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The Poe scholarship has long been dominated by either Gothic or psychoanalytic criticism. Since the late 1980s, however, renewed critical efforts have begun to place Poe’s work in antebellum contexts. Indeed, this contextualization of Poe has been insightful and productive. In line with the recent historical trends in Poe criticism, I intend to explore Poe’s first two tales of ratiocination, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Mystery of Marie Roget,” in the light of his professional reactions to the rapidly growing Penny Press journalism. In so doing, I will demonstrate that Poe’s creation of the new literary genre in 1840s was closely tied to the revolutionary rise of the Penny Press. This historical reading will provide a more balanced understanding on the birth of Poe’s tales of ratiocination.