What was advertised in a revolutionary American newspaper 250 years ago this week?
“A House of Entertainment in Providence.”
When John Fry relocated from Newport to Providence, he ran an advertisement in the Providence Gazette to “acquaint his Friends, and the Public in general, that he has opened a House of Entertainment … a little below the Great Bridge.” To aid prospective patrons in finding the establishment where he “proposes to victual and lodge Gentlemen and Ladies,” he clarified that they should seek “the House owned by Mr. James Lovett.” In addition to food and rooms available to residents of Providence and travelers to the town, Fry “has likewise good Accommodations for Horses, and will engage to keep them in the best Manner.”
While Fry certainly hoped to attract local patrons to spend some of their leisure time at his “House of Entertainment,” he also depended on the circulation of the Providence Gazette far beyond the town to generate business among travelers. At the time, it was one of only two newspapers printed in Rhode Island … and the Newport Mercury, the other newspaper, experienced disruptions in publication in the early months of 1776. Sometimes Solomon Southwick, the printer, only had enough paper for a half sheet edition of two pages rather than the usual four; other times he missed a week completely. Such had been the case for several newspapers since the war began in April 1775. The Providence Gazette previously had readers in Newport, but it became an even more important vehicle for disseminating news and advertisements when the Newport Mercury experienced disruptions. Fry no doubt intended for “his Friends” in Newport who planned to visit Providence to see his advertisement in the Providence Gazette; he leveraged their familiarity with him when selecting where to eat and sleep when they came to his new town. Yet he also addressed “the Public in general” throughout Rhode Island as well as eastern Connecticut and central and southeastern Massachusetts, knowing that the Providence Gazettecirculated in many towns in the region.