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Newspaper The Grange Advance (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877

About The Grange Advance (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877

The Red Wing Grange Advance began publication on October 15, 1873, serving a varied audience of agricultural and laboring families in southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin.  The weekly publication, primarily consisting of five columns spread over eight pages, was published in Red Wing and for a time, simultaneously, in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In addition to these cities, coverage included the Minnesota counties of Goodhue, Freeborn, and Olmsted, and across the border into the city of River Falls, Wisconsin.  Subjects of the Grange Advance included many agriculture-related articles, Minnesota-based editorials, family- and youth-focused material, local news and ads, along with Grange meeting minutes and correspondence from the Minnesota cities of Winona, Wabasha, Zumbrota and Albert Lea.  It also featured the regular column ”Women’s Department” written by E. S. Hopkins, and articles from women’s rights activists, whose goals were consistent with the attitude of many “Grangers” of the time.

The Grange Movement was founded around ideals put forward by Minnesotan Oliver Kelley in 1867.  Kelley was a farmer in central Minnesota who was commissioned by President Andrew Johnson to survey agricultural operations in the South.  Appalled by the poor quality of both the operations and conditions of farmers, Kelley developed a vision to create a vast national network of cooperative farmers who would work together, share resources, and develop good farming practices.  Thus the Grange Movement was born.  The Grange, whose members were called Grangers, was a national semi-secret social club or order (National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry) who organized to pool resources, collectively buying and selling agricultural tools and goods.  During times of economic crisis or when crop prices fell, many Grangers became politically active, advocating for legislation that gave greater pricing control and purchasing power to farmers rather than wholesalers. 

The Grange Advance lists Edward J. Hodgson and Benjamin Briggs Herbert as editors.  After six months Hodgson retired, leaving Herbert as sole proprietor.  Editions from 1874 and forward list as editors Herbert and T. T. Mann of St. Paul.  Hodgson and Herbert clearly towed the Populist Party line.  In an issue from October 15, 1873, the editors spelled out the newspaper’s platform: “1. It proposes to secure for labor a legitimate reward, not by destroying any other industry, profession or calling but by increasing the power and influence of the laborer so that he may exercise some influence in fixing the price of wheat he buys and sells. . . 7. Finally, it proposes to work faithfully and work unceasingly for the advancement and up-building of the order of the Patrons of Husbandry, to use every means at its command to increase the interest and zeal of every individual member…and in short to be the liveliest, most energetic and spiciest agricultural paper published. “

The Grange Advance dropped ”Grange” from its name in August of 1877 and was henceforth known simply as the Advance.  Though short-lived, the Grange Advance is representative of an important Populist force which helped to shape the landscape of the agricultural community in Minnesota.

Provided By: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Grange Advance (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877

Dates of Publication

  • 1873-1877

Created / Published

  • Red Wing, Minn. : [publisher not identified], -1877.

Headings

  • -  Red Wing (Minn.)--Newspapers
  • -  Minnesota--Red Wing
  • -  United States--Minnesota--Goodhue--Red Wing

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Began in Oct. 1873 Cf. Gregory, W. Amer. newspapers.
  • -  -v. 4, no. 43 (Aug. 1, 1877).
  • -  Available on microfilm from the Minnesota Historical Society.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format as part of the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  Description based on: Vol. 2, no. 18 (Feb. 9, 1875).
  • -  Advance (Red Wing, Minn.) (DLC)sn 89064428 (OCoLC)1763585

Medium

  • volumes

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn85025567

OCLC Number

  • 11798339

ISSN Number

  • 2326-6341

Succeeding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Grange Advance Red Wing, Minn. -1877. (Red Wing, MN), Jan. 1 1873. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85025567/.

APA citation style:

(1873, January 1) The Grange Advance Red Wing, Minn. -1877. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85025567/.

MLA citation style:

The Grange Advance Red Wing, Minn. -1877. (Red Wing, MN) 1 Jan. 1873. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn85025567/.