NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS HAD an important part in the history of amateur journalism. As early as 1872 a Granite State A.P.A. was organized, covering New Hampshire and Vermont, with Harold L. Dana as President. Frederick H. Pinkham was Vice-President, and George E. Tewksbury Secretary. The next year George F. Canis was chosen President, James D. P. Wingate Vice-President, and William M. Kendall Secretary. Its last convention was held in February, 1874. A local club was organized in Manchester in 1873, with Canis as President, and one in Milford in 1879.
James D. P. Wingate, later one of New England's leading newspaper publishers, was the first real amateur journalist in New Hampshire, and a foremost one. In 1867 at Exeter he issued the Little Joker, and in 1873 the Bird's Nest. Later he published the Boys' Gem. In 1870 in Farmington C. H. Perkins published the Rising Sun. In 1872 at New Market Frank H. Pinkham issued the Amateur News and then the Advertiser, which was changed into a professional paper, published for many years. In 1872 also George F. Canis in Manchester issued the Amoskeag Journal, and in Lebanon William M. Kendall published the Youths' Standard. The next year Kendall moved to Nashua and issued Young American, started by Charles S. Campbell in 1870. Manchester in 1871 also saw the publication of the Yankee Boy by George E. Tewksbury, and in 1873 F. H. Challis issued the Star of Progress, while the same year George D. Burton, afterwards a noted inventor, sent forth from New Ipswich the New England Star, a very large journal with an engraved heading. In 1876 Burton sold his paper to William M. Pemberton of Ansonia, Conn., who then published it from that place. In New Ipswich, also, in 1873-6, John E. Emery published the Times, and Frank A. Knight in Concord issued the Amateur's Monthly Magazine.
In 1874 Clarence B. Little, the first President of the New England Amateur Journalists Association, issued the Novelty from Pembroke. Milford in 1877 was the home of a famous amateur journalist, C. Fred Crosby, editor of the Literary Journal, and the same year another noted amateur, Leonard E. Tilden, issued from Cheshire the Star, moving to Marlborough the next year, where he published one of the leading Journals of the time, the Granite State Courier. Another of the famous papers of the period was published in Lebanon by W. W. Richardson in 1879, the Catchall, noted for its literary excellence. The same year a well known and long published journal called the Granite State Echo was started in Concord by William J. Drew and Herbert D. Smart. Smart later moved to Nashua and issued the Echo from that city for many years. In 1884 at Franklin George H. Moses, later one of the distinguished members of the United States Senate, entered amateur journalism by publishing the West Side Venture. In 1885 an excellent paper was issued from Concord by William A. Cowley called 0ur Optic, and in 1901 one of the most celebrated magazines in amateur Journalism, named the Monadnock Magazine, was started in Hanover by W. Paul Cook. It was one of the largest magazines ever issued, and was followed later by Mr. Cook with the Vagrant, almost equally notable. Willis Edward Hurd was active in 1898 from Newport.
Two young ladies gained much recognition in the early history of amateur journalism in the State as authors. One was Alice Harper of Concord and the other Bessie Murray of Lancaster.
