USA > Michigan > Macomb County > History of Macomb County, Michigan > Part 38
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Macomb has reaped a rich harvest from the industry and honesty of her news-
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paper conductors. All evidences point out her journalists of the past to have been as truly honorable as are those of the present ; flunkyism was not the attribute of any one of them ; they labored late and early in providing newsy and instructive reading for the constituents ; and, if at any time, a ridiculous eulogy, on all that is politically and socially false, crept into their columns, they were the first to denounce the buffoon who penned the obnoxious lines.
The press conferred inestimable good upon this district ; it opposed premature innovations, even as it urged necessary reforms ; it set its denunciations of arbitrary and tyrannical measures in black letter, stigmatized moral cowardice, and claimed that from the village council-room to the chambers of the National Government, vice should be subjected to rebuke and punishment, and virtue doubly cherished.
Here the press is a synonym for progress. Prescribe its liberty and the nation suffers. Very few liberties had been won in the long struggle for human freedom. involving more far reaching and momentous consequences than that which secured the constitutional guaranty of freedom of speech and of the press. The antagonism between a despotic government and the printing press is as natural as it is intense. The heart of monarchy, claiming to be human, loves applause, and therefore could not willingly feed on the bitter herbs of censure. Neither king nor minister, neither cardinal nor general desired a fair review of his official acts, nor submitted to reproof. The exercise of power bred confidence in the hearts of rulers, and begot an impatience of criticism ; hence there was a natural inclination to restrain, what those in authority might deem, an unwarrantable freedom in the discussion of public affairs. On the other hand, the intelligent portion of the population desired to inquire into the proceedings of their governors, to complain of grievances, and to suggest reforms. Free thought and free speech were of little avail without free publications, and to suppress publications was to prevent prac- tical results. Thus there was an irrepressible conflict between oppressive govern- ments, whatever their form, and the press-one in which the press succeeded in these States, one in which it is still engaged in the eastern hemisphere up to the present time, and which is likely to continue until the sun sheds his light upon a great European Republic.
In a despotic state the government exercises a censorship over the press, while in a free country the case is reversed, and the press is the censor of the govern- ment. Both forms of censorship were liable to abuse ; but judging by the past, the excesses of the press for a thousand years would be trifling in evil results, when compared with the iniquities of a government censor for a single genera- tion. If the people are to govern, or take any active intelligent part in the government, they must be cognizant of every fact pertaining to their country, and be in a position to give full expression to their opinions on public measures.
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Those entrusted with the executive authority, those appointed to promote the general welfare in accordance with the public will, should favor the most free and efficient means of communication with those for whose sake government is intended to exist-that means is the NEWSPAPER. No substitute for it has yet been devised -not one can be imagined. Thus the newspaper is one of the most important agencies of a free people, of a good government. Without its aid in instructing and arousing the people, the national government could neither have raised the vast armies, nor have commanded the pecuniary means required to carry on the struggle for the preservation of our Union against the wealthy planters of the Southern States and their foreign allies.
The modern newspaper is not merely a private enterprise ; it is as truly public and necessary as the railroad or the telegraph. Enlightened jurisprudence de- clares that the newspaper, encouraged and protected by the highest guarantees of constitutional law as indispensable to free government, is subject not to the narrow, rigid rules which apply to merely private enterprises, but to broad and equitable principles springing out of its relation to the public, and its duty to serve the people in the collection and publication of information relating to the public good. The business of journalism is no longer a mere incident to the printer's trade-it has become a great, profound, and learned profession, with fraternal organizations. It has become the great educator of the masses, as well as the magnificent agent of social and political reformation.
Acting harmoniously in their respective spheres, free government and a free press are the joint conservators of good, each the most powerful pillar of the other. The press and the bar, as well as the people and the Government of the United States, are all dependent upon one another, with the honest press as leader. Therefore let us cherish the newspapers, stigmatizing what may appear corrupt in them, and applauding all that is honorable and just. This is due by the people to the people and the press.
In the following historical sketches a full effort has been made to deal with the newspapers and newspaper men of this county-which effort, the writer believes, has been attended with success ; being, as it is, an extract from the his- torical address, delivered December 28, 1881, at Armada, by Edgar Weeks, formerly connected with the press of the county.
Forty years ago, there was not half a dozen newspapers in Michigan, and not one in Macomb County. At that time the country was new ; the telegraph not what it is to-day ; the mails were slow, painfully slow, postage was dear, the people poor. In that day it took ten days or two weeks to get a letter from New York to Detroit. The means of communication was confined to stage coaches and steamboats, which would drive a modern traveler wild. The city of Detroit was
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then only a moderate sized village. There was not a town of 5,000 inhabitants in the State. Mt. Clemens was a village of some importance as the future of Michigan then looked. It was the seat of government and justice for all Michigan north of Wayne County. It numbered among its people some few enterprising men who looked forward to a large city where Mt. Clemens now stands.
JOURNALS OF ROMEO.
Way back in the history of Romeo, there was published there a paper called the Investigator. The files of this paper have disappeared, and no inquiry which we have made for them has been rewarded. The name of its publisher was Thomas M. Perry. It first appeared in the fall of 1850 and lived about two years.
Another paper called the Romeo Olive Branch was also published there, but we have been equally unfortunate in regard to it, both as to date and name of its publisher.
In the year 1857 the Romeo Argus appeared, but its files previous to May 18th, 1861, are lost. From May 18th, 1861, to May 18th, 1862, the files have been pre- served. The Argus was started in 1857, in May, by Martin V. Bentley and Jolin M. Stone. Mr. Bentley bought out his partner in about a year after the publica- tion began.
On the 8th of May, 1861, S. H. Ewell bought the paper and published it about one year. It was edited by Ewell and Aiken. It was then leased to Hiram J. Aiken and George D. Mussey. In February, 1864, it was destroyed by fire. The motto of the Argus was " The agitation of thought is the beginning of wisdom."
A State Temperance journal was started by John Russell sometime in 1863. This paper was really the old publication turned into a new channel, and was printed by Aiken and Mussey, at the Argus office. It was called the Peninsular Herald, and was devoted to the cause of Prohibition and Total Abstinence. It ran a successful career for some time, and was finally removed to Detroit, where it en- joyed a broader field in journalism, and survived a brief career. Its proprietor is so well known in this county as to require no introduction at my hands. His prominence as a temperance agitator gave him a wide reputation and secured for him the nomination for the Vice-Presidency on the National Temperance Ticket in 1876.
On the 30th of May, 1866, John Russell started the Romeo Observer, and the history of newspapers since that time in Romeo is almost exclusively a history of the Observer. On the 9th of August, 1866, Irving D. Hanscom and Edward A. Teall became its proprietors. They improved and enlarged the paper in 1866, and flung to the breeze the patriotic motto " Where liberty dwells, there is my country." Under this high sounding legend the Observer flourished until March 9th, 1867,
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when Edwin A. Teall and Lewis N. Moon took it in charge as publishers, and printed it until November 19, 1867, when Teall & Co. became its proprietors, the company being Harvey E. Massey. This Company continued until November 11, 1868, when Edwin A. Teall became sole editor and proprietor.
The Observer became an out and out Republican paper in October, 1869, when it adopted as its motto " Republican in politics, neutral in nothing."
On the 13th of October, 1869, Irving D. Hanscom again became proprietor of the Observer, and on the twentieth of the same month, Samuel H. Ewell entered into co-partnership with him. The paper flourished under their management about four years when they sold out to Geo. A. Waterbury and S. H. Ewell. January 14th, 1874, Robert G. Baird purchased the interest of Mr. Ewell and this firm con- tinued the paper a little over one year. On the 3d of February, 1875, Mr. Water- bury became sole editor and proprietor, and has so remained up to the present time, with the exception of a single year during which time the establishment was leased to S. S. Hopkins, now of St. Clair City.
During all these years the Observer has either been an "out and ont " Re- publican paper, or had a decided leaning in that direction. It has been a strong partizan of Romeo in all her local, political, social, and business interests, and has been rewarded with a liberal support by the citizens of that village. The Observer had every thing its own way (so to speak) and without a rival to molest or make it afraid, with a rich field for country journalism, an intelligent class of citizens for its patrons, was happy and felt satisfied.
This charming condition of affairs was disturbed, however, on the 1st of May, 1880, by the appearance of the Romeo Demoerat, Fred. C. and C. H. Buzzel, pro- prietors. The Democrat is an enterprising, vivacious, and thoroughly wide-awake country paper. Its proprietors are young men, both in years and journalism, but they are making their paper an important figure in the newspaper coterie of this county.
JOURNALS OF UTICA.
A paper called the Enterprise was established at Utica somewhere about the year 1837 or 1838, and was published by Henry Fish and R. W. Jenny, with C. B. H. Fessenden as editor ; but the files have been destroyed and we have been unable to ascertain any thing more connected with it.
W. H. Marvin started the Utica Sentinel about five years ago, and has pub- lished it up to the present tine. The Sentinel is independent in politics, is a good local paper and has every appearance of a successful career before it.
MOUNT CLEMENS.
In 1840 a newspaper called the Statesman was started at Mount Clemens by a
C
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Mr. Avery. After a time he was succeeded by a Mr. Brown, and he by John N. Ingersoll. The Statesman was a lively and influential paper, published weekly. Its editorials were characterized by ability, and it was noted as a hard fighter in the field of local politics. We have been recently shown certain political cartoons in caricature of John N. Ingersoll, Richard Butler, and other lights of the Whig party of that day, which show the spirit of political controversy as then conducted. The Statesman was intensely Whig, and its editor was then a leader of that party in this State. Mr. Ingersoll remained in Mount Clemens a number of years, active in political and social events, but finally removed to Corunna, Shiawassee County, where he published the Shiawassee American until his death, which occurred a little over a year ago. We can not state accurately the date of the demise of the States- man.
The Macomb County Herald, a Whig paper, was started by George F. Lewis in 1848 or 1849, and edited by Richard Butler. In 1850 or 1851 it was purchased by Fred B. Lee and published by him about one year, when it was sold to Thomas M. Perry, former publisher of the Patriot, who published it for a short time, when the office was burned and the Herald ceased to exist.
The Macomb Gazette was started by Allen P. Bentley, some time about 1849 or 1850. It was Democratic in politics, and so remained from the date of its birth until its demise in 1856. After a short time Mr. Bentley sold the Macomb Gazette office to Abner C. Smith, a lawyer, and one of the prominent men of that day at the county seat. The writer well remembers Mr. Smith as a tall, intellectual- appearing man, who always wore gold-bowed glasses, and was never seen except in the full dignity of his profession of law and journalism. The office of the Gazette was on the south side of Court House Square. The writer was employed in the office as a printer's " devil " at a very tender age, and at that time its foreman was Martin V. Bentley and its jours John Aiken and " Trume " Griffin.
On the breaking up of the Whig party the Gazette was sold by Mr. Smith, who moved to Minnesota, where he practiced law until the time of his death, a few years ago. The purchaser of the Gazette was William L. Canfield, who rechrist- ened his paper the " Republican Standard." The Standard, as its name implies, was a Republican paper, and was published up to 1866 by Mr. Canfield, who sold it to Walter T. Lee and the writer, who enlarged it and " started out" under the name of the " Mount Clemens Monitor."
The Monitor was also Republican in politics. It was a folio of respectable size, published weekly, and met with very good success. The writer (Mr. Weeks) sold out his interest some time in 1867 to W. T. Lee, who continued its publication until he sold to D. M. Cooper. Mr. Cooper finally sold to a Mr. O'Brien, who soon
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after sold to J. E. Nellis & Son who are now publishing the Monitor, and publish- ing a successful and acceptable county newspaper.
We have followed the Statesman through all its changes and vicissitudes as the most convenient way of treating the subject. We will now retrace our steps to 1840, in which year Thomas M. Perry landed at Mount Clemens from a steamboat with printing material, which he moved to the old frame building known as the Lewis Building, then standing on the site of the present new and elegant county jail and Sheriff's residence, and commenced the publication of the Mount Clemens Patriot. The Patriot was a Democratic newspaper, edited and conducted in the interest of the local Democracy, with more than the ordinary ability bestowed on country newspapers. Mr. Perry was, in his way, a remarkable specimen of pug- nacity and tenacity. He had seen much of the world, and was entirely absorbed in his editorial profession, was a practical printer and would stand at his case and put his leaders in type without manuscript or notes before him. When in one of his frequent tempests of passion he was a terror to every one around him. The Patriot was burned out in one of the big fires that visited Mount Clemens. It was then located on Pearl Street, when Mr. Perry was again heard from as a publisher, and where he remained thereafter.
Some time about the year 1854 another paper made its advent in Mt. Clemens. It was brought there by Geo. F. Lewis. Lewis had been a publisher at Port Huron, but came here and established the Peninsular Advocate. The Advocate was a Dem- ocrat paper, and its office was located in what was known as the "Leviathan " building, which stood on Front street, on the site of the new block now occupied by the post-office. It was a first-class county paper, quite pretentious in size and appearance. Its editorial management was first class, as all who know Fred Lewis will readily concede. During the first years of the civil war, the Advocate contin- ued to be published, and the writer was its " war correspondent " from the army of the Potomac. Mr. Lewis, however, moved to Saginaw, and the Advocate ceased to exist, but was soon followed by the Mt. Clemens Conservative Press, under the man- agement of Jas. B. Eldredge and Wm. Longstaff. The Mt. Clemens Press had its origin in the old Macomb Conservative Press, which was established in 1863 by a stock company. The material was mostly purchased second-hand, and is sup- posed to be the remnants of the Peninsular Advocate, established by Mr. Perry some years previous, and suspended. Several fonts of wood type still remain in the office in almost a perfect condition. Messrs. J. B. Eldredge and Wm. Longstaff became the editors and general managers of the Conservative Press, and continued in this capacity until 1868, when John Trevidick, who had been the practical head of the office for a number of years, became the publisher, changing the name to the Mt: Clemens Press. Mr. Trevidick continued the publication until December, 1882,
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when the click of the type on the printer's rule ceased in the Press office. " Until further notice, no paper will be issued from this office," was the " special announce- ment" that greeted its readers on the 26th day of December, 1872. But the further notice was destined to come from other quills than those that had hereto- fore done service on the columns of the Press. In the following spring, May 1st, 1873, the former readers of the paper were greeted by its re-appearance under the management of S. B. Russell, editor and proprietor.
Among the earlier periodicals of Mt. Clemens we must mention the Masonic magazine called the Ancient Landmark, which was published by A. C. Smith, before mentioned, from the Gazette office. Mr. Smith was a man of literary taste and an enthusiastic Mason. The little magazine was published a number of years, and ceased with the demise of the Gazette and the removal of Mr. Smith to Min- nesota.
About 1872 another newspaper was started at Mt. Clemens, called the Re- porter. Its editor and proprietor was Lew. M. Miller, and though the career of the Reporter was soon cut short by the removal of Mr. Miller to another field, it will long be remembered in the Republican campaign of 1872.
Later, Walter T. Lee started the Mt. Clemens True Record, which, after a brief and unsuccessful existence, was purchased by W. N. Miller & Co., and called the Mt. Clemens Republican, which has been published since October, 1880. The Republican is also Republican in politics, though principally devoted to matters of local interest.
This, we believe, completes the list of newspapers and periodicals which, from the earliest history of the county seat, have been published there. However, from time to time special publications have appeared, one of which was a holiday picto- rial issued by Geo. F. Lewis from the Advocate office, about the Christmas of 1859 or 1860. The pictorial was a masterpiece of local talent and skill. Upon its pro- duction was lavished the editorial ability of Geo. F. Lewis, Edgar Weeks and Michael Stapleton, whose sketches drew heavily upon the classics, both ancient and modern. The artists were Edgar Weeks and W. T. Lee, whose wood engravings rivaled those of the Aldine itself ; all the patent medicine cuts in the offices of Mt. Clemens were utilized. One made to represent the Goddess Juno in her chariot of the Sun. Another, "before taking" was made to represent some doleful figure in public life, while the " after taking" made a good shift for the physiognomy of some successful and self-satisfied statesman, whose perennial smile was the principal feature of the artistic effort. The pictorial was a great local hit and a success. We have in our possession a copy of the carrier's address to the patrons of the Mt. Clemens Patriot, of January 1st, 1842. It was written by Miss Lewis, now Mrs. N. L. Miller, and makes mention of local history long since forgotten by most of the
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men and women of the present generation. It was published soon after the death of President Harrison, and in the midst of the political changes which were taking place alludes feelingly to the recent national bereavement, naturally lands the new President and finally speaks about the removal of the recent incumbents of the Mt. Clemens postoffice and deputy collectorship, and mentions the appointment of Giles Hubbard to the first and Henry D. Terry to the second named place. The poet says :
Changes political are few,
But yet I think of one or two ; Our good Post-master has been removed,
Although a faithful servant proved. May Giles, who fills his place of late His bright example emulate. The Custom it has been before, For General S-to watch our shore, But the Mayor is now our Collector- Of smuggled goods a safe detector.
These allusions to Giles Hubbard, John Stockton and Henry D. Terry, all of them once prominent in the social and political events of the country, and all now lying in their graves, revive a sad and mournful regret over the memories of three men whose names will be carried down into the distant future upon the public records of Macomb County.
During the years over which our sketch has extended, other men have figured in the newspaper history of Mt. Clemens, prominent among them, William Long- staff, once a practical printer, and now a well-known citizen of Mt. Clemens. John Atkins, a practical printer of merit, who many years ago removed to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Fred B. Lee, also a practical printer, now publisher of the Monroe Index. W. T. Lee, of whom mention has been made before, now in Monroe engaged in his trade as a printer. Charles II. Lee, now proprietor of the Saginaw Republican, at
Saginaw City. David A. Stockton, a practical printer, who removed to Canada some years ago. W. C. Stockton, a practical printer, who lives in Mt. Clemens. Andrew S. Robertson, once one of the foremost lawyers of the county, a leading politician, a State Senator, and a man of rare abilities who was once editor of the Peninsular Advocate ; also Mark H. March, who now pursues his vocation as a job printer in Detroit.
These reminiscences are written largely from personal recollections and may be inaccurate in respect to some of the dates. These can be hereafter verified by some member of the Pioneer Society who may have leisure to devote to the task, and who, we trust will be able to treat the subject more ably than the present writer. To those men who have had charge through all these years, of that powerful engine, the local press, the city and county owe much which can be best paid by preserving
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in the archives of our Pioneer Society, a memorial of their names and labors, for the emulation of those who come hereafter.
NEW BALTIMORE.
Sometime about the year 1853, Thomas M. Perry, mentioned as the founder of the Mt. Clemens Patriot, started a paper at Ashleyville, near New Baltimore. It was called the Ashleyville Independent. The writer was employed in this office part of the first year of its publication. Ashleyville was then one of the most enter- prising and promising villages in the county. It was the center of a large stave trade, and its mills gave employment to a large population of laborers. But the Independent did not long survive, and we believe that its material was afterward brought to Mt. Clemens and became a part of the Peninsular Advocate, under George F. Lewis, as heretofore mentioned. Some time afterward, another little paper bear- ing the same name was started at Ashleyville, by Martin V. Ferris, then a practicing lawyer there. The mechanical work was done by Edgar Weeks. But this paper did not long survive, as the business of the village then did not justify the venture. These are the only papers ever printed in New Baltimore. Mr. Ferris removed to Indiana and pursued the practice of law there, where he died a few years ago.
RICHMOND.
The Richmond Herald was established at Richmond on the 8th of June, 1876, by Del T. Sutton and George W. Kenfield. Mr. Kenfield only remained in the business a few weeks, but Mr. Sutton continued its publication until November, 1876, when he sold the establishment to David S. Cooper.
Mr. Cooper published the Herald until June, 1877, when the publication was discontinued. The good people of Richmond had not then conceived the thought of the future rapid growth of their little city and the Herald was born before its time. But Richmond began to move. Its importance as a manufacturing center began to make itself apparent, and on the 8th day of November, 1877, William C. Walter, an enterprising young man, started the Richmond Review. Walter pub- lished the Review until the 23d of November, 1879, when it was sold to Frank S. Abbott, then a practicing attorney at Richmond. Mr. Abbott continued the publi- cation of the Review until the 7th of August, 1880, when it was purchased by Del T. Sutton, its present editor and proprietor. Mr. Abbott removed to Wyandotte, where he is engaged in publishing a newspaper.
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