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Matthias Bartgis, Pioneer Printer at Frederick
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apothecary shop, and bookstore, in Fredericktown; or at Bartgis's paper mill five miles from Fred-
ericktown, Maryland."
BARTGIS'S PRINTING VENTURES IN PENNSYLVANIA AND VIRGINIA
His interests were not limited to Frederick alone. He printed at
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, from 1776 to 1781 and the year after the es-
tablishment of the two newspapers at Frederick he broadened the scope
of his journalistic business to include a paper at Winchester, Virginia
and another at York, Pennsylvania. By so doing he established the first
newspaper at both of these important towns of the "Old West" and
identified himself with the cultural history of a whole area that was
being largely settled by the Scotch-Irish and Germans. On April 18,
1787, an announcement of the establishment of a printing press at Win-
chester appeared in the Maryland Chronicle with the proposal to print
a paper entitled The Virginia Gazette, and Winchester Advertiser on or
before the first Tuesday in May at two dollars a year, providing there
were enough subscribers. The date of publication was postponed until
June, and not until July 11, 1787, did the first number appear. Bartgis
and Willcocks published it during the remainder of the year and in
January the firm name became M. Bartgis and Company. The last
located issue of this paper is that of November 26, 1791.15 The York
paper was begun later in the year and the following advertisement an-
nounced the establishment of a press there.
"Printing, In all its various Branches performed with accuracy and dispatch, by M. Bartgis and
Company, At their Printing-Office, York (Pennsylvania.) They beg leave to announce that they
have, at heavy expence, erected a complete Printing Apparatus, English and German, in the
Borough of York, where they are ready to serve the Public in every thing relative to that Art.
We intend to publish a Weekly News-Paper, entitled the Pennsylvania Chronicle or the York
Weekly Advertiser, some time this Month, provided a sufficient number of Subscribers can be ob-
tained by that time. Those Gentlemen possessed of Subscription-Papers will be pleased to send
them to the Printing-Office as soon as possible. Subscriptions are received at the Prin ting-Office in
Winchester, Virginia, and at the Printing-Office Frederick-Town (Maryland) and by the Printers
hereof, at the moderate cost of two Dollars per Annum."16
The first number was probably published October 24, 1787, and no copies
have been located after March 7, 1788.17
The last number of The Maryland Chronicle which has been located
15 See Brigham, Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1720. Virginia.
16 Maryland Chronicle, October 17, 1787.
17 See Brigham, op. cil. Pennsylvania.
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