North Pacific Coast. A Semi-Monthly Journal: Devoted to Home Life, Schools, Agriculture, Horticulture, Commerce, Mines, Manufactures and other Resources of Washington Territory

New Tacoma, W.T.: North pacific Coast Publishing Company, 1880. First Quarterly Issue, Containing Six Semi-Monthly Numbers. 4to, 29.5x23cm, 96pp, printed in triple column. Original printed wrappers adorned with advertisements. Some light chipping along spine and at corners, soiling and toning to wraps else remarkably well preserved. First six issues collected in a quarterly format of this early and short lived New Tacoma periodical, consisting of December 15, 1879; January 1 and 15, 1880; February 1 and 15, 1880; and March 1, 1880. The publisher's advertisement on the inner front wrapper states:

"The 'North Pacific Coast,' will hereafter be issued Quarterly and Semi-Monthly. The North Pacific Coast is gaining favor with the public at home and abroad, and its circulation is constantly increasing. It is therefor an excellent advertising medium."

The first newspaper in Tacoma appeared very shortly after the Northern Pacific announced the site as its choice for the line's western terminus, when Thomas W. Prosch launched the Pacific Tribune on August 9, 1873. Two years later, he moved the paper to Seattle and in 1877 and 1878 the Tacoma Herald and North Pacific Times appeared, respectively. The latter was published by Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Money and backed by funding from the Northern Pacific, but was also short lived, folding in 1880, overlapping slightly with the publication of the North Pacific Coast journal. The link between the two is made clear by the San Francisco Examiner 29 Jun, 1880:

"The North Pacific Coast Publishing Company of New Tacoma, Washington Territory, is publishing a semi-monthly journal under the title of the 'North Pacific Coast.' The publication is issued also in quarterly volumes of six numbers each. It is printed in quarto book form, in fine large type and in handsome form. Mr. M.H. Money & Company compose the publishing firm, and Mr. Money is now in San Francisco attending to the publication and distribution of the work. It contains sketches descriptive of Washington Territory, and statistics of valuable information, particularly designed for those who wish or propose to emigrate to that magnificent region, noted for its remarkable advantages in Coastwise interests - shipping, lumbering, fisheries, etc., and famous for the vastness and fertility of its grazing and agricultural lands."

The Journal was only published until 1881, and the following year, an announcement in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer states Mr. and Mrs. Money will be moving to California.

This is perhaps one of the earliest New Tacoma imprints bound in wrappers, another publication in 1880 from Money & Co., titled "The North Pacific," being cited by Smith and Streeter, though the volume on offer is not in either reference work. Truly a scarce Washington Territorial imprint, of great import as it pertains to the history of Tacoma.