Constitution, By-laws, and Rules and Orders of the Steilacoom Library Association, Washington Territory Organized in March, 1858

Item Details

Constitution, By-laws, and Rules and Orders of the Steilacoom Library Association, Washington Territory Organized in March 1858, Printed at Puget Sound Herald Office, Steilacoom, Washington Territory, 1860. 

String tied pamphlet with printed wrappers measures 6 3/8 x 4 1/2 inches. 12pp. Some soiling and edgewear to wrappers. Some toning to leaves including a small, foxed area to upper right corner. Good Condition.

Very early Washington Territorial imprint for the Steilacoom Library Association which was organized in March 1858. Includes the Constitution, By-laws, and Rules and Orders for this nascent library organization.

The present town of Steilacoom began in 1851 with the arrival of Captain Lafayette Balch Congress created Washington Territory in 1853, and the first territorial legislature incorporated the town of Steilacoom in early 1854, combining Steilacoom City and Port Steilacoom. In 1855 Balch purchased a printing press on which this little pamphlet almost certainly was printed. In 1858 Lafayette Balch convinced Thomas Prosch to run the town's newspaper and Prosch began printing the Puget Sound Herald. (Information from historylink.org)

A chance to hold an early printed ephemeral pamphlet from Washington Territory.