding, which reports news on members of those departments. Typical announcements include births, deaths, illnesses, vacations, sons home on military leave, and visiting guests.

The paper also reports on company sports leagues, including bowling, baseball, and the fishing club. In later issues, service anniversaries were published, along with photos of those employees with twenty-five years or more at the plant.

The Firestone News should be of particular interest to genealogists researching former employees of the plant as well as those who would like to know more about the culture of a North Carolina textile mill in the second half of the twentieth century.

The Firestone News has been published online in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina Collection and UNC’s Digital Innovation Lab.