Early St. Augustine newspapers

Although Florida was first settled in 1565, Historic City News readers might be interested to know that it was 200 years before the first newspaper was printed here.

In 1783 when Spain still ruled over Florida, William Charles Wells began the “East Florida Gazette” the colony’s first newspaper at St. Augustine. The first edition was probably dated February 1.

There are no known copies in America, but from a few numbers preserved in London it is evident that even though it was published in English, in a Spanish speaking community, the “Gazette” was a credible newspaper.

Certainly it was informative enough that English spies were using it to keep track of what the Spanish were up to.

In July of 1821, after Florida was ceded to the United States, Richard Edes of Augusta, Maine arrived in St. Augustine and began publication of the “Florida Gazette”.

He died only three months later — the paper was renamed the “East Florida Herald” and continued for many years.

Later the same year two Virginians arrived in Pensacola and established the “Floridian” on August 18, 1821, with the title later changing to “Pensacola Gazette” and “West Florida Advertiser”.

Copies of all of these papers are rare but very informative of events and attitudes current to the times.

They provide primary source documentation of our history.