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Magazines in Wisconsin 1848-1905

Introduction

Magazines were popular throughout Wisconsin, especially in the larger cities of Milwaukee and Madison. Magazines such as Harperís New Monthly Magazine were read by those interested in the influences of politics and economics upon society as well as by those who sought intellectual stimulation from literary works.

Wisconsin had its very own literary magazine, Garland of the West, published in Southport, Wisconsin. It was the first periodical to be printed in Wisconsin. Garlandís editors solicited essays and poems from its readership and held very strict standards as to the merit of being included in the magazine. Selected contents of these popular magazines are listed below.

| Garland of the West | Harper's New Monthly Magazine |

Garland of the West Literary Magazine

June 1842, v. 1, n. 1

Description of Town of Southport (where magazine was published)
The Poetess 'Amelia', part I
Practical Joking
Return to the Scenes of Childhood
Sonnet
Euroclydon (from Graham's Magazine)
Watch of the Stars
Victim of a Talent
Chartists Song
Vesuvius
The Heart's Reply
Autobiography of an Unfortunate Gentleman, part I

July 1842, v. 1, n. 2

William Sterling, part I
The Spirit's Call
Song
Colton Castle
Alice
Marrying for Love
Intimation of Immortality from Nature
Ianthe
Western Life
The Poetess
'Amelia', part II
Poesy

August 1842, v. 1, n. 3

William Sterling, part II
Take Back the Ring
Prairie Flowers
Josephine
The Two Portraits
The Dying Daughter
To My Brother
A Short Essay
Autobiography of an Unfortunate Gentleman, part II
The Tale of Life
Random Essays, number 1 - Immortality Song of the Ignis Fatuvs

Text from "The Tale of Life"
From Garland of the West, August 1842, v.1 n.3

Something better'! something better!
Onward is the march of life,
Hope all vain regrets doth fetter -
Never our forces for the strife.

We do all, tho' joys departed
Remembered oft, are tempers yet,
Still, like soldiers, constant-hearted,
In the yet, the past forget.

For the present - for the present
Toiling ever, toiling rather,
Harvest rich, abundant, pleasant,
We in promises do gather;

And instead of turning backward,
Plumes we'd give the wing of time,
That in the mazy future onward,
We may reach where fancies climb.

Harper's New Monthly Magazine Founded in 1850, the Harper's New Monthly Magazine made an astounding entrance into the publishing scene. The initial press run of 7,500 sold out immediately and, within a year, national circulation for this quarterly publication grew to over 50,000. Its initial mission was to "enforce the most important lessons of morality and of practical life by combining entertainment with instruction." Contents ranged from essays on politics, to reports on current economic conditions, to fiction by noteworthy authors. Harper's New Monthly Magazine quickly became a trusted source for citizens to keep a pulse on a variety of cultural affairs.

Selected Events covered in Harper's New Monthly Magazine

1850

Education in America
Wordsworth's prose writings
300 Swedes arrive in northwestern Illinois to join a colony bringing "considerable capital"

1860

Ancient Monuments of the United States
Learning: Its Uses and Abuses

1870

Prominence of YMCA
The Negative in Photography
Jane Austen

1880

The Strong Government
American Colleges and German Universities

1890

Switzerland and the Swiss
Metric System

1900

A Century of Church Methods
Educational Value of Hypnotism
Victor Hugo

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Authored by: Lori Delaney, Kirstin Dougan, Megan Phillips
Last Updated: April 14, 2000