Author: Cindy Lambert

The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California is first published in 1869 as a weekly newspaper and was founded under the ownership of H.S. Rembaugh & Co. The “company” is Walter Murray, who was also the editor. As there are so many people unable to read English, one or two columns are printed in Spanish. The paper is 28 x 36 inches in size, with seven columns and four pages. Murray starts the paper after the demise of the San Luis Obispo Pioneer which has a short lifespan.

Weather, especially rainfall, has been an important observation in the history of the United States. In fact, by 1849 the Smithsonian Institution supplied weather instruments to telegraph companies and helped to establish an extensive observation network. By the end of 1849, 150 volunteers throughout the United States were reporting weather observations to the Smithsonian regularly. In 1869, weather data was collected by the telegraph service in Cincinnati, Ohio and they produced weather charts.