The Columbian Centinel was a Boston newspaper that was printed from 1790 to 1840. Through a series of mergers, the Centinel was one of several local newspapers that eventually became the Boston Herald. This 1811 edition advertises the formation of the Massachusetts General Hospital. The Centinel wasn’t limited to such grand pronouncements, as the 1821 edition announcing the opening of the MGH features a notice regarding a “learned elephant” who would perform feats of mathematics for delighted onlookers.