Green's Almanac Precursor, Daily Advertiser 1877 FOUND!

A recent donation from a Green-relation estate clean-out has revealed a heretofore unknown precursor to the popular August Flower almanac. Before Woodbury's multimillionaire, G.G. Green, introduced the world to his patent medicine remedies by way of his colorful August Flower almanacs, shown above, it is now known that he first experimented with a newspaper format. The first of his almanacs appeared under the title Green's Pictorial Almanac and began publication on September 1878. The newly discovered Daily Advertiser Vol.1, No.1 predates Green's almanac format by nearly a year, with a publishing date of February 22nd, 1877.

U.S. Patent Image

This is the only known issue and the fact that it resembles a common daily newspaper of the time probably had more to do with a clever advertising technique than any desire on the part of the firm to continue regular publication. In any case, the newspaper format was switched over to the colorful almanac, which by 1878 was beginning to grow in popularity and usage for other patent medicine firms. Green's almanac was printed in-house at his Green Avenue, Woodbury, NJ laboratory utilizing his nine printing press fleet (see image below). It proved so popular for him that he took out a patent for the publication in 1882. In 1883 alone, five million copies of his almanacs printed in English, German, French, and Spanish were distributed worldwide. As a result, Woodbury's Post Office ranked seventh in the state for postal revenue. Not bad for a small (but growing) rural community at the time.

Green's Laboratory Printing Room

Editions of the August Flower almanac are routinely found worldwide in academic library and museum collections pertaining to early American ephemera and advertising and this recent discovery is an important part of the U. S. patent medicine advertising timeline. Given its current deteriorating condition and being the only issue in possible existence, it is important that this undergoes professional conservation treatment. As always, if you'd like to donate towards the conservation, collection, and digital preservation of any historic item pertaining to Woodbury this can be done easily via our PayPal donation link to the left. For now, the pre-treated Daily Advertiser has been digitally scanned and we here at the VGPS proudly present this exciting publication for your enjoyment below.* Not to be missed is the Woodbury is Looking Up article found on page three. This virtual tour of 1877 Woodbury clearly describes the notable buildings and surroundings up and down Broad, Delaware, Cooper, Euclid and Evergreen and features the old Colonial-style Gloucester County Court House, Woodbury Town Hall and more. Download and view the following images on your computer for easier reading.

For a more comprehensive chronology for the Green's August Flower Almanac visit: 

An Annotated Catalogue of the Edward C. Atwater Collection of American Popular Medicine and Health Reform 

August 1878 announcement of new almanac publication

* These images are property of the Village Green Preservation Society and may only be used for educational purposes or personal use. A credit statement and link attributing the Village Green Preservation Society, Woodbury, NJ must appear alongside any reproduction.

Lover's Lane

When I first began researching Woodbury's rich history I was always happy to discover the many vintage postcards depicting what must have been a popular destination in its day: Lover's Lane! One can easily picture young Victorian era lovers and families alike out for early evening strolls amongst the naturally occurring walkway framed by towering pines. Although Evergreen Avenue offered a similar romantic walkway, Lover's Lane proper was located along Cooper Street opposite the former Country Club grounds and must have extended to some point down toward the lake, now known as Stewart Lake named after local historian and Gloucester County Historical Society president Frank Stewart. Frank Stewart had his own home, 'Rugby Pines' built in 1914 in the section of Woodbury then commonly known as the East Side. An avid outdoorsman, Stewart was known to care for the many trees around his home and street.

Prior to this in 1910, however many of the pines along the western end of this locally famous and popular walk were cut down, their stumps dynamited out to smooth the grade of the sidewalk (see press clipping below). Later in 1918, during a Cooper Street improvement project 500 feet of Lover's Lane was lovingly preserved through the efforts of concerned citizens; quick growing evergreens replaced any dead trees and irregular stone slabs were placed creating an ornamental pavement. An additional 100 feet were added on to the original walk, perhaps replacing some of the trees lost during the 1910 dynamiting. Sadly today, despite all remarkable efforts of our ancestors, all semblance of Lover's Lane has been lost to the ages. I believe Rowan University upon purchasing and restoring Frank Stewart's former home in 2000 had many of the original pines out front of the house removed.

Today the only stroll we can take is down memory lane. Enjoy the surviving postcard images and reminisce about Woodbury's former romantic and shady Lover's Lane.

this postcard circa 1910

10.18.1910 issue of WDT

10.19.1910 issue of WDT

5.7.1919 issue of WDT



Similar walkway along Evergreen.
Illustration from an 1889 Green's August Flower Almanac.