A PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE INQlJIRZR. W· t 1Juquirtr nub trrnr• _Qt.enttnnial Number Nant~rkrt~ ilas!i. 1821--llun.e 23--1!121 Issued as a Supplement to the Regular Copyright, 1921 Edition of June 25. 1921. by H.B. Turner. ====================================-=========== ================== =--=-=--=-=-=-==========- =========================== The History of Nantucket The first issue of The Inquirer was Newspapers. dated June 23, 1821, and it contained GREETING! a two-column announcement signed With the enterprise characteristic It is with veneration that the writer takes upon himself the task of put- by Mr. Melcher, in which he outlined of Nantucket in the early part of the tin~ into print the history of Nantucket newspapers and more especially that his intentions and the policies he · hteenth century the first of the of The Inquirer and Mirror. which this week closes its first century of life, eig ' would pursue in the publication of the b · 1816 ancl faces the opening of the one hundred and first volume. island newspapers was orn 1n • No one can fully realize the wei1rht of the task. flooded as it is with sen- little newspaper. The size of the It was called The Gazette and was timent and resp~t for those who have Jtone before. It does not mean mere- page was 12 x 20 inches, four columns issued for the first time on Monday, ly recording the names of the various newspapers and their editors and pub- to the page, and the files of the paper M 6 ·th Abraham G Tannant and lishcrs. It brings upon or.eself a study of the prosperities and adversities of ay , WI • are in excellent condition to this day, bl. h It this ..purple isle of the sea.. durinJt a full one hundred vears. Hiram Tupper its pu IS ers. s l From the first issue of The lnQuirer on the 23d of June. 1821. it has. considering the lapse of years. A pages were 12 x 20 inches in size, Wl•rked diligently for the welfare and advancement of Nantucket and we are photographic copy of. the first issue of five columns wide, and the first copy cor,fident that whatever success it mav have had has been solelv due to the The Inquirer is printed in this issue. printed was purchased by Sylvanus courage and painstakinJt efforts of its editors and oublishers who cluna- to it. In Mr. Jenks assumed full con- fif anrl worked for it and with it. through these one hundred years. laboring hard 1823 Macy for the sum of ty cents, as at times and often actually strugglin: for existence. trol of The Inquirer and for over he was curious to have the first copy The men who have filled the editorial chair in,the passing years }lave been twenty years he ably filled the posi- of a newspaper ever issued on Nan- mer, closely identified with the island. with brilliant minds and ready pens, tion of editor and publisher, and by tucket. The Gazette was printed in I who have been a force for JP:ood in the communit:v. In scanninJP: the record hi·s efforts did much for the bene- th of those who have preceded us. we can but feel both humble and reverent, a building which st0od on e corner especially when we realize how feeble are our efforts in comparison. fit and development of Nantucket. of Main (then State) and Water There is a sense of Dride. however. in the Drivilesre that is ours toda:v- Mr. Jenks was one of Nantucket's streets, and sold "for $2.50 per an- to fill the editorial chair of one of the oldest weekly newspapers in brilliant men-a gentleman and .a num," yet it did not survive a full ! thP. country when it reachi!S its centennial and brings to a close its one bun- scholar in every sense. In writing dredth volume. May the standard set hv Samu-el Haynes Jenks. the_ first Year, being issued but thirty-six I · of the successful emorts of ~r. Jenks l editor of The Inquirer. in 1821. remain with The lnGuirer and Mirror as bJS 11 times, its last being on the 1st day I benediction through the years t.o come. in the publication of The Inquirer, of March, 1817, when it died from HARRY B. TURNER. the late William Hussey1Macy said: want of patronage. Nantucket. June. 1921• "The Inquirer grew rapidly anC- .';'.C- A few months later Mr. Tannant Quired mere than a local reputation. took en renewed courage and from ________ -----·•·--- _____ ... ·- _ __ _ __________ . ______________ I Mrd. J~nks was a_ live edditor, .a readyt · J _. an vigorous writer, an an e~r--es the ruins of ~e Gazette issued a 10 Icessful newspaper 0:1. Nantucket for The Inquirer and Mirror. Joseph I ~pd fearl~ advoca_te of '!9'hat he he- x 12 sheet which he ~alled Th~ N~n- the. three succeeding years, but in I Melcher was only the publisher of I lieved t~ be the · ne:ht side of each tucket Weekly Magazine. This bny I 1821 Joseph C Melcher laid the foun- The Inquirer however for he had as- C?rrent issue. Although not ,a na- kl d f f th tive of Nantucket, he was for so many wee y covere our pages o ree Idabon . c-f what· became a permanent sociated. with. ' him. as·' editor. Samuel .I years closely identified with the town columns each and was "devoted to institution-a newspaper which he Haynes. Jenks, than whom no more I in all that concerned its prosperity literary a~d commercial reading." It called The Inquirer and which has talented and forceful writer ever itl_ia~ he !s deserving a place among its was published on Saturday even- survived the trials a~d vicissitudes of filled the editorial chair on Nantucket distmguished men and '!9'0 men._ It · ·t fi t · b · J 28 . was doubtless through his persistent ing, 1 s r_s issue emg on une , I a full century, today bemg know:1 as island. efforts with pen and voice that public 1817, and its last on January 3, 1818, ________________ ------ --------- schools were established on Nantuck- when Mr. Tannant gave up his news- · 1 et." I paper efforts in despair, printing the Five years after its birth, The In- following announcement in his last is- quirer had a rival, the Nantucket sue: Journal having been started by Wil- "It is with extreme regret that we liam H. Bigelow, a Bost.on man who announce to our readers that with moved to the island. The Journal this paper the publication of The was first issued on •the 14th of Sep- Nantucket Weekly Magazine and our labors as Editor, Publisher, et cetera, tember, 1826, but the paper survived at Nantucket, cease. Imperious cus- only a little over a. year, passing out tom demands from us some few re- of existence on December 1st, 1827. marks in regard to the decline of the The Journal was the only contempor- paper. The local situation of Nan- ary The Inquirer had until the year· tucket, the still more local views of its inhabitants, and the evident want 1840, and during that period The In- of popular excitement, comming-led, quirer was issued as a weekly, as a are the ostensible causes of its fail- semi-weekly and, for a few months, ure; and our repeated trial will war- as a tri-weekly. Between the years rant us in the remark that until a paper shall be better appreciated and 1830 and 1840, Mr. Jenks was assisted more public spirit manifested, there in the publication of the paper by G. can be no hope of a simihrr enterprise F. Bemis, T. J. Worta., Charles C. hereafter." Hill, John Morissey and William A. The first issues of the Weekly Jenks, respectively, and for a brief Magazine were quite readable, how- period in the early 30's he relin- ever, for among other things they Iquished t_he editorial chair to Charles contained some interesting private , Bunker. correspondence of Dr. Benjamin l The Inquirer was one of the old Franklin, published by his grandson, IWhig papers and strongly opposed William Temple Franklin. In pe- the re-election of General Jackson 1 rusing the copies of this little paper 1· (who was, however, re-elected, al- one can see at a glance that its edi- though Nantucket gave him but four- tor and publisher was using his best ! teen votes, and was thereby called efforts to make it interesting to his .! "the banner Whig town.") readers and was bravely striving to I During the 30's The Inquirer wan- "make good," but in this Jte failed. i dered from place to place for its Mr~ Tannant's rather pessimistic . l home. It was first printed in a. back farewell when he retired from the j room of the second story of a build- newspaper field doubtless prevented 1 SAMUEL HAYNES JENKS I ing owned by William Coffin, which apy more attempts to launch a suc- j The First Editor of The Inquirer. 1stood on the corner of Main and Can- I dle streets. The lower part of this tempts were made to prevent the ab- !commenced issuing a daily, which was several months a bitter rivalry was building was then the postoffice with olitionists from holding meetings in , the first daily paper ever printed on waged between it and The Inquirer, George W. Ewer as postmaster. Nantucket, The Islancer championed Nantucket. but on December 27, 1845, a third In 1830 The Inquirer moved to a the cause of the lecturers and deal:: The Telegraph's enterprise caused paper made its debut in Nantucket, three-story building owned by Charles vigorous blows against those who at- The Inquirer to follow suit and for a "making it hard scratching fc.r all G.