National Tribune

The National Tribune (official title) was a post-Civil War newspaper based in Washington, D.C., published by the National Tribune Publishing Co. "A Monthly Journal devoted to the interests of the Soldiers and Sailors of the late war, and all Pensioners of the United States" was the caption under the paper's title.

The National Tribune Publishing Co. also printed historical publications, from pamphlets to hard-bound books, and ephemera empathizing on articles, stories and histories of heroes and political figures, as well as Union and Confederate soldiers and armies.

The paper was headquartered at 615 Fifteenth St. NW, Washington, D.C., in an area considered "D.C.'s Newspaper Row", located just five blocks from the White House.

Byron Andrews, a native of Evansville, Wisconsin, and an 1876 graduate of Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y., came aboard in 1884 as business manager in New York City office (66, World Building) of the National Tribune and a subsidiary news journal, The American Farmer.

He had also served as private secretary to U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant on industrial excursions to Mexico, Cuba and abroad.

In April 1893, Marilla Andrews, Byron's sister of, was appointed editor of the American Farmer.

In December 1896, George E. Lemon died and buried in historic Rock Creek Cemetery in D.C. not far from the grave of Henry Adams.

Robert W. Shoppell was a former publisher, while Byron Andrews had been an associate editor and business manager for The National Tribune and The American Farmer (also owned by George E. Lemon & Co.) in New York for 15 years.

The most prominent of the trio was John L. McElroy, who after ten years as managing editor of the Toledo Blade had assumed the same position with the National Tribune in 1884 and had served as president of the National Association of Ex-Prisoners of War.

In 1885, the company began publishing and printing non-fictional "Standard books" of the general history, soldier life and adventures and important places pertaining to the Civil War, as well as other unrelated informative books.

By 1899, they ceased selling and advertised at the end of the back inside cover "Terms: The foregoing books are not for sale.

John L. McElroy was born August 25, 1846, in Greenup, Kentucky, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois.

Robert W. Shoppell of New York City was probably the first to openly mimic Palliser's method of mail-order practice.

Co-Operative Building Plan Assn.....63 Broadway, New York, N.Y. After learning he was to move to Washington, D.C. to take part ownership of The National Tribune Publishing Co, he had advertised "Wood Cuts and Electrotypes.

Shoppell 48 Beckman Street, N.Y." in The Publishers' Weekly, a journal specially devoted to the interests of the book and stationery trade.