Some New Light on the Western Messenger

Abstract

r IHE Western Messenger, a monthly magazine which first apt peared in Cincinnati in June, I835, and ceased publication with number for April, I841, has long been recognized as an important American periodical. Sixty years ago, W. H. Venable treated Messenger as a significant part of his study of Beginnings of Literary Culture in Ohio Valley. R. L. Rusk, in his Literature of Middle Western Frontier, saw it as Perhaps highest point in literary achievement of early Western magazines,' while in his History of American Magazines F. L. Mott remarked, Messenger was the most important magazine published in West during years in which that name meant region between Appalachians and Mississippi.2 C. L. Gohdes linked this periodical with Dial as one of outstanding transcendental publications-and first in order of time.' Dixon Wecter concludes that its place in American literary history is that of the most distinguished magazine to come out of West in this era.4 Despite its prominence, and despite efforts of those who have studied Western Messenger, certain factual data of its history have hitherto been lacking. exact backgrounds of its founding have not been given, editorship of each issue of magazine has not been properly identified, some errors have been made regarding its publication, and its circulation has not been accurately estimated. Several sorts of causes have been suggested for its death in I841. In present article I propose to set forth as briefly as possible this factual history, based on manuscript sources and upon study of magazine's text. ' R. L. Rusk, Literature of Middle Western Frontier (New York, 1926), I, 178. 2 F. L. Mott, A History of American Magazines (New York, 1930), p. 663. ' C. L. Gohdes, Periodicals of American Transcendentalism (Durham, N. C., 1931), chap. ii, The Western Messenger and Dial. ' Literary History of United States (New York, 1948), II, 656.