USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan > Part 74
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105
when he was made state superintendent of public instruction. In March, 1842, Edwin Lawrence again became editor, and in February, 1844, George Corselius was editor. The paper was now sold to L. C. Goodale and S. B. MeCracken, and Mr. McCracken disposed of his interest in 1846 to Mr. Goodale.
THE ANN ARBOR ARGUS.
The second paper to be published in Washte- naw county was the paper now known as the Ann Arbor Argus. Its original name was the Michi- gan Argus and its first number was issued on February 5. 1835. It was a little more than half as large as it is now. The first publisher was E. P. Gardner, a man of ability, and who, while he used a caustic pen, was less liable to villify his political opponents than most of the editors of that day. His paper was started as an organ of democracy, and for more than seventy years of its life it has continued to be such an organ. In 1840 a stock company purchased the Argus and put it in charge of Orrin Arnold. Shortly afterward it was Arnold and Powell, and then, in six months, Arnold and Smith. Then its name was changed to the Free Democrat. This change was displeasing to the original proprietors, who were also displeased with the principles advo- cated by the Free Democrat, the party about this time having split on matters of state issue; and Cole and Gardner started a new paper in 1844. which they called the Michigan Argus. This paper was afterward united with the Free Demo- crat under the ownership of Cole & Gardner. The split in the democratic party growing out of what was called judicial reform, which sought to set aside the circuit courts, became so intense that the subscription list of the Argus at one time dropped to fifty subscribers ; but the paper con- tinued stanchly to express its disapproval of the so-called reform, which led about eighty demo- crats in the village to march up to the polls and vote against Governor Felch, who was then a resident of the village and running on the demo- cratic ticket. The Argus survived judicial re- form, and in July, 1854. Cole & Gardner sold out to Elihn B. Pond, who continued sole editor and
620
PAST AND PRESENT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
proprietor until December. 1878. Mr. Pond made the paper one of the leading papers in the state. He was born in Wilmington, New York, July 15, 1826, and came to Michigan in 1835 with his parents ; and before his connection with the Ar- gus published a paper in Coldwater. He was a member of the Ann Arbor school board for many years, was state senator, county clerk, warden of the Jackson prison, and in his later years justice of the peace, one of the most painstaking and careful justices ever in Michigan. He was the first president of the Michigan Press Associa- tion and was a warm friend of the university, giving much of his time to the advancement of its interests. In December, 1878, John N. Bailey of New York became proprietor of the Argus, which he sold in June, 1886, to Samuel W. Beakes. The latter sold a half interest to E. J. Morton in October, 1886, and the old Washing- ton hand press on which the paper had hitherto been published gave way to a modern newspaper equipment, and the paper moved from the third story to the ground floor. On Mr. Morton's re- tirement on account of ill health, the firm became Beakes & Curtis, and shortly afterward, in 1894, Beakes & Hammond. D. A. Hammond, who thus came into Washtenaw journalism had been super- intendent of the Charlotte schools and was at this time a member of the state board of educa- tion. For a couple of years Mr. Hammond leased his interest to Thomas W. Mingay, the paper be- ing run by Beakes & Mingay. In October, 1898. the Argus was united with the Ann Arbor Demo- crat, then published by Charles A. Ward, under the name of the Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat, a corporation being formed with S. W. Beakes. D. A. Hammond and Charles A. Ward as incor- porators.
In November, 1898, the first number of the Ann Arbor Daily Argus was issued. For the first few months it was a six column folio, and later, when an Ypsilanti edition called the Ypsi- lanti Daily Argus was started, it became a six column quarto. In February, 1899, Mr. Ward sold his stock to Eugene K. Frueauff, who, in April, 1900, sold to Hugh Brown. In April, 1900, the papers and plant were leased to the Ann Arbor Printing Company for two years. In Feb-
ruary, 1902, this lease was surrendered and the publication of the papers continued by the Demo- crat Publishing Company, whose stockholders were Messrs. Beakes, Hammond and Brown. In October, 1905, Mr. Beakes sold his interest to Hugh Brown, who now became president of the company with D. A. Hammond as secretary- treasurer. In January, 1906, Hugh Brown pur- chased the interest of Mr. Hammond. The com- pany publishes the Ann Arbor Daily Argus, the Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat and the Ypsilanti Sentinel-Commercial, the two Ypsilanti papers having been purchased and combined.
ANN ARBOR COURIER.
The Ann Arbor Courier was originally called the Peninsular Courier and was started on June 18. 1861, by C. G. Clark and W. D. Woolsey, as a Union republican paper. In December, 1861, David C. Holmes became a partner, the firm name being Clark, Woolsey & Co., and the paper was consolidated with the Ypsilanti Herald under the name of the Peninsular Courier and Ypsilanti Herald, the latter part of the name being dropped after two months. Mr. Woolsey and Mr. Holmes entered the army and Mr. Clark became sole proprietor, selling the paper in 1865 to Dr. A. W. Chase, who changed its name in 1866 to Penin- sular Courier and Family Visitant. Dr. Chase devoted much of his attention to his celebrated receipt book which attained world-wide fame and had an immense circulation, and with it he built up a large printing plant which he sold Septem- ber 3, 1869, to Rice A. Beal, of Dexter, whose business energies soon made the Courier known throughout the state, and who pushed the sale of Chase's receipt books until the profits on their sales reached seventy-five thousand dollars a year. Mr. Beal was one of the leading repub- lican politicians of the state and came near being nominated for governor. He was a maker of governors, senators and congressmen. Upon his death in 188 -- , the paper became the property of his son, Junius E. Beal, who continued its owner until he sold out to the Ann Arbor Printing Com- pany, which formed a combination of all the papers in Ann Arbor. J. E. Beal had purchased
0)21
PAST AND PRESENT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
the Ann Arbor Register, uniting it with the Cou- rier under the name of the Ann Arbor Courier- Register. On the failure of the Ann Arbor Print- ing Company in April, 1902, the publication of the Ann Arbor Courier-Register and the Washte- naw Times, the Courier-Register being a weekly, and the Times a daily, was continued by Charles Johnson, receiver, who placed Otto Hans in charge. The Kinne Paper Company in 1903. sold the paper to the Ann Arbor Times Company, with R. L. Warren, editor and Man- ager, and its publication still continues as the weekly of the Ann Arbor Daily Times.
ANN ARBOR REGISTER.
The Ann Arbor Printing and Publishing Com- pany was organized in 1872 with Alvin W. Chase president and superintendent, James C. Watson vice president. Zina P. King, secretary, Henry S. Dean, treasurer, and Sedgwick Dean and Henry Krause the other directors. This com- pany, in December. 1872. started the publication of the Ann Arbor Register, with Zina P. King managing and local editor, and Edwin Lawrence political editor. The paper was republican in politics and was started in opposition to Rice A. Beal, the editor of the Courier. Dr. Chase, who had sold the Courier to Mr. Beal, was the first manager of the new publishing company and is- sued "Dr. Chase's Second Receipt Book." Mr. Beal soon sought to enjoin the publication of this receipt book as well as the publication of the paper, and for a time its publication was stopped. Dr. Chase disposed of his stock, and Henry S. Dean was made president and manager. until he sold out in August. 1880. He was succeeded by B. J. Conrad as superintendent, with H. B. My- rick as editor. About 1882 the paper was sold to Dr. George E. Frothingham, who, not get- ting wealthy by its publication, the Courier and the Register being all this time in a deadly com- bat, disposed of it to Kendall Kittredge, an ex- cellent newspaper man from Eaton Rapids. Mr. Kittredge soon took into partnership on the news- paper S. A. Moran, under the firm name of Kit- tredge & Moran, and upon Mr. Kittredge's death S. A. Moran succeeded to the ownership of the
paper, which he continued until in 1899 he sold it to Junius E. Beal, who united it with the Courier under the name of Courier-Register.
LOCAL NEWS AND ADVERTISER.
A number of papers by the name of "News" have been at various times started in Ann Arbor. The Local News and Advertiser was first issued July 21, 1857. by S. B. McCracken. It was inde- pendent in politics, but on the 25th of August, 1858. it was purchased by Lorenzo Davis, who made it a republican paper. In January, 1859. the name was changed to Ann Arbor Local News, and in August of that year E. A. Burlingame was associated with Mr. Davis and the name again changed. this time to Michigan State News. It was forced to suspend publication in 1863.
ANN ARBOR DEMOCRAT.
The Ann Arbor Democrat was first issued Sep- tember 12, 1878, by John L. Burleigh and was, as its name indicated. a democratic paper. Colonel Burleigh was a politician of some promi- nence who, at one time, represented this district in the state legislature. Later he moved from the county, and the last heard of him he was an alderman in Brooklyn, New York. In January, 18,9, B. Frank Bower and Louis J. Lesimer united with Colonel Burleigh in the publication of the paper. In November of that year Mr. Lesimer retired from the firm and Mr. B. Frank Bower's interest was purchased by his brother, Henry E. H. Bower. Henry E. H. Bower was a bright newspaper man with a fearless pen and a penchant for short items. From the time that lie became connected with the Dem- ocrat he was in fact the Democrat. Colonel Bur- leigh moved from Ann Arbor about 1880 and Mr. Bower conducted the paper alone until his sudden death in 188 -. He was succeeded on the paper by his sister, Emma E. Bower, who proved that a woman could run a local news- paper as successfully as a man could. Miss Bower continued to conduct the paper until after her election as great record keeper of the Ladies of the Maccabees. For a short time, dur-
37
622
PAST AND PRESENT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
ing the somewhat numerous changes in owner- ship which followed Miss Bower's sale of the paper. the paper became an advocate of repub- lican principles, but this was soon remedied, so far as its subscribers were concerned, by the ownership of Charles A. Ward, the paper becom- ing more strongly democratic than ever. Mr. Ward. after about two years of ownership, dur- ing which it was organized into a stock company with nearly all the stock under his own control, united the paper with the Ann Arbor Argus, in October, 1898; and soon thereafter sold out his interest in the combination. He was, at the time, state senator from this district, and was the man who secured the passage of the one-quarter of a mill university tax.
WASHTENAW POST.
The Washtenaw Post was the first German paper to be published in Washtenaw county, and was started by Louis J. Lesimer in October, 1879. It proved a great success from the start and was ably edited by Mr. Lesimer's wife, a very talented woman. Upon Mr. Lesimer's death in 189 -. Mrs. Lesimer continued the pub- lication for some time with Herman Hartwig Dancer, a graduate of a German university, as editor. About 1892 a second German paper was established by Paul G. Sukey, called the Haus- freund. Mr. Sukey was a graduate of several German universities, a gentleman's son without the slightest idea of the value of money. He was a talented writer and the rivalry between him and Mr. Lesimer became very bitter. Finally Mr. Sukey purchased the Washtenaw Post and united it with the Hausfreund under the name of the Hausfreund and Post. In 1895 Mr. Lesimer be- came sole owner of the Hausfreund and Post. Then Lesimer and Paul succeeded to the owner- ship, and within a short time thereafter Alfred J. Paul became the sole owner. The paper again came into the hands of Mr. Lesimer, who finally sold it to Eugene J. Helber, who united it with the Neue Washtenaw Post under the name of Washtenaw Post, the original name of the first German paper in the county. Mr. Helber had started the Neue Washtenaw Post about 1894 in
bitter opposition to the Hausfreund and Post pub- lished by Mr. Sukey, and had finally attained a larger circulation for his paper than any other German paper had hitherto had in the county. His paper, most of the time, was a strong advo- cate of the republican party, although Mr. Hel- ber had originally been a democrat. He became one of the most earnest workers in the republican party. The Washtenaw Post still continues un- der his editorship.
ANN ARBOR DAILY NEWS.
The first issue of the Ann Arbor Daily News was on November 23. 1879, and the proprietors who attempted to educate the people of Ann Ar- bor into taking a local daily were Henry W. Rouscup and Gustave A. Tanner, two young men from Ohio. This paper was a five column folio and its local news articles were somewhat of a sensational character, so much so that at one time the paper was in serious danger of being mobbed by the students of the university. After a brief period Rouscup and Tanner sought new fields and the daily passed through numerous hands until it died under the administration of G. W. Halford, after less than three years of existence.
EARLIER DAILY PAPERS.
Numerous attempts at starting daily papers had been made in Washtenaw county. At one time the Michigan Argus issued a small daily, about 1840. After a brief period a small morning daily called the Morning Chronicle was issued. In the later seventies Francis Stoefflet issued a four col- umn daily, called the Daily Times, with a circula- tion of four hundred. Various other unsuccess- ful attempts at starting daily papers have been made at various times. The competition of the Detroit papers, which have always maintained ex- perienced correspondents in Ann Arbor, has been such, combined with the light advertising pat- ronage, as to make daily paper ventures unprofit- able.
ANN ARBOR DAILY TIMES.
The first successful attempt at starting a daily paper in Ann Arbor was the Ann Arbor Daily
623
PAST AND PRESENT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
Times. which was established in 1890. The money for this paper was put up by Henry WV. Glover, of Ypsilanti, a capitalist who was the principal owner of the new motor line which had been established between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, and the Times was intended to represent both cities. The editor and business manager was Fred C. Brown, who was one of the most versatile writers ever connected with Ann Arbor journalism. It was well for the Times that Mr. Glover was a man of means for, although an ex- cellent local paper was published from the start. it took time and a large expenditure of money to place it upon its feet. In fact Mr. Glover's news- paper experience is said to have cost him twenty- five thousand dollars and it is not believed that Mr. Glover ever wrote an article for his paper ; but it was not due to any desire to push any per- sonal object upon the public that he engaged in the newspaper business. In fact Mr. Glover's furnishing of funds for the continuation of a daily paper in Ann Arbor partook more of the nature of philanthropy or public spiritedness, and it was only through the course of education in the taking of local dailies made possible by Mr. Glover continually coming to the rescue of the paper financially, that daily papers have become firmly established in the county of Washtenaw. Mr. Brown, the first business manager and editor. was a man fertile in schemes. He finally started a Merganthaler job printing plant in Chicago, and for a time had a monopoly of linotype work in that city. In the year 1898. during Mr. Brown's absence in Chicago, the paper was run by Thomas Mingay. Then Mr. Glover, who had practically been the sole owner, gave a half interest to Louis J. Lesimer, who became the editor and manager of the Times. In 1900 the Times was sold to J. E. Beal and Hugh Brown, who immediately sold it to the Ann Arbor Printing Company, which controlled all the English papers in Ann Arbor. The Times, which had previously been issued as an evening paper, was made the morning paper of the combination. It remained as it had from the beginning, republican in politics. When the Ann Arbor Printing Company passed into the hands of a receiver the Times was changed back to an evening paper and was placed under the
management of Otto Hans. In a short time it, together with the Courier-Register as its weekly issue, was purchased by the Kinne Paper Com- pany of Detroit. In 1903 the Kinne Paper Com- pany sold their papers to the Ann Arbor Times Company, the principal owner of which was Rob- ert L. Warren, who has since remained the sole editor and manager of the Times. Under Mr. Warren's management the Times has largely in- creased in circulation and influence in the county, and has greatly improved typographically and editorially. At various times the paper has been called the Washtenaw Times and the Ann Arbor Daily Times, the changes in name having been occasioned, however, merely by the fancies of its proprietors and not by any change in its poli- cies. It has remained from the beginning stead- fastly republican in politics, and it now continues in its sixteenth year of its publication, the oldest daily in the county.
WASHTENAW REPUBLICAN.
The Washtenaw Republican was started as a weekly paper by Alvick A. Pearson in 1900. Mr. Pearson, after running the paper for a couple of years, sold it to Horatio J. Abbott, who changed its politics from republican to democratic. Then Louis J. Lesimer purchased it and for a time it carried all the probate printing of the county. Its name was changed to the Washtenaw Union Record, and Mr. Lesimer parted with the owner- ship to Charles F. Gee, who sold it to Charles Walter. Before this it had lost the monopoly of the probate printing and it has recently suspended publication.
WASHTENAW DAILY NEWS.
The Washtenaw Daily News is a new publica- tion just started at Ann Arbor. Its first issue was on December 15. 1905. It is published by a corporation whose stockholders are Glen C. Stim- son. Grant Stimson and W. W. Wedemeyer. It is republican in politics and has invested a large sum of money in equipment. It represents the interests of State Treasurer Frank P. Glazier, of Chelsea. W. W. Wedemeyer is president of the company, and Glen C. Stimson is editor and
624
PAST AND PRESENT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
manager. The paper is a large seven column quarto.
DEFUNCT PAPERS.
At various times a large number of papers have been started in Ann Arbor which existed for but short periods. The fifth ward, or that part of the city north of the Huron river, which had not become a part of the city until some years after Ann Arbor was incorporated as a city, was the scene of the publica- tion of a number of these papers. Among them was "The Signal of Liberty," an anti-slavery paper published by Rev. Mr. Guy Beck- ley and a Mr. Foster ; "The Gem of Science," pub- lished weekly by Sanford & Sanford ; "The Prim- itive Expounder and Universalist Semi-Montlı- ly," published by Thornton and Billings; "The Alphadelphic Tocsin"; "The Spy"; "The Native American": "The Young Yankee"; "The Cor- rector"; and last but not least, "The B'Hoy's Eagle," the fame of whose satire still lives.
UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS.
The first college paper published in Ann Ar- bor is still in existence. It was started as the U. of M. Independent but shortly became the U. of M. Daily, which name it bore during the greater part of its existence, and was finally changed into its present name, the Michigan Daily. The Daily was originally started to represent the in- dependent sentiment in the university as opposed to the fraternities, but shortly dropped the anti- fraternity sentiment which had caused its organ- ization and became the paper of all students alike in the university.
The Daily was originally planned as a weekly to take the place of the "Argonaut" which had been consolidated with the "Chronicle." The "Chronicle" had always been the fraternity organ of the students and had been published semi- monthly. Upon the determination of the "Chron- icle" to issue weekly, the board of the Independ- ent as the proposed new weekly was to be known, determined suddenly to issue a daily, beginning at the opening of the college year in October, 1890, and the first issue of the new college daily was
published at that time and the Chronicle-Argo- naut ceased publication. This is the first and only daily that the students in the university have ever had, and it was a success from its inception, hav- ing been published with a profit from its first year. The paper at first was published by a board, which after the first year was elected by the subscribers of the paper. Finally the board was incorporated and recently it has been taken under faculty supervision.
About the same time that the U. of M. Daily started, the Inlander, a monthly publication by the students, was launched and is still published. The Michigan Alumnus is published by the Alumni Association monthly.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS.
The Physician and Surgeon's Medical Journal, under the associated editorship of a number of members of the university medical faculty, has long been published in Ann Arbor by John W. Keating, and has a national circulation.
The Michigan Counselor, a homeopathic medi- cal journal, was for a time published in Ann Arbor under the editorship of the homeopathic faculty of the university, but it was finally united with other homeopathic journals and its publica- tion removed from Ann Arbor.
The Lady Maccabees, the organ of the Ladies of the Maccabees of Michigan, has been published in Ann Arbor by Great Record Keeper Emma E. Bower for a number of years and has one of the largest circulations of any publication in the state. It is devoted to the promotion of the prin- ciples of the insurance order whose organ it is, and is sent to each member of the order.
YPSILANTI PAPERS.
YPSILANTI SENTINEL.
The Ypsilanti Sentinel is the oldest paper of continuous publication in Ypsilanti. It is, how- ever, not the first paper that was started in Ypsi- lanti. The Ypsilanti Republican has that honor and was published for a little over a year by a young man named Wallace, in 1837 and 1838.
625
PAST AND PRESENT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
In 1844 the Ypsilanti Sentinel was started under the editorship of John Van Fossen in the inter- ests of Henry Clay, the whig candidate for presi- dent. Among others who were interested in the publication were I. M. Edmunds, Arden H. Bal- lard and M. Towne. After the defeat of Clay, the paper suspended and the owners, who were desirous that a paper should be published in Ypsi- lanti, offered the use of its office to Charles Woodruff on condition that he would publish a paper. This he did for three years when, becom- ing dissatisfied because the office was not refitted with material, he abandoned it, and Aaron Guest. of New York, with the Sentinel material pub- lished a paper called the Ypsilanti Chronicle for a year. Then the material was purchased by Charles Woodruff, who revived the Ypsilanti Sentinel which has since been continuously pub- lished. Mr. Woodruff continued its publication until his death in 189-, when his son, Marcus Tullius Woodruff continued its publication. Charles Woodruff was one of the old-time editors whose writings meant something, who had opin- ions on topics of general interest, and who knew how to express those opinions. He was not a gatherer of local news and the Sentinel under his control never became the chronicler of all the local happenings and visitings. It always, how- ever, expressed firm convictions on all local as well as national questions which came up for consider- ation. Mr. Woodruff probably used the most vigorous English of any editorial writer in Michi- gan of his day. He was a classical scholar of no mean attainments. He was a firm friend of edu- cation and did much to advance the educational interests of Ypsilanti. His paper during his management was a stanch supporter of demo- eratic principles, and since his death it has con- tinted democratie. M. T. Woodruff sold the pa- per about eight years ago to a Mr. Francis, who published it for a short time when he attempted to start a daily edition, the expense of which. after a month, caused him to abandon the office. which was sold under a foreclosure sale to the Democrat Publishing Company of Ann Arbor, publishers of the Daily Argus, who continued the publication of the Sentinel as a weekly and in a short time united it with its rival, the Ypsilanti
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.