History: Time traveling with The Recorder(s)

By JEFF MORRIS AND DANIELA RYNOTT

As we approach the first anniversary of The Recorder’s print edition in September, you might think we’d be tempted to go back and revisit those first efforts to get this publication off the ground.

You’d be wrong.

Because, as satisfying and self-congratulatory as that might be, we’ve been humbled to discover a much more fascinating history — one that we were somehow unaware of when this new weekly newspaper was conceived.

Among the artifacts carefully stored away in the office and archives of Bedford Town Historian John Stockbridge is a complete collection of newspapers published in Katonah from 1874 to 1882, called — maybe you should sit down for this — The Recorder. (We really didn’t know!)

Fragile, but in remarkably good condition, they offer an incomparable glimpse into life in the latter half of the 19th century. Mostly focused on news of roughly the same towns we cover today, they also contain references to matters of national and global interest. Come to think of it, that’s also true of today’s Recorder.

And the ads — the ads! — offer an unparalleled view of the merchants, products and trends that dominated daily life.

Included in the collection is a letter, on town of Bedford stationery, dated Sept. 16, 1986, from Rosemary Mahoney, secretary to then-Town Historian Donald Marshall, to Miss Madelon Ryan of Katonah. The letter states that “recently, Mrs. William A. Kelly presented, in your name, the set of five volumes containing original issues of The Recorder, to the Bedford Historical Library.”

It indicates that this is “the only complete set (April 24, 1874 through April 7, 1882) which exists.” And according to the letter, Ryan was continuing Bedford’s tradition of caring for its historical records, a service “which was also performed by William A. Miller, the editor, who was your grandfather; and by your father, J. Franklin Ryan.”

The Recorder — the one you’re reading now — intends to offer excerpts from The Recorder — the one they were reading in the 1870s — as a periodic sojourn into a seemingly ancient past that, on closer examination, may not be all that different from today’s world. 

Excerpts from The Katonah Recorder

July 26, 1878

A CASE OF INSANITY

Mr. Charles Vredenburgh, aged 21 years, son of Mr. William D. Vredenburgh, living near Croton Lake, was adjudged insane by competent medical authority early this week, and on Tuesday was conveyed by Mr. James Ledwood, of this place, to the asylum at Poughkeepsie.

The young man had for a long time shown slightly deranged at times, the result, probably, of close application to his books while at school. On Friday last, he was observed to wander in the hay-field, at short distance from the dwelling, at about five o'clock in the morning, and not long afterward he came out entirely nude, and acted so strangely that it became presently manifest, even to his friends, that his mind was impaired, and they did all to correct the trouble, but without success. He remained in the house that night, but he talked in such a wild way that he had to be held.

Serious began at once. His mother and sister were greatly alarmed lest the young man had drowned, but Mr. Vredenburgh stated with great assurance that he could not be drowned in Croton Lake, as he was an expert swimmer. Presently Mr. Frank Flowerhill, living near Pine’s Bridge, drove into Charles in his wagon. He had met him wandering along the road, quite nude, and was leading him around the Lake, and took him to Mr. English’s farm house, where he secured some clothing and returned home.

It is known of him, and Mr. Vredenburgh confirmed it, that he threw off his clothes, and took him home. He continued much deranged through Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, but was removed on Tuesday, as before stated.

The young man is in very serious condition, but it is hoped that, with proper care and treatment, he will recover his reason.

BUSINESS MEN! IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE

The time has come when every thorough business man recognizes the value of advertising. It is as essential to the prosperity of any business or trade as capital; in fact, it is the very wheel which keeps capital moving. A merchant may pay store rent a lifetime, but that will avail him nothing. Rent draws no customers, attracts no attention; it only buys him a right to do business. Business must be created! The shrewd man will create it by judicious advertising, and experience has always shown that an enterprising newspaper is the very best advertising medium. 

There is, we know, a propensity among some business men to use irregular advertising mediums. The by-ways are almost innumerable. Scarcely a day passes but that we are confronted by some new-fangled device to reap the dollars and cents of amphibious tradesmen. Business cards, circulars, etc., are well enough in their places, but they do not begin to offer the advantages which are supplied by a fresh, concise, and truthful state in the columns of a live newspaper. We refer with pleasure to the opinions of three leading New York firms. Messrs. Lord & Taylor, the eminent dry goods firm, say: 

“Of all methods open to the merchant for advertising his business, an experience of nearly half a century enables us to unhesitatingly declare in favor of the newspaper. It is, without exception, the most economical, persistent, painstaking and successful canvasser any business firm can secure for the purpose of bringing their goods to the attention of the consumer.”

Messrs. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., the well-known publishers of school-books, say:

“We have tried almost every sort of medium in advertising, and long ago became convinced that the results were largely in favor of the fresh and varied columns of the newspaper.”

The testimony of Messrs. Isaac Smith’s Sons and Co., the leading umbrella firm, is:

“If what you have to say be strictly true, say it in a good newspaper. Its readers are intelligent, will appreciate a bargain, and of every customer, you make an advertiser. For forty-seven years nine-tenth of our advertising has been done on this plan, and of the whole expenditure, all that we regret is contained in the other tenth.”

Thus, we claim that The Recorder should be to the business men of Katonah and neighboring villages, what the metropolitan journal is to the houses we have named. The Recorder circulates among the class of people the country merchant desires to reach. It has subscribers at nearly every Post Office in Westchester County, and its circulation is especially large in the following places:

Katonah, Golden’s Bridge, Purdy’s, Salem Centre, North Salem, Somers, Croton Falls, Somers Centre, Yorktown, Croton Lake, Mount Kisco, Bedford, Bedford Station, Pleasantville, New Castle, Pound Ridge, South Salem, Cross River, Boutonville.

It has, also, a large list of subscribers in the cities of New York and Brooklyn, and circulates regularly in Stamford, New Canaan, Banksville and Ridgefield, Conn., and other not far distant villages.

The rates for advertising in the Recorder, to which we invite particular attention, are extremely low. A comparison with the rates of other newspapers will readily substantiate what we say…