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Newspaper La Nostra Terra (Hurley, Wis.) 1904-191?

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About La Nostra Terra (Hurley, Wis.) 1904-191?

Launched as a weekly Italian-language newspaper serving the town of Hurley, La Nostra Terra debuted on January 23, 1904. Touted as the first Italian newspaper in the state by its editor, proprietor and Italian immigrant, Frank Marta, the title was introduced as “a small, weekly periodical with which we can bring forth our little contribution towards the material and moral wellbeing of our community. We believe that by establishing the small periodical we will cover the gap felt here amongst us Italians.” This first, four-page issue set the standard for the content that would be featured each week. The offerings in Italian included news items relating to Italy, Italian political or national events, the Vatican, information on transatlantic ocean travel, and serialized Italian novels. The newspaper also offered in both Italian and English local news items and events in Iron County, comments and opinions, and advertisements for local vendors.

Italian immigrants had first started settling in Wisconsin in the late 19th century. In 1890, 1,123 Italians had made the state their home and that number doubled by 1900. Most of the new immigrants had arrived from southern Italy and Sicily, and they were seeking work in urban factories. Others, however, moved to northern towns like Hurley where mining and lumbering opportunities beckoned.

In 1908, the newspaper added the tagline “Corriere Poplare del Nordvest,” followed by the English translation, “Italian National Weekly Paper of the Northwest,” to its masthead. In 1913, the newspaper’s title, scope, and intended audience changed dramatically. While still promoting itself as a weekly “family journal,” the audience was expanded to include all residents of Hurley and the Iron County. The new title appears in bold print: Our Land, preceded by “La Nostra Terra.” A message from the editor, most of which is missing from the damaged copy, references the hope for the paper to continue to meet the needs of its subscribers.

The September 20, 1913 issue introduces the new editor, Fritz A. Emunson, and officially notes the change of ownership that had occurred years prior. The following issue boasts the new title, Iron County News, with the subheading “Formerly La Nostra Terra.” Emunson addressed the change, stating that it had occurred for aesthetic and logistical reasons, while promising continued availability of the Italian pages “for the benefit of our Italian friends.” Notwithstanding this promise and the extended length of the paper, subsequent issues in 1913 provide no articles or advertisements in Italian.

With the release of the first issue of 1916, the News eliminated the subheading “Formerly La Nostra Terra.” At this point any connection with the original La Nostra Terra – its purpose and audience – was lost. The paper, now fully in English, nevertheless offers a snapshot of a changing community and of noteworthy events in American history as seen from the perspective of those who lived through the events of WWI and America’s involvement, presidential and local elections, baseball news, and women’s suffrage, to name just a few of the topics it covered.

Provided By: Wisconsin Historical Society

About this Newspaper

Title

  • La Nostra Terra (Hurley, Wis.) 1904-191?

Dates of Publication

  • 1904-191?

Created / Published

  • Hurley, Wis. : Frank Marta, 1904-

Headings

  • -  Hurley (Wis.)--Newspapers
  • -  Wisconsin--Hurley
  • -  United States--Wisconsin--Iron--Hurley

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Anno 1, num. 1 (23 genn. 1904)-
  • -  Editor: F. Marta, -.
  • -  "Primo giornale italiano della stato Wisconsin" .
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  In Italian, ; in Italian and English, .
  • -  Our land (Hurley, Wis.) 2768-4814 (DLC)sn 85040651 (OCoLC)12094292

Medium

  • volumes : illustrations

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn85040650

OCLC Number

  • 12094198

ISSN Number

  • 2768-4776

Succeeding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

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:

La Nostra Terra Hurley, Wis. -191?. (Hurley, WI), Jan. 1 1904. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85040650/.

APA citation style:

(1904, January 1) La Nostra Terra Hurley, Wis. -191?. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn85040650/.

MLA citation style:

La Nostra Terra Hurley, Wis. -191?. (Hurley, WI) 1 Jan. 1904. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn85040650/.