Our Young Folks facts for kids
Cover of ‘’Our Young Folks’’ magazine (1865)
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| Editor | Lucy Larcom |
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| Categories | Children’s magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | January 1865 |
| Final issue | December 1873 |
| Country | United States |
Our Young Folks was a popular magazine for kids in the United States. It was published every month from January 1865 to December 1873. The full name was Our Young Folks: an Illustrated Magazine for Boys and Girls.
This magazine was printed in Boston. First, Ticknor and Fields published it from 1865 to 1868. Then, James R. Osgood & Co. took over from 1869 to 1873. Many famous writers contributed to Our Young Folks. These included Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1874, Our Young Folks joined with another magazine called St. Nicholas Magazine.
Contents
Meet the Editors of Our Young Folks
The magazine had a few important people who helped put it together. These were the editors. They decided what stories and articles would be in each issue.
Lucy Larcom: A Key Editor
Lucy Larcom was a very important editor for Our Young Folks. She handled most of the editing work for the entire time the magazine was published. She even wrote her own stories and articles for the magazine.
John Townsend Trowbridge: Editor and Writer
John Townsend Trowbridge was also an editor for the magazine's whole run. He wrote many stories that appeared in parts, called serials. Many of his serials, like Jack Hazard and His Fortunes, later became books. After Our Young Folks closed, Trowbridge became a writer for St. Nicholas Magazine.
Mary Abigail Dodge: An Early Editor
Mary Abigail Dodge was an editor from 1865 to 1868. She used the pen name Gail Hamilton. She also wrote poems and stories for the magazine. She left her job after a disagreement with the publisher, James T. Fields.
What Was Inside Our Young Folks?
Our Young Folks was made for young people, usually between 10 and 18 years old. Each magazine had a bright orange cover. It often showed a picture of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom.
Pages Full of Fun and Learning
Each issue had about 64 pages. These pages were filled with exciting things for kids to read. You could find:
- Illustrated short stories
- Interesting articles
- Poems
- Songs
- Stories that appeared in parts over several issues
A single magazine cost 20 cents, or you could get a whole year's worth for $2.00.
Stories That Taught Lessons
The publishers wanted Our Young Folks to be the best children's magazine ever. They promised to only include "entertaining and attractive instructions." They wanted to avoid "dull and trashy articles." The magazine encouraged readers to be kind to those who were poor. Stories often showed that being poor could be hard, but it also made people stronger in spirit.
Many famous stories first appeared in Our Young Folks.
- The first of Lucretia Peabody Hale’s The Peterkin Papers stories were published here.
- Thomas Bailey Aldrich’s The Story of a Bad Boy was a serialized story in the magazine.
- Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote articles about nature.
Interactive Features for Readers
The magazine had fun sections where readers could join in:
- Round the Evening Lamp: This section started with the very first issue. It had puzzles like charades, math problems, and picture puzzles called rebuses.
- Our Letter Box: Starting in January 1866, this section shared letters from readers. The editors and writers would also add their comments.
- Our Young Competitors: From July 1870, this part printed winning entries from writing contests. It usually had four to five pages of readers' writings. Sometimes it even had eight pages!
Why Our Young Folks Ended
The last issue of Our Young Folks came out in December 1873. There was no hint that the magazine was going to stop. In fact, an editorial piece in Our Letter Box promised new stories and articles for 1874. They even said subscribers would get a special colored picture!
A Sudden Change for Readers
However, subscribers received the January 1874 issue of St. Nicholas Magazine instead. Inside, there was a message from John Townsend Trowbridge, an editor of Our Young Folks. He explained that the magazine had suddenly stopped. He said it was a business decision by the publishers. He also mentioned that the last issue of Our Young Folks was sent out with full plans for the next year.
A Beloved Magazine Remembered
Even after it closed, Our Young Folks was still highly regarded. Eight months after its last issue, a poll of readers from The Literary World magazine called Our Young Folks "the best of modern American juvenile magazines."
