Robert
B. Thomas was the first editor and the driving force behind the first issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac which was
published in 1792. This was during George Washington’s first term as president.
Thomas’ almanac was an immediate success although there were other almanacs
published. The second year of publication tripled from 3,000 to 9,000. The
original Almanac cost only a six pence (approximately nine cents).
The purpose of an almanac was to
record and predict weather, tides, and the rising and setting of the sun as
well as other astronomical events which I imagine would be solar eclipses and the
possibility of a meteor shower. What may have made Thomas’ the more popular
almanac may have been that his predictions were more accurate. Thomas used a
comprehensive set of natural cycles to come up with a successful weather
forecasting blueprint. Thomas’ last
edition was published in 1846 and was not much different than the one he
published 50 years earlier. He died in 1846 at the age 0f 80, and it was
rumored that he was reading page proofs for the 1847 edition. Talk about
dedication.
A new editor came on board and his
name was John H. Jenks and he was aided in his new role when he used the
calculated astronomical material for several future editions prepared by
Thomas. In 1848 Jenks added the word Old to
the title of the Almanac which was
previously referred to as The Farmer’s
Almanac. Jenk’s made an additional change to the Almanac in 1851 when he
added a four seasons draewing on the cover by an artist named Henry Nichols.
This drawing has been used ever since.
In 1861 another editor came on board
by the name of Charles L. Flint. He decided to provide his readers with more
importance placed on farming. The next two editors John Boies Tileston and
Loomis Joseph Campbell did not serve as editor for very long and they decided
to keep the Almanac going in the traditional way.
Robert Ware became the sixth editor
in 1877 and his main interest in the publishing business and it appeared that
he delegated more of the editorial tasks. Ware’s brother, Horace, took over in 1900. Horace took a turn in another
direction with the Almanac and replaced the scientific agriculture articles
with articles about nature and modern life. The
Old Farmer’s Almanac was kept alive
during the Depression and times of war by the eighth and ninth editors, Frank
Newton and Carroll Swan.
Robert Scaife, the editor appointed
in 1936, made a huge blunder and resolved to not provide weather predictions.
He replaced weather predictions with temperature and averages. Circulation went
from 225,000 in 1863 to 88,000 in 1938. Due to public outcry he changed his
mind and went back to the old format, but his reputation was already damaged.
Robert Sagendorph’s vision was to
return the Almanac to its original format during Thomas’ time. The Almanac
picked up a more interesting format and it became more amusing, astute and more
entertaining. It returned to the popularity it received 100 years earlier.
Something interesting happened in
1942. A German spy was caught and taken into custody by the FBI after he landed
on Long Island, New York. He was dropped off by a U-boat the night before. The Old Farmer’s Almanac was found in
his coat pocket. The U.S. Government made the determination that the Almanac
was being used by the Germans for weather forecasts. This meant the book was
supplying information to the enemy. Sagendorph, after much effort, got the
government to agree that the Almanac was in violation of the “Code of Wartime
Practices for the American Press” if the Almanac featured weather indications
instead of weather predictions. This the first time the Almanac was threatened
to be taken out of publication. The story of the history of the Almanac has
been one of growth and expansion. The Almanac passed a four million circulation
mark during the early 1990s. Robb Sagendorph died in 1970 and the role of
editor was passed on to his nephew, Judson Hale.
Janice Stillman took on the role as
editor in 2000 and she is the first female editor to do so. She has made the
determination to maintain the style that was established by her predecessors of
Judson Hale and the dedication of hundreds of years of tradition. She also
strives to have the Almanac appear to be fresh and interesting.
Source: www.almanac.com/content/history-old-farmers-almanac
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