The Californian (1860s newspaper) facts for kids

The Californian was a special newspaper published every week in San Francisco. It focused on literature, like stories and poems. It was printed from May 28, 1864, until February 1, 1868.

The Californian: A Literary Newspaper

How It Started

The Californian newspaper began in May 1864. It was started by publishers P.J. Thomas, A.A. Stickney, and John Collner.

Charles Henry Webb was the first editor, which means he was in charge of the newspaper's content. Fitz Hugh Ludlow was one of the first people to write for it.

Famous Writers and Editors

Many famous writers worked for The Californian. Bret Harte was an editor, and he also wrote articles.

Mark Twain, a very famous American writer, was hired to write for the paper. He earned $50 each month. With writers like Harte and Twain, The Californian quickly became very popular. It stood out among other newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, like the Golden Era.

What Made It Special

The Californian was printed in a large size, which was called "imperial size" in the newspaper world. Each page was about 22 inches wide and 30 inches tall. The pages were easy to read, with three columns of text across.

The newspaper was known for being a bit different. It didn't always print the usual stories people expected. It liked to challenge common ideas and could be surprising in its views.

Fun with Words: Poetry and Stories

The newspaper often featured poetry. Bret Harte wrote short, funny versions of novels by other authors. He made fun of the writing styles of famous writers like Charles Dickens and James Fenimore Cooper.

Mark Twain also wrote his own short, funny novels for the paper. These included stories like Whereas and Lucretia Smith's Soldier. Other poets from San Francisco also shared their work, including Charles Warren Stoddard and Ina Coolbrith.

Changes in Leadership

Charles Henry Webb, the first editor, took a break. He went to Lake Tahoe for a while. He returned to his editing job in November 1864 and continued until April 1865.

Mark Twain's Famous Story

Mark Twain's famous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", was published in The Californian in December 1865. This story and others were later put into a book with the same title.

By 1866, Charles Henry Webb had become both the owner and editor of the newspaper. However, he left the publication and moved back East. His writing style, which often made fun of life in California, wasn't always popular with readers.

After Webb left, writer and poet James F. Bowman took over as the main editor.

New Writers Join In

Ambrose Bierce, another well-known writer, started contributing to The Californian in September 1867. His first piece was a poem called "The Basilica." In December, he wrote his first non-fiction essay for the paper, titled "Female Suffrage."

Charles Warren Stoddard joined the newspaper later in its history. He hoped to write articles, but he ended up mostly managing the books and mailing subscriptions. Stoddard and Bierce became good friends during this time.

A Book of Poems

In 1867, Charles Warren Stoddard wrote a book of poetry called Poems. James F. Bowman, the editor, wrote a very positive review of Stoddard's book in The Californian. However, Bowman later wrote another anonymous review in a different paper, the Dramatic Chronicle, where he criticized both Stoddard and his own earlier review!

Where the Newspaper Was Located

The Californian was first located at 728 Montgomery Street in San Francisco. By April 1865, it moved to a smaller street just off Montgomery Street.