Special Collections and Archives in the Wright State University Libraries and the Dayton Metro Library have partnered together to create an online archive of the most complete run of Wright Brothers newspapers available to date. Both the Dayton Metro Library and WSU's Special Collections and Archives house original issues of the Wright Brothers newspapers. By combining the two collections in an online archive, this valuable resource will be available in a readily accessible format worldwide.
The Wright Brothers operated a printing business from 1889 to 1899, before they started their bicycle business, and before they tackled the challenge of flight. Over the years, they worked on several publications and local newspapers, including: The Midget, a small school newspaper; church pamphlets; the West Side News; The Evening Item; parts catalogs for bicycles; and the Dayton Tattler, published for neighborhood friend and noted poet and novelist, Paul Laurence Dunbar.
This project was made possible through a donation to the Communication Department at Wright State University from The Greenwood Family. For more information on this collection, please visit Wright State University Special Collections and Archives.
This series collects newspapers from The Midget, the West Side News, and The Evening Item.
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West Side News, April 13, 1889
Orville Wright
West Side News was a weekly newspaper published by the Wright Brothers. This paper, published in March 1889 through May of 1890, featured news from the west side of Dayton. The main feature in this issue is an anecdote about how the editor of New York World dealt with a delinquent subscriber. There is a smaller article about the forthcoming Oklahoma Land Rush that will happen later in the month. Also included in this issue are national news, local news, humorous stories, and advertisements. Additionally, there is a small note about the Wright and Wright Printers have moved to a new office on Third Street in Dayton.
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West Side News, April 6, 1889
Orville Wright
West Side News was a weekly newspaper published by the Wright Brothers. This paper, published in March 1889 through May of 1890, featured news from the west side of Dayton. The main feature in this issue is an anecdote about Kaiser Wilhelm II and a steam hammer operator. Also included in this issue are national news, local news, humorous stories, and advertisements. Additionally, there is a small note about the completion of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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West Side News, March 30, 1889
Orville Wright
West Side News was a weekly newspaper published by the Wright Brothers. This paper, published in March 1889 through May of 1890, featured news from the west side of Dayton. The main features in this issue are an article describing the method an alligator uses to hunt, a humorous anecdote about patenting from Texas Siftings, a story about toothpick production, and an obituary for British statesman, John Bright. Also included in this issue are national news, local news, humorous stories, and advertisements.
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West Side News March 23, 1889
Orville Wright
West Side News was a weekly newspaper published by the Wright Brothers. This paper, published in March 1889 through May of 1890, featured news from the west side of Dayton. The major features in this issue are a reprint from MacMillan's Magazine about a French Detective, a story regarding Natural Gas Company wanting to propose a "scale of prices," and a short article about sand-blasting. Also included in the issue are results of the primaries in the third and fourth wards, local news, national news, humorous stories, advertisements, and more.
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West Side News March 16, 1889
Orville Wright
West Side News was a weekly newspaper published by the Wright Brothers. This paper, published in March 1889 through May of 1890, featured news from the west side of Dayton. This issue featured an anecdote about an early court case involving the shooting of a dog, an obituary for inventor of the ironclad USS Monitor, John Ericsson, local news, humorous stories, advertisements and more.
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West Side News March 1, 1889
Orville Wright
West Side News was a weekly newspaper published by the Wright Brothers. This paper, published in March 1889 through May of 1890, featured news from the west side of Dayton. The inaugural issue presents anecdotes about General Sherman and President Lincoln, humorous poems, local and national news, advertisements, and more.
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The Midget, April, 1886
Sines and Wright
The Midget was a newspaper published by Edwin Sines and Orville Wright of Sines and Wright. The first and only issue was published in April of 1886. The inaugural issue contained information regarding W.B. Jordan's trip to Middletown via train, a farmer witnessing two martins attacking a screech-owl, a railroad strike, and more.
