The Grit office as it looked in the 1890s

Grit was a newspaper founded in 1882 as the Saturday edition of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Daily Sun & Banner. In 1885, the name was purchased for $1000 by 25-year-old German immigrant Dietrick Lamade, who established a circulation of 4000 during the first year. He operated from a third-floor single room, moving down to a storefront location in 1886. With rapid expansion, a horse-drawn wagon of Remington typewriters was delivered to the Grit offices in 1892. 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania highlighting Williamsport Williamsport is a city located in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Introducing such innovations as national newsboy delivery and direct mail, Lamade eventually parlayed his weekly into one of America's biggest and most enduring national publications, featuring news, human interest articles, comic strips, puzzles and serials in fiction supplements("Grit Story Section"). A familiar newspaper in small towns across the United States for over a century, it became a national institution. With its content aimed at rural America, Grit had a weekly circulation of 20,000 by 1887 and 100,000 in 1900. At its 50th anniversary in 1932, 400,000 people bought the newspaper each week. Lamade retired in 1936. The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

During the first three-quarters of the 20th Century, Grit was sold across the country by children and teenagers, many recruited by ads in comic books during the 1940s and 1950s. During the 1950s, approximately 30,000 boys collected dimes from more than 700,000 American small town homes.

At its peak in 1969, Grit had a total circulation of 1.5 million weekly copies. It was one of the first newspapers in the United States to run color photographs. During the 1980s, Grit was acquired by Ogden Publications, moved from Williamsport to Topeka, Kansas and switched to a monthly magazine format. Grit currently has a paid circulation of about 100,000. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Motto: Nickname: Map Political Statistics Founded December 5, 1854 Incorporated February 14, 1857 County Shawnee County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor Bill Bunten Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Water 147. ...

Reference

Auken, Robin Van and Hunsinger, Jr., Louis E. Williamsport: The Grit Photograph Collection. Arcadia, 2004. One title in Arcadia's "Images of America" series.

External links

• Fifties Website: Newspaper Grit, message board memories
• Fusebox: Grit
• Grit official site