USA > Alabama > Memorial record of Alabama. A concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people. Volume II pt 1 > Part 26
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Walter L. Hawley. now of the United Press. New York, did report- orial and literary work on the Age, Age-Herald and the Chronicle. Mr.
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G. M. Cruikshank inherited newspaper talent from his father and dis- played it to a marked degree on the Chronicle and the Age-Herald, with both of which he was long connected. Lucien J. Walker, formerly of the Montgomery Advertiser, has extended his literary fame by his writings in the Age-Herald. Many others came and went, leaving a glowing line in the memory of those who read their works. Jefferson is comparatively a new county and had but few white inhabitants prior to 1840. It was still sparsely settled when, in 1870. the building of railroad systems made the development of its vast mineral resourses possible, and Birmingham sprung into life. Its census reports since then are among the most remarkable in the country.
The first newspaper published in Henry county was the Banner, at Abbeville, by Benjamin Hawkins Kieser, between 1845 and 1855. In. the winter of 1-58-59, there was a little paper published there weekly, by' the Rev. Moses W. Helms. Hon. W. C. Oates, who had just settled there to practice law, and William A. Clark, who had formerly been a teacher in the high school at Lawrenceville, Henry county, and had just been licensed to practice law. entered into partnership for that purpose, and they bought the little paper from Helms and edited it together for about ten months. Col. Oates then bought out Clark's interest and the latter moved to Georgia. Col. Oates continued to edit and publish the paper until the spring of 1861, when he entered the Confederate army. This paper was also called the Abbeville Banner. It was democratic in poli- tics and advocated an adherence to the national democracy until after the breaking up of the Charleston convention in 1860. and the subsequent nomination of Breckinridge and Lane to the presidency and vice-presi- dency. The Banner then supported that ticket. Because of its advocacy of the policy of adhering to the national democracy as long as there was was any chance to obtain the rights of the south in the union, an oppo- sition paper was established called the United South and edited by John B, Taylor, a lawyer of considerable ability, and afterward Gov. Shorter's private secretary in Montgomery, and S. S. Curry. Esq., who was subsequently killed in the battle of Seven Pines, Va. The issue be. tween these two papers, the latter advocating immediate secession from the union, soon grew pretty sharp. and a controversy was carried on from week to week until it culminated in a personal difficulty between Col. Oates and the late Gen. A. C. Gordon. who was a stock owner and con- tributor to the United South. It caused them to be bitter enemies, until the close of the war, when Col. Oates returned home disabled, having lost an arm. Gen. Gordon generously proposed to drop past differences and be friends. which Col. Oates accepted, and they remained the best of friends from that time up to the hour of Gen. Gordon's death. After Col. Oates left Abbeville, for the seat of war in Virginia, the paper soon went down, and the publication of the United South was kept up but irregularly during the war. While the Banner was published by Col.
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Oates, for a part of the time a youthful printer named Alonzo Barron was the foreman. Ae subsequently became a very distinguished Baptist preacher and often preached in Montgomery. Atlanta and other cities. The remainder of the time, E. R. Quillin was the publisher, who since 1870 has been the publisher and proprietor of the Clayton Courier. Im- mediately after the war J. M. B. Kelly and E. R. Quillin published a paper in Abbeville and continued it for several years. They' were suc- ceeded in its publication by J. A. Corbett, Esq .. and E. H. Grouby. It was called the Henry County Register. It changed hands a number of times and for several years past has been published by the Grouby Brothers and called the Abbeville Times. Another paper was started in Abbeville in about 1880 and was kept up for several years by James Laborus, until, in a difficulty, he killed a man named Bussy, from Mont- gomery county, and fled the country. His paper then went down and was sold to the Grouby Brothers. At Columbia, after the war, there was a newspaper.established called the Enterprise. It existed for several years, and, after changing hands two or three simes. disappeared. There is now a little paper published by Koeber there called "The Breeze." At Headland, about the year 1884, a little paper was established by T. E. Williams, called the Headlight, and in 1888, a paper was started at Dothen, by Pierce & Pace, two young lawyers. It was called the Sentinel. In 1889, Mr. Williams bought it, moved it to Dothen, and consolidating the two plants issued a new paper called the Wire Grass Siftings, which is still in existence and in a prosperoos condition. In 1888 or 1889, Dr. Oscar Dowling established in Columbia a paper, the Recorder, which he pub- lished until 1892, when he sold it to O. M. Hill, who moved the material to Dothen and published the Dothen Record during that year, when it suspended. Col. Oates above referred to is now serving his seventh term in congress, where he long since gained a national reputation. He was. previous to his election to congress, a member of the Alabama legisla- ture and of the constitutional convention which framed the present state constitution.
Macon county was noted in ante bellum days for the excellence and high character of its newspapers. At Tuskegee, the county seat, there . were three papers published. The first of these in order of time was the Alabama Baptist, conducted by two preachers, Rev. S. Henderson and Rev. E. B. Taliaferro. It was the organ of the Baptist church. It is said that the Federal troops. when they entered the place about the close of the war, in 1865, were disposed to burn the paper's outfit. but better counsel prevailed. The paper, however, did not long remain in Tuskegee after that time. The Tuskegee Republican, a whig paper, was edited and published by the late Daniel Sayre, from 1845 until his removal to Mont- gomery in 1859. His son, Daniel Sayre, Jr., succeeded him, but he went into the army with the very first troops and was killed in one of the earliest battles in Virginia. The Democrat was the name of Tuskegee's
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other paper in those days. For a portion of the time, between 1855 and 1856, it was published by Capt. Benjamin H. Kieser, who has already been mentioned in connection with papers in Montgomery. Henry and Barbour counties. He was in the first Tuskegee company to leave for the front. In one of the battles in Virginia, he and his only son were side by side when the latter was killed. A number of papers were pub- lished in Tuskegee between 1561 and 1565, but they were short lived. The Tuskegee News was established in 1565. and, for a number of years after that date. it was the only paper published in the town. In 1872 and 1873, Hon. James E. Cobb, now and for the past six years representative in congress from the fifth Alabama district, was the editor and part pro- prietor of the paper. His associate was D. W. MeIver, Esq., who during the latter year purchased Judge Cobb's interest and conducted the paper for some years. He is now on the editorial staff of the Montgomery Ad- vertiser. In 1880, the Macon Mail was started by Messrs. Brooks and Bryan, but in a year or so it was consolidated with the News. There were a number of changes in ownership during the last few years. The pres- ent editors and proprietors are Waddy Thompson & Son. The Tuskegee Reporter was established by W. W. Wynn. about one year ago. The Universalist Herald. in Notasulga. which was established in 1850, by Rev. John C. Burruss, who is still conducting it. is the only other paper pub- lished in the county.
In Perry county, if any paper was published prior to 1848. we have no knowledge of it. Its county seat, Marion has always been noted for the intel- ligence of its population. for it is and has always been a great educational center. Many famous lawyers lived there and the whig and democratic parties had able advocates. It is possible, therefore, that other papers were published there before the Commonwealth, which was a democratic paper and established in 1845. One of its editors, just prior to the war, was Samuel G. Reid. who subsequently moved to Montgomery and edited the Advertiser. Mr. M. M. Cooke conducted it from 1565 to 1871, and established the reputation of being one of the most brilliant men ever connected with the state press. He moved to Montgomery and was on the Mail editorial staff until its consolidation with the Advertiser. He remained with the latter until his death in 1576. The Commonwealth was. published until some time after 1850. There was a paper in opposition to the democracy published in Marion. in 1858, and edited by Ben Lane Posey, who was an able and skillful writer. The paper now published there is the Southern Standard, which was started in 1979. The Press was established at Uniontown. Perry county, in 1 79. Its regular successor is now published there under the name of Canebrake Herald.
The earliest record that we can obtain of newspaper publication in Pickens county, is that of the West Alabamian, which was established at Carrollton in 1849. We have no information concerning it of a special nature, but know that at one time it was in charge of Mr. S. F. Nunnelee.
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He is a man of varied newspaper experience in Alabama, having been engaged in the business in several counties of the state. He was a soldier in the Mexican war and was at the front during the four years of bloody trouble between the northern and southern states of the union. He is a man of great force of character as well as force of expression, and has never failed to add to the interest of every paper with which he has been connected. He is now with his son editing and publishing the Selma Times. The Alabamian has grown steadily in public favor, and now. after forty-four years of active life, is still vigorous. Mr. A. Henry has, for many years past, been its editor and proprietor. Other papers have been published in Pickens county, but it has been impossible to obtain infor- mation concerning any of them. except the Pickens County News, estab- lished in 1891, by Byers Cole, as a farmers' alliance paper.
The Gazette was the name of a paper established at Fayette, in Fayette county, in 1852, by R. Allen Smith. It has long since passed away. The Fayette Sentinel, established in 1-81. is the medium through which the people of the county now obtain the local and general news. The News, a farmers' alliance paper, was published there in 1892.
A paper was established at Prattville, a fine manufacturing town in Autauga county, in the year 1-53. by W. C. Howell. It was a democratic paper, but when the split came in the party, in 1860, it remained neutral. It was published during the war and for some years afterward. Soon after the establishment of the Citizen, another paper was started at Pratt- ville. It was of the whig faith. Col. M. L. Woods, now an attorney at Washington city. edited it at one time. and made a state reputation by his editorials. He afterward served one term in the legislature from Montgomery county, which had been his home while connected with the Statesman. Prattville being fourteen iniles distant. During the war, he was colonel of the Forty-sixth Alabama regiment. He married a daughter of Alabama's great historian. A. J. Pickett, whose home was in Autauga county previous to his removal to Montgomery. The Statesman did not last long after the beginning of the war. In 1877, the Southern Signal was established, and perhaps others followed. Judge W. F. Wilkinson was long its owner and editor. The Progress, which was established in 1887. is the name of Prattville's only paper. It is edited by H. S. Doster and is a bright. newsy county journal. Papers called the Autaugaian and the Herald were published at different times at Autaugaville between 1850 and 1861. but they discontinued about the latter date and no one has since ventured to enter that field with a newspaper outfit.
The Post, published at Collinsville, in 1554, is the first paper established in DeKalb county, so far as our information extends. There have been others since that date, but all have ceased to live.
At Fort Payne in De Kalb county a paper, called the Journal. was estab- lished by Thomas H. Smith. in 1578. It was afterward sold to other par- ties, but is still published. The Herald is the name of another paper
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established there in the past few years. by the Land and Development Co., which invested a large amount of money in the place. It was merged into the Journal. The Spartan was established at Sparta, the county seat of Conecuh county, in 1855, by Dr. John W. Anderson and Robert B. Witter. Its publication was suspended in 1802. In 1805, the county seat having been moved to Evergreen. the Observer was pub- lished in that place for several years by McCreary & Landrum. It passed into the hands of P. D. Page, who was succeeded by W. W. Beas- ley, and he, in turn, by E. C. Meredith, who sold to Frank A. Monroe. The paper suspended March 13, 1:73. The Conecuh-Escambia Star was then established by Frank A. Monroe, who issued the first number March 17, 1873. In 1881, John W. Davison bought out Monroe and continued the publication of the paper. In 1888. Dr. R. A. Lee leased the office from Davison. The prefix, Conecuh Escambia, was omitted from the title and it became the Star. The lease of Dr. Lee expiring November 1, 1890, it was leased by Mr. Davison to Col. H. M. King, and W. D. Atkinson, in May. 1891. Col. King withdrew and Mr. Atkinson is still publishing the paper. In 1880. the Evergreen News was started and lasted about four years. All the papers published in Conecuh county have been democratic.
The first newspaper published in St. Clair county was the St. Clair Diamond, established, perhaps, in 1859. Its editors and publishers were Thomas J. and W. P. Mangham, who went from Calhoun county to Ash- ville. The Diamond was an influential country paper: and when the great issue of secession arose, it fell into line as an advocate of separa- tion. The paper was a neat, well conducted journal, a fair representa-' tive of the county's social and political culture at that time. When the war broke out, the editors of the Diamond were among the first to go to battle to maintain by the sword the principle they had supported by the pen. During the war, the Diamond failed for the want of attention, but shortly afterward and before the war closed, was revived in the name of the Ashville Videt. The Videt was printed on the commonest Confed- erate newspaper material, and was in its contents and make-up what its name implied-true to the southern cause to the end. It ceased to exist with the war. The publishers and editors of the Videt are known to the writer. A few old copies of these two representatives of the progress - of journalism at that day in St. Clair county, can be found among some of Ashville's oldest citizens. The Manghams, who were newspaper pio- neers of St. Clair county, are now citizens of Louisiana. and have been engaged in journalism in that state for many years. The next venture in this line was the St. Clair Eagle, which appeared about the year 1868, under the management of Samuel T. Fowler, who now resides near Springville. The Eagle was an index of the days of reconstruction under the republican misrule, though less bitter than many other papers which carly espoused the cause of the repulbican party in the south.
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Many well written articles appeared in the columns of the Eagle and the latter gave a fair report of county affairs. It lived mainly on republican patronage and suspended in 1870. Some of its files may be found at the county courthouse. The Southern JEgis was established at Asheville, by its present owner and editor, Col. George R. Cather, who is a native of Maryland, and came to Alabama from Virginia in 1869, moving to St. Clair in December, 1872, where he at once began the work of bringing out the Egis, the first issue appearing January 16, 1873, as a bold, vigorous champion of democratic doctrines and states' rights: and from that time on it opposed, with power, the encroachment of Federal govern- ment intended to obstruct the south's progress or humiliate its people. Its valuable contributions on local agirculture, put new methods and life into the farm, and these articles were copied far and wide throughout the state. The Egis took the front rank among the newspapers of the state and in the contest of 1874, as a strong advocate for the redemption of . Alabama from the blight of carpet bag rule, the enemies of good gov- ernment soon learned to dread the paper as a consuming fire to their evil designs-it struck right and left, and without the least regard for con- sequences. It is safe to say that no man with only a small county press did more in the work of redeeming Alabama from political thraldomn, than did the editor of the Ashville JEgis. On no occasion has his paper failed to take the side which promised best for the state, no matter how much a different course might have tended to its individual benefit. He is still pulbishing the paper and doing as for twenty years past, valiant service for his state and party. In 1878, the Springville Enterprise, was established at Springville, St. Clair county, by Mr. J. B. Slade, which was afterward purchased by Mr. J. L. Garrett. The Enterprise was a good town newspaper, well edited and managed, but short-lived, not for the want of vitality in its conduct, however, but because the field was not sufficiently remunerative. Both Mr. Slade and Mr. Garrett are still residents of Alabama. In 1883, Col. Cather of the Southern ÆEgis. started the Weather Indicator, at Asheville. This enterprise was a monthly of eight pages devoted to meteorology and advanced science. Much space in the JEgis previously had been employed by its editor in the discussion of the various scientific problems agitated among the profoundest thinkers and scholars of this age. In 1554. the Indicator became the Scientific Educator by a change of name-the publisher, William H. Cather, asking the support of the educators of the state to advance the project. During its short life, it contained the ablest articles on educational and scientific subjects. Its articles were copied far and wide and its editor was recognized as one of the most scientific writers living. At Pell City, in the southern end of St. Clair county, in 1897, the St. Clair Echo was started. under the management of W. S. Griffith and Sparrow, the former of Tennessee and the latter of Birmingham. It was a fair specimen of the local newspaper, devoted mostly to the
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building up of its town. claiming to be independent in politics. Mr. Sparrow withdrew from the Echo early after his connection with it and returned to Birmingham, leaving the paper solely in charge of Mr. Griffith. In 1859, or 1-90. the Echo changed hands and was called the Pell City Globe. The paper finally suspended. The Ashville Advance began its existence at Ashville in December, 1888. with Mr. M. L. Cun- ningham, of Cherokee county, as editor and publisher. Mr. Cunningham had located at Asheville to practice lsw. The Advance was well con- ducted. In the same year, Mr. Cunningham associated with him, Mr. R. P. Schoppert of Birmingham, shortly afterward selling out his inter- est to him, and the latter secured the services of Tom Clower, to aid him in the publication of the Advance. In November. 1889, the paper was moevd to Springville. St. Clair county, where some months afterward Mr. Schoppert withdrew from it, leaving its entire control to Clower. At the close of 1889. Messrs. W. S. Forman and A. Capshaw, both of St. Clair county, obtained control of the Advance and published it in the interest of the alliance. It ceased publication in December, 1890, by fire, just as it was on the eve of moving back to Ashville-the county seat. The Advance-Journal took the place of the Advance, beignning publica- tion at Ashville, in January, 1591, edited and controlled by Mr. J. P. Montgomery, a prominent young lawyer at the county seat. Both the Advance and Advance-Journal were ably edited and managed. On May 7, 1892. B. B. Cather of the Southern Egis purchased the plant and good-will of the Advance-Journal and the latter ceased to exist.
The Democrat was published at Linden, Marengo county, by W. H. Grant, in 1855. Since 1865, papers have been published at Demopolis, the commercial emporium of the county, and at Linden. the seat of justice. How many have been started in each place is not known to the writer. At Demopolis, however, Hon. M. C. Burke established the Marengo News, in 1872, and conducted it with conspicuous ability until he dis- posed of it, in 1886, to Mr. E. S. Cornish. Maj. Burke, in 1884, was elected state auditor on the democratic ticket and re-elected in 1556. During his four years of service he established the reputation of being one of the finest business men ever in the state's service, and he wrought many improvements in the method of transacting the state's business .. He is now connected with the law department of the Louisville & Nashville railroad and lives in Montgomery. Mr. Cornish discontinued the publica- tion of the News some months ago. The Demopolis Express. established in 1892 by Frank Connelly, has taken its place. At Linden. the Reporter was established. in 1-79. by Mr. John E. Hecker. It is now, as it has been from the first. a well edited and well conducted paper.
These notes so far have dealt with counties in which publications were established prior to 1860. The statements, however, are not complete, as to many of those referred to, while a number of counties not yet men -. tioned enjoyed newspaper facilities before the above date. It has been
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impossible to obtain the data necessary to attempt any statement as to the year of the birth of the publications, their names, names of the founders and length of life. Papers were pulbished. it is believed, in Blount, Cherokee, Choctaw. Dale. Jackson. Limestone. Lowndes, Marshall, Mor- gan, Pike, Randolph. Russell. Shelby and Wilcox. before the above date, but recollections concerning their earlier publications are not sufficiently vivid to warrant putting them upon record. They would be extremely unsatisfactory and decidely imperfect. No paper was published in Coffee county until recent years. In 1-92, the Coffee County Watchman was published at Elba. by J. S. W. Cawthorn.
The Advertiser, established in 1566 by W. C. Stiff and the Coosa River News, established in 1878 by W. H. Shropshire, are published in Centre, Cherokee county. The Industrial Free Press, established in 1890 by R. Lawrence, is published at Cedar Bluff, in Cherokee county. Early in 1865, a paper was established at Butler, in Choctaw, by Mr. Thomas of Sumter county. In the political excitement of that period, he was killed by Joshua Morse, a republican politician who afterward became attorney-general under the reconstruction laws. After that a number of papers at different times came to the front, but only for brief periods until 1875. when the Choctaw News, now the Herald, was established. It is published by J. W. Bryant. The Choctaw Advocate, established in 1890, by R. B. Moody was also published at Butler in 1892.
There was no paper in Baldwin county until a few years ago. One was published for a year or more at Bay Minette, on the Louisville & Nashville railroad, by D. C. Byrne. The only one now in existence is the Times, established at Daphne, in 1890, by G. H. Hoyle. A paper was published at Centerville, Bibb county, along in the fifties, but we have no informaton as to its name. Quite a number have been pub- lished there at different times, since 1865. The latest was the Monitor, a third party paper, established in 1892, by Rev. S. M. Adams. The Courier was established at Blocton in 1891. Mr. F. P. Glass, now of the Montgomery Advertiser, established the Bibb Blade at Six Mile, in Bibb county, in 1878, and published it for some years. He disposed of it to Mr. S. H. Gist and moved to Selma, where he bought the Times of that city. Mr. Gist published the paper at Six Mile for some years and then moved to Centerville.
Blount was not without a paper prior to 1860, but no data about it can be obtained. A great many have been established in the county since 1865. Mr. L. H. Matthews, for a few years after leaving Birming- ham, published a very interesting paper at Blount Springs. He moved to Blountsville, the county seat, and in 1577, in connection with J. H. Ketchum, for a number of years published the News. Another paper was afterward started. but it was consolidated with the News. The Chronicle. established in 1890, is published at Blountsville. When the
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