The Victoria Gazette – British Columbia, Abel Whitten and James W. Towne, 1858

From the founding of the first printing press in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1752, over one hundred years would pass before the first printing press was set up in what is now British Columbia. In the wake of the Fraser River gold rush of 1858, thousands of people poured into B.C., and among them were a variety of tradesmen and craftsmen. Before the end of 1858, four different newspapers had started publication. 

The first, The Victoria Gazette, was printed in British Columbia on June 25, 1858, by Abel Whitten and James W. Towne, both from San Francisco. The publication began under the name Anglo-American but was changed to the Victoria Gazette at the suggestion of Victoria’s citizens. However, the Gazette ceased publication after only a year. 

The Victoria Gazette was aimed at both itinerant gold miners and town residents, designed to be portable and accessible. Initially, it maintained a neutral stance, particularly avoiding involvement in local political disputes. However, its editorial policy shifted during the San Juan Island dispute in 1859, when it began to express strong American nationalist sentiments, reflecting its founders’ origins.