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Shown below are newspaper text excerpts & resources from one of our past school program themes. To schedule or learn more about our school tours and programs Click Here. 

In Arizona, newspapers were one of the major forms of communication during the late 19th and early 20th century. Not only did the paper discuss the news of the day, but also of celebrations. These events could be something simple as a short mention of a party or birth announcement to detailed accounts of grand socials and society balls, holiday happenings and even Statehood celebrations.

Holiday Happenings...

 “There was a hot time in the old town last Saturday night. Tempe had a grand Halloween social. The boards in the sidewalk in front of the legal row were removed at aggravating intervals. The Tempe street railway was loaded with beer kegs, run down Mill Avenue off the track and tied to a hitching post... It is there yet because the harness cannot be found. The Tempe Ice Company’s wagon was rolled on the sidewalk in front of J. H. Root’s show window... People were compelled to take a wagon and go around town and gather up gates wherever they could be found and then take them back and try the gates until they fit the (right) hinges... R. G. Andre found the street sprinkler on the sidewalk in front of his harness shop. Marshal Compton was seen... working faithfully in replacing the street and ditch crossings which were tore up all over town. Everyone wondered at it all...”

- Text from an 1890s article from The Arizona Republican.

“Creamery” Restaurant • Dinner Menu

Soup - Consommé de Volaille, Mulligatawny

Fish - Columbia River Salmon à la Royal

Relishes - Crab Salad à la Maryland, Chicken Mayonnaise

Boiled - Southdown Mutton Oyster Sauce

Roasts - Young Turkey w/chestnut dressing, Domestic Goose w/apple sauce, Spring Chicken w/currant jelly, Prime Rib of Beef au Jus

Entrees - Vol au Vent Huitres, Cutlet de Veau au Petit Pois, Queen fritters à la cream, Ris de Veau, Sauce Rupert, Tomato Farcies au Gratin

Pastry - English Plum Pudding Brandy Sauce, Floating Island Ohio River Style, Mince Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Pie, Assorted Cake, Edam cheese

...Christmas & New Years...

Compiled from The Arizona Republican • December 1899

One Could...

• read all the news about Santa festivities and big business.

• from an advertisement learn of the electric railway on display for children in the north window of the Pinny & Robinson store, sellers of bicycles, typewriters and sporting goods.

• discover where you could attend a Christmas BBQ at the Indian Mission and take in a stereopticon presentation (a type of slide show or the 1899 version of a “powerpoint” presentation) on the illustrated life of Christ.

• read about the Board of Trade Secretary, Mr. Chapman, who is "rapidly verging toward old bachelordom, but never the less, takes an active interest in youthful themes" for the holiday season. His fun and novel Christmas tree decorated with red and yellow oranges is described along with how he had mistletoe brought from northern Arizona. A New Year’s Open House will also be celebrated and held at the Board of Trade complete with the Indian School Orchestra, handsome decorations and attractive exhibits.

• the newspaper quoted on December 26, 1899 that it was an "ideal Christmas Day".

• learn that New Year’s Day ushered in a “fulisade of small arms and bombs, whistle shrieks”... not that you needed to read about it that morning in the newspaper for you probably heard all the noise firsthand.

• party at the Daughters of Rebekah’s grand ball on New Year’s night at O'Neil Hall. The hosts “will give a ball on that evening, leaving nothing undone to eclipse every former effort and a splendid time is assured by those who attend”.

...Parties and Socials...

A May Day flower social as reported in The Arizona Daily Gazette • May 1896

 “On Friday evening in commemoration of May Day a flower social was given at the new M. E. church, corner of Third Avenue and Monroe street... The neat and spacious church was decorated with the largest by far and at the same time most complete floral display ever seen in Phoenix or Arizona. They have been gathered by the wagon load and brought from the Christy and Bartlett ranches and from all parts of the valley.

 Five large booths on the east side were lined with roses. The first booth was all of white varieties, piled high and even the walls laden. The second was filled with red roses of rare brilliancy. The third of yellow, including many varieties... The next booth was all pink... Besides the flowers in booths every window, pillar and corner even to the tables spread for strawberries cream and ice cream which were a wealth of flowers only exceeded in loveliness by the fair ladies presiding or taking part in the floral festival... A lemonade stand was buried in roses and presided over by Mrs. Novinger.

 On a large table near by the prettiest and daintiest flowers, pansies, sweet peas and bachelor buttons were in large bouquets. Mrs. Shirley Christy was in charge of this wonderland of Utopian splendor... Miss Yeager entertained with a citation “A Nervous Woman at the Phone” and for an encore again amused the vast audience.

 Everything was informal and hundreds of fair ladies vied with the floral display in attractiveness. The savory odor of the vast piles of flowers filled the room as with enchantment... The flower social was a decided success and until a late hour all enjoyed the charm lent by the beautiful surroundings.” 

On a flower side note - how about creating your own floral bouquet for that special someone using the 1890s Language of Flowers? Click Here! for all the details.

Want to learn more about 19th century letterpress printing and newspaper history? Click on the following links below:

1895 “The Arizona Gazette” Front Page Reprint. Get your very own reduced sized copy of The Arizona Gazette front page for only 75 cents by mail (Click Here! for Keepsakes page & ordering instructions). This 1895 front page reprint includes wonderful ads of Phoenix’s early territorial days and also the headline article discussing how our very own Dr. Rosson (whom the Rosson House was originally built for that same year) won the Phoenix Mayor's race.

Letterpress Printing History • Click Here! to go this super site, Briar Press Museum, for a virtual look at printing presses that made history, a letterpress glossary, nifty images, resources and more in the historical art and trade of letterpress printing.

Newspaper History • Click Here! to go to the website of HistoryBuff.com for the fascinating world of newspaper history. From how papers were printed in various time periods, paper making, newspaper collecting and more. 

Printing Press Advertisement. To view a nifty .pdf file of an early Chandler & Price printing press advertisement click on the printing press image on the left. This type of press was used for job printing small items such as flyers, business cards and envelopes. The press was operated by foot power and the paper to be printed on was hand fed. If steam or electricity were available, one could also power the press via a belt drive pulley. Although in limited use today, Chandler & Price printing presses are still being operated by commercial, hobby and museum printers. Advertisement courtesy of printing historian Hal Sterne.

1909 Phoenix School Fashion Bookmarks. Using illustrations from a Phoenix store advertisement in The Arizona Gazette in 1909, you can download & print nifty bookmarks. If you were a youngster back in 1909 Phoenix what would your school clothes look like? Just click on the Victorian Girl on the left to download your very own bookmarks (2 per sheet) in a .pdf file (approx. 115KB file)*. Use colored pencils to make the boy’s and girl’s outfits look extra special.

*To download .pdf files you will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®. If you do not have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® on your computer- Click Here! to get a free copy of this software from the maker’s website.

This page brought to you by the 1895 Rosson House at Historic Heritage Square in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. For historical trivia, optical toy flip books you can download & print, early recipes and more Click Here! to visit our Historical Fun links page.