Matthias Bartgis
Encyclopedia
Matthias Bartgis was a pioneer German-American printer in Western Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Matthias Bartgis was born June 3, 1759 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
to a German immigrant, Matthias Bartgis. He learned the art of printing from William Bradford in Philadelphia and initially established a print office in York, Pennsylvania
. In 1778 he expanded his business to Frederick, Maryland
and later to Winchester, Virginia
as well. In 1788 Bartgis established a regular bi-weekly private mail system which stretched from York to Winchester to facilitate the delivery of his paper.
Until his retirement in 1820 Bartgis published various newspapers, pamphlets, forms, and books for the rapidly growing population of the Shenandoah, bringing printed culture to the area and including the large German minority.
His newspaper publications include:
Matthias Bartgis was born June 3, 1759 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
to a German immigrant, Matthias Bartgis. He learned the art of printing from William Bradford in Philadelphia and initially established a print office in York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
. In 1778 he expanded his business to Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
and later to Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
as well. In 1788 Bartgis established a regular bi-weekly private mail system which stretched from York to Winchester to facilitate the delivery of his paper.
Until his retirement in 1820 Bartgis published various newspapers, pamphlets, forms, and books for the rapidly growing population of the Shenandoah, bringing printed culture to the area and including the large German minority.
His newspaper publications include:
- 1785-1789. Bartgis’s Marylandische Zeitung, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1786-1788. Maryland Chronicle, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1787-1788. Pennsylvania Chronicle, York, Pa.
- 1787-1791. Virginia Gazette, Winchester, Va.
- 1789. Maryland Gazette, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1790. Staunton Gazette, Staunton, Va.
- 1792-1794. Bartgis’s Maryland Gazette, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1793. General Staats-Bothe, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1794-1800. Bartgis’s Federal Gazette, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1800-1820+. Bartgis’s Republican Gazette, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1802-1806, 1809-1810, 1813-1814. Hornet, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1808. Independent American Volunteer, Fredericktown, Md.
- 1810-1813. General Staatsbothe, Fredericktown, Md.