Pioneer Pieces: The Virginia City Territorial Enterprise

Of all the frontier newspapers, Virginia City's The Territorial Enterprise, was the best known and most colorful.  The newspaper began in Mormon Station (the staging station), then moved to Carson City, and finally to Virginia City with the first pioneers.  For years, The Territorial Enterprise was a strong voice of authority in the mining world.

What made the newspaper so colorful was those on its staff - like Mark Twain (note: Samuel Langhorne Clemens was actually a very humble, quiet man).

Working with Mark Twain was Joe Goodman, Fred Hart, Wells Drury, Rollin Dagget and William Wright.  Wright wrote under the pen name of Dan De Quille.  His Big Bonanza, was recognized as an authoritative history of Nevada in his time.

For More on Frontier Newspapers, see the post on The San Francisco Chronicle
Next time...the effect of the Comstock on the nation