Books by Richard B Marrin

This volume of news abstracts provides a view of both the everyday life of the colonists of Eastern Connecticut and the extraordinary events of the Revolutionary War. The years 1777 through 1779 were more than just another chapter in our nation's history-Connecticut and the country were in the midst of a rebellion against the greatest power in the world. On 17 December 1773, The New London Gazette was renamed The Connecticut Gazette; however, the form of the paper remained unchanged. It was published weekly and normally carried news of Europe, England and the other colonies; followed by local news. Local news sheds a lot of light on town life. Who lived where and what were they like? What did the towns look like? What did the shopkeepers sell? What holidays did the people celebrate? How did they worship? New London was the home of the Gazette; however, Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Saybrook, Lyme, Colchester, Preston, and Lebanon were also served by the paper, as well as the neighboring towns of Windham County. A full name plus subject index augments the wealth of genealogical and historical information preserved on these pages.

The Northern Standard, later renamed The Clarksville Standard, was a weekly newspaper first published in 1842 by Charles DeMorse in Clarksville, a small town in the northeastern corner of the Republic of Texas. The paper grew to become the second largest in circulation in Texas and DeMorse was hailed as the Father of Texas Journalism. DeMorse, a fervent Democrat, also earned the title: The Father of the Democratic Press in Texas. In 1858 and 1859, Red River County had a population of almost 6,000; crops flourished: corn, cotton, wheat and fruits; steam mills produced lumber and flour. Life was good. The abstracts recorded herein tell the story of how the settlers schooled their children, raised their crops, and made their living; along with accounts of immigration, Indian troubles on the ever-advancing frontier, financial crises and religious revivals. However tranquil Texas seemed during these years, there was an under current concerning slavery and the approaching Civil War. Both the genealogist and the student of Texas history will prize this work. For the genealogist, there is a wealth of names. For historians, this volume offers a taste of the people, events and attitudes in motion which were to shape Texas and the United States. An every name index enhances the text.

The Northern Standard, later renamed The Clarksville Standard, was a weekly newspaper first published in 1842 by Charles DeMorse in Clarksville, a small town in the northeastern corner of the Republic of Texas. The paper grew to become the second largest in circulation in Texas and DeMorse was hailed as the Father of Texas Journalism. In 1856 and 1857, times were good and everyone thought life would only get better. New technology brought change, both good and bad. Texas agriculture took a giant leap forward with the introduction of mechanical threshers and reapers. The telegraph and railroads connected many states, and would eventually include Texas. But periodically, even in the face of seeming prosperity, economies crash and times become tense. The Crash of 1857, resentment against immigrants, the Dred Scott decision handed down by the Supreme Court, the Underground Railroad, and insurrection conspiracies all contributed to the undercurrent of stress in society. The Whig party was disappearing, the Democrats were split between North and South, the Republican Party was forming, and the Know Nothings' American Party rounded out the political combatants of the day. All this, along with town activities, marriages and deaths, celebrations, crops, weather and more were covered in the Standard. Both the genealogist and the student of Texas history will prize this work. For the genealogist, there is a wealth of names. For historians, this volume offers a taste of the people, events and attitudes in motion which were to shape Texas and the United States. An every name index enhances the text.

The Northern Standard, later renamed The Clarksville Standard, was a weekly newspaper first published in 1842 by Charles DeMorse in Clarksville, a small town in the northeastern corner of the Republic of Texas. The paper grew to become the second largest in circulation in Texas and DeMorse was hailed as the Father of Texas Journalism. In 1854 and 1855, Texas was still "growing up." The Standard was more than a country newspaper. It published national and international news received from "exchange papers" from other parts of Texas, the Eastern seaboard, and even Europe. A myriad of political ideologies, temperance, and the growing issue of slavery and abolition were some of the topics discussed. Local news focused on Clarksville and the reader's home terrain: Bowie, Cass, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Montague, Parker, Red River, Tarrant, Titus, Upshur, and Wise Counties. Town activities, marriages and deaths, celebrations, crops, weather and more were covered. Both the genealogist and the student of Texas history will prize this work. For the genealogist, there is a wealth of names. For historians, this volume offers a taste of the people, events and attitudes in motion which were to shape Texas and the United States. An every name index enhances the text.