USA > Minnesota > Lyon County > An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota > Part 36
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The north central part of Lyon county is destitute of lakes, there being none in Fairview, Vallers, Westerheim, Grand- view and Lynd. Formerly there was Rush lake, near the center of Lyons township, but it is now dry. In Rock Lake township are two lakes of some size-Lake Yankton at Balaton, and Rock lake in the northwest corner of the township. In southwestern Shelburne township are a cluster of little lakes, which are dry some seasons. A beauti- ful little body of water, about a mile in diameter and fringed with timber, lies in northern Coon Creek township. It is Wood lake, or Lake Marguerite. In Island Lake township are two lakes -- Goose lake, with an area of about 160 acres, and Island lake, with an area of over 200 acres. In the latter is an
island containing about three acres of land and covered with trees. Both these lakes are dry some seasons. Nordland and Eidsvold townships have no lakes.
Lyon is an agricultural county. The principal products are corn, barley, oats, wheat, rye, flax, livestock, dairy pro- ducts, poultry, fruit and vegetables. In the early days the settlers confined their energies almost exclusively to wheat raising. Now diversified farming is the rule. Every farmer raises stock and many engage in dairying on a large scale. While agriculture is the prin- cipal pursuit, manufacturing occupies an important place among the county's industries. The manufactories include grist mills, brick and tile factories, cream- eries, etc.
Lyon county has developed beyond the point reached by many counties of Southwestern Minnesota. With trans- portation facilities it is well supplied. Excepting Stanley, Nordland, Island Lake and Sodus, every township in the county is touched by one or more rail- roads, and railroads are within two miles of each of the exceptions. The Chicago & Northwestern traverses the county from southeast to northwest, crosses the southern part of the county and has a branch line to Marshall from the cast, while the Great Northern traverses the county from northeast to southwest. There are many villages, which furnish good markets for grain and produce and are convenient trading points.
The county has excellent wagon roads. Local and long distance telephone lines form a complete network and every community is reached. Twenty-three rural free delivery mail routes are operated from Lyon county postoffices, and there are few farms to which mail is not delivered daily.
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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.
Lyon county land can be purchased that must not be lost sight of is its proximity to the great markets. It is within easy reach of the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Sioux City, Omaha and Chicago markets. Their nearness and the low freight rates in effect insure high prices for farm products sold there and low prices for commodities pur- chased there. at from $40 to $100 per acre, according to improvements and proximity to markets, and, considering the richness of the soil, the excellent markets and the educational and social advantages offered, it is not easy to understand why any homeseekers pass through this country to the bleak prairies of the Dakotas or Canada. Lyon county land, at the price at which it can now be obtained, is cheaper, all things consid- ered, than the Dakota or Canada land at the present prices, for the settlers there will be compelled to spend more than the difference in price to bring few tracts yet to be put under cultiva- those countries up to the condition of this.
The farmer in the older states east and south can dispose of an eighty-acre farm and with the proceeds purchase a quarter section in Lyon county, and in making the change he will lose none of the advantages and conveniences en- joyed. There will be no frontier hard- ships to endure, no years of lonely toil in a sparsely settled country, nothing lacking in the way of social pleasures or the advantages of schools and churches.
Another advantage of Lyon county
Lyon county holds most alluring pros- pects for farmers who are in search of rich and productive lands close to markets, where they may establish homes amid schools and churches and congenial surroundings. There are a tion, and there are large farms that may be subdivided, while other farms that are now in the hands of renters might be improved by resident owners.
The county is capable of supporting more than three times the number of farmers it now has. The local cream- eries want more cream, the merchants want more produce, the elevators want more grain, the stockbuyers want more cattle and hogs, and all around is a demand for the products of Lyon county-a demand that cannot be taken away.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PRESS
D URING the thirty-nine years of Lyon county's newspaper his- tory twenty-four weekly papers have been established. Of this number, nine are in existence when this volume is issued in 1912, namely: Marshall News-Messenger, by C. C. Whitney; Lyon County Reporter (Marshall), by Frank W. Case; Tracy Headlight, by J. D. Gilpin; Tracy Herald, by O. J. Rea; Minneota Mascot, by G. B. Bjorn- son; Cottonwood Current, by Huddle- ston & Sisson; Balaton Press-Tribune, by Press-Tribune Publishing Company, edited by E. F. Whiting; Russell Anchor, by Fred E. Child; and Garvin Leader, published by John Holden, Jr., and edited by E. M. Jones.
Those journals which have gone out of existence were as follows: Prairie Schooner, Marshall Messenger and Lyon County News, from which was formed the News-Messenger; Lyon County Lead- er, which was published at Marshall and for a short time at Balaton; the Tracy Gazette, Trumpet, Republican and Republican-Trumpet, from which developed the Tracy Headlight; Min- neota Prospect, Vinland (an Icelandic paper published at Minneota), Cotton- wood Leader, Cottonwood Gazette, Bal- aton Journal, Eagle, Times, Bystander, Press and Tribune (the last two named
merged into the Press-Tribune), and Russell Review.
In pioneer communities of the West the establishment of the first paper was always an item of great importance. A new settlement required a champion, and not until it boasted a news journal was its permanency assured. After the founding of the pioneer journal it be- came "our paper" to all the residents- an institution in which to take pride- and everybody assumed the duty of seeing that it was properly supported. Sentiment entered largely into the new enterprise, and it has seldom occurred that the pioneer paper did not have a long life of usefulness.
The little settlement at Marshall was no exception to the rule, and when the first paper was launched it was an in- stitution in which great pride was taken. In the month of August, 1873, J. C. Ervin brought to Marshall a printing plant and on the twenty-third of that month took from the press the first copy of the Prairie Schooner, the first news journal published in Lyon county. The plant consisted of a Washington hand- press, the platen of which was said to have at one time been used as à door step, two cases of badly worn body type, eight or ten cases of advertising type, cigar-box slug cases, and a tin- covered imposing stone.
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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.
The office in which the Prairie Schoon- . er was launched was 12x18 feet, and it was occupied also as the offices of Dr. S. V. Groesbeek and Major J. W. Blake. The name of the publication was sug- gested by General Pierce. The sub- scription price was $2.00 per year and its size was a seven-column folio, of which two pages only were printed in the home office. In the spring of 1874 it was enlarged to an eight-column folio. In politics it was Republican. Mr. Ervin had charge of the pioneer journal until the last day of the year 1874.1
C. F. Case, who had formerly pub- lished the Waverly, Iowa, Republican and who has ever since lived in Marshall. purchased the Prairie Schooner from Mr. Ervin December 31, 1874. The next October he changed the name to Marshall Messenger. There were several changes in the size of the Messenger under Mr. Case's management, it having been made a seven-column folio in May, 1877, enlarged to eight columns in March, 1878, and made a six-column quarto, with four pages printed at home, in August, 1880. which form it retained. Howard Brothers leased the Messenger from Mr. Case in November, 1884, and the following month the plant was pur- chased by C. C. Whitney, of the Lyon County News. Arthur Howard got out a few issues for Mr. Whitney and on January 16, 1885, the two papers were
IW. M. Todd in after years wrote of the establish- ment of the Prairie Schooner and its publisher: "I well remember the visit of J. C. Ervin when he came to look the place over as a newspaper field. He was very affable, and the people and he from the beginning seemed to be satisfied with each other. He had been accustomed to frontier life and easily adapted himself to the conditions which he found. He set up his outfit in the little building which had been surveyors' headquarters."
Mr. Ervin was the founder of many papers, among them the Fort Dodge Times, Liberty Messenger and the Blade (later the Minneapolis Times). For many years he was editor of the Chieago Express, eity editor of the Chicago Daily Dispatch and afterwards was connected with the Chicago American. In later years he was editorial writer on the Joliet, Illinois, News and edited the Fresno, California, Democrat. He devoted many years to literary work and was the author of several books. Mr. Ervin died in San Francisco in the spring of 1912.
combined, the merger resulting in the News-Messenger.
The Lyon County News was founded May 28. 1879, by W. M. Todd and George A. Edes. It was established as a seven-column folio and was Inde- pendent Republican in politics .? Mr. Todd became sole proprietor December 3, 1879. and on April 21, 1880, he sold to George B. Gee. C. C. Whitney, who has continuously conducted the paper for the past thirty-two years, bought from Mr. Gee on November 17. 1880, and turned the News into a Republican journal. It was enlarged and improved and put on a paying basis.
Having purchased the Messenger from Mr. Case, Mr. Whitney on January 16, 1885. consolidated the Marshall papers and in their place produced the News- Messenger. Frank C. Whitney secured an interest in the publication September 15, 1893, and until February, 1907, was associated with his father in its manage- ment. C. C. Whitney has since been sole publisher.
The Marshall News-Messenger has be- come one of the leading and most lib- erally quoted weekly newspapers of Minnesota and its publisher is one of the state's best known newspaper men. The paper consists of twelve or more pages, all printed in the home office. The plant is a model one. The office is modern in every way, being equipped
2"During the latter part of the seventies I became infested by newspaper microbes and was seriously considering launching a newspaper at Marshall. . . . While the question was being pondered, along came George Edes, an old newspaper man with a still older printing outfit, looking for a location. He at onee sought me and made overtures to join him in starting a paper. . . . The question of the political complexion of the paper was settled by his proposal that I do the writing and he attend to the mechanical part. I needed no coaxing, and the Lyon County News made a weekly medium through which faets, fads and fancies were dished up in deleetable style to such as would condescend to read them. In a few months I purchased the interests of Mr. Edes and proceeded to float the enterprise alone, in connection with other duties, until I found by experienee more or less disas- trous and depressing that a newspaper was not so sure a path to wealth, fame and glory as 1 had always supposed. After I found what an expensive plaything it was I sold it to the office foreman, George Gee."- W. M. Todd, 1903.
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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.
with a Junior Merganthaler typesetting machine, large cylinder press, folder, three job presses, bindery, etc. The machinery is operated by individual electric motors.
The next paper established in the county seat was a Peoples Party organ, the Lyon County Leader. It was found- ed April 26, 1895, by M. V. B. Scribner, who conducted it for a number of years against great odds and with poor suc- cess. The plant was moved to Balaton in May, 1901, and publication of the Leader was there continued for a few months. In August. 1901, the sub- scription list was turned over to the publisher of the Tracy Herald and Mr. Scribner moved the plant away.
C. F. Case, the former publisher of the Marshall Messenger, founded the Lyon County Reporter at Marshall December 20, 1889.3 It was then and has ever since been Republican in politics. At the time of founding it was a nine- column folio; it has undergone several changes in form and is now a seven- column quarto. An excellent paper was issued and the Reporter at once became a popular institution. The founder con- ducted the Reporter alone until July 23, 1898, when his son, Frank W. Case, secured an interest and the publishing firm became C. F. Case & Son. The elder Mr. Case retired in 1899 and gave the property to his sons, Frank W. and Fred H. Case. The former became sole proprietor the next year and he has ever since been the publisher.
The Reporter has taken its place as one of the substantial institutions of Lyon county and is a good paper. The plant is modern and well equipped. A Simplex typesetting machine was in- stalled in the spring of 1899 and was the
3For a few months the paper was also issued under the titles Minneota Standard and Cottonwood Enter- prise. Each of those villages had local reporters, and
first installed west of the Mississippi river. The first home of the Reporter was the room now occupied by Kieth's photograph gallery, and the present quarters in the Case Block have been occupied since 1897.
The first paper in Tracy and the pred- ecessor, several degrees removed, of the Tracy Headlight, was the Tracy Gazette. which was founded in the fall of 1879 by D. W. Kutchin. The pioneer paper was anything but a financial success and its proprietor had a hard time to keep it in existence. Mr. Kutchin departed for the East in the early fall of 1880 and left the paper in other hands. In March, 1881, publication was suspended but the next month Mr. Kutchin returned and revived the paper.
For over three years the pioneer news- paper man of Tracy was at the head of the Gazette. The plant was then pur- chased by W. M. Todd, who on March 30, 1883, established the Tracy Trumpet as the successor of the Gazette. He was a more able newspaper man than his predecessor and published the Trumpet successfully nearly two years. The paper was purchased in February, 1885, by O. J. Rea and H. C. Buckingham, who made it a Democratie paper. The fol- lowing AAugust Mr. Rea became sole proprietor and published the Trumpet until July 1, 1892.
The purchaser at that time was V. W. Lothrop. He was the publisher until July 2, 1894, when the office passed into the hands of T. A. Cashman and Miss Mame Starr. The latter was manager of the Trumpet and conducted it until October, 1898. The firm of Starr & Cashman was then dissolved and the property reverted to the former owner. For a few weeks the paper was issued advertisements from each village were run. in all editions.
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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.
by Mrs. Florence R. Lothrop, and in December, 1898, the plant was pur- chased by H. F. Seiter. He made the Trumpet a Peoples Party organ and was the publisher until August, 1899. Jack- son & Anson were the publishers from that time until May, 1900, and Jay Jackson then became publisher and con- ducted the journal as a Republican organ. He was succeeded a few months later by David Stafford, who was in charge only a short time. The Trumpet had not been a paying investment for some years, and in December, 1900, the plant reverted to a former owner, H. F. Seiter. He sold the plant the following month to the owner of the Tracy Republican, who consolidated the two publications.
The Tracy Republican was founded by Edward and Frank Lawrence in March, 1885. Their efforts to make a success of the venture resulted in failure and in 1887 they sold to W. R. Edwards, who put the paper on a sound footing. Mr. Edwards purchased the Trumpet plant in January, 1901, consolidated the two, and continued publication under the name of Republican-Trumpet. He retired in 1910 after twenty-three years of continuous publication of the one paper.
The Republican-Trumpet was pur- chased by Bert L. English May 20, 1910. He changed the name to Tracy Head- light and presided over the destinies of the pioneer newspaper two years, con- ducting it as a Progressive Republican paper. Mr. English has lived in Tracy since childhood and learned the printer's trade on the paper he later edited. On May 10. 1912, J. D. Gilpin purchased the Headlight.
O. J. Rea, a former owner of the Trumpet. founded the Tracy Weekly Herald September 4, 1894, making the
third paper in the village at the time. He has ever since been the proprietor and nearly all the time has had the active management Mr. Rea was ap- pointed postmaster in the spring of 1896 and J. M. Riegel became associated with the owner in the management and was the editor. That gentleman leased the plant in January, 1898, and had sole charge until Mr. Rea's time expired in the spring of 1900. Since the last named date Mr. Rea has not had asso- ciates in the business.
The Herald is independent in polities and fearless in its utterances. Mr. Rea has always been independent enough to criticize wrong in politics or local mat- ters. The paper is a seven-column quarto.
Minneota's first newspaper was not long-lived or a success. It was the Minneota Prospect and was founded by Clyde W. Rea in July, 18SS. He pub- lished it only until October of the same year.
The first issue of the Minneota Mascot was taken from the press September 4, 1891. The founder was J. P. Byrne, who had come from Madison to teach the Minneota school. For six weeks the new journal was under the manage- ment of J. F. Paige, who had formerly published the Montevideo Leader, and then the business and editorial control was assumed by Mr. Byrne. W. H. Deen purchased an interest April 21, 1893, and was associated with Mr. Byrne in the publication until Septem- ber 25 of the same year. W. W. Davy became the editor October 26. 1894, and served one month. With these excep- tions, Mr. Byrne was the editor and proprietor until January 28, 1895.
The Mascot was purchased on the date last mentioned by S. Th. Westdal and G. B. Bjornson, young men who had
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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.
grown to manhood in Minneota, Mr. vacant. The people of Cottonwood were Westdal having been employed on the anxious to have the paper continued and with inexperienced help they man- aged to get out a few editions. A company was then formed to purchase the plant and continue publication. paper for about two years. The follow- ing August Mr. Westdal became sole proprietor and he conducted the Mascot until April 15, 1900. On that date G. B. Bjornson assumed the management and later the same year he purchased the plant, and he has ever since been the editor and proprietor.
· Mr. Bjornson has built up a successful business and has made the Mascot a power in the affairs of Minneota and Lyon county. His paper is conceded to be one of the very best country weeklies in Minnesota published in a town the size of Minneota. It is Inde- pendent Republican politically and its editorial utterances are widely copied throughout the state. The Mascot was founded as an eight-column folio, was made a six-column quarto in 1899, and was enlarged to a seven-column quarto in 1905.
In the spring of 1902 Mr. Bjornson began the publication of Vinland from the Mascot office. This is the only Icelandic newspaper ever published in the United States. Publication was con- tinued until 1908.
Cottonwood's first newspaper was the Cottonwood Leader, established August 28, 1891, by G. E. Graber. The venture was an absolute failure and in November of the year of its birth publication was suspended. The plant, which had been purchased with nothing more substantial than promises to pay, was left in the village and from it was later issued the Cottonwood Current.
W. H. Mullane founded the Cotton- wood Current in February, 1892, taking over the subscription list of the defunct Leader. He was succeeded a few months later by E. I. Raymond, who in Decem- ber, 1892, departed and left the field
The Current was purchased by J. F. Paige in January, 1893, and on April 22 of the same year the plant was destroyed by fire. The proprietor replaced the plant and continued publication until September, when he sold to W. H. Deen, formerly of the Minneota Mascot. W. D. Lovelace purchased the Current March 3, 1894, and was its editor and publisher for more than ten years. He sold to C. W. Folsom August 13, 1904, and the latter to the present owners, W. J. Huddleston and W. A. Sisson, on October 6, 1905. Those gentlemen have since been in charge and have greatly improved the Current. The paper is now a six-column quarto.
Cottonwood Gazette was the name of a paper that had an existence of less than two years in the nineties. It was established by C. G. Strand in June, 1896, and W. C. Smith became the proprietor in March, 1897. In the latter part of the same year publication was suspended.
Of the many news journals that have at one time and another been published at Balaton the first was the Balaton Journal. It was founded by A. N. Daniels early in 1887 and was published by him nearly two years. C. C. Whitney & Company, of Marshall, became the publishers on January 1, 1889, and the. local management was given to R. B. Caldwell. That gentleman was suc- ceeded in the fall of 1890 by John H. Call. The Journal was sold in Febru- ary, 1891, to J. Gitzy, who published it about one month and then suspended publication.
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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.
Balaton's second newspaper was the Balaton Eagle. In January, 1893, C. L. Wing, who had been publishing the Woodstock Eagle, moved the plant to the Lyon county village. The Balaton Eagle did not bring great returns to its publisher and in October, 1893, Mr. Wing departed and left the Eagle unable to fly. Publication was resumed in December by Miller & Estey, but the venture was not a success and the plant was sold at auction in April, 1895, and moved away.
The Balaton Times was established by Jackson & Anson early in 1900 and was printed in the proprietors' Tracy Trumpet office. Publication was sus- pended in April, 1900, at which time the subscription list and good will were sold to the newly founded Balaton Bystander.
The founder of the Bystander was Professor W. M. Snyder, who in March, 1900, got out the first issue. He put a small plant in the village, most of the money to pay for which had been raised by subscription. Professor Snyder was not a success as a newspaper man and the life of the Bystander was short.
From May to August, 1901, the Lyon County Leader was published in Balaton by M. V. B. Scribner, who for several vears previously had published the paper at Marshall.
The Balaton Press was established early in January, 1903, by J. H. Rush, and for more than seven years it was published by him, the mechanical work having been done in the office of the Lake Benton News. It was not a financial success, but certain interests in Balaton required an organ and the
4"The Balaton Tribune was formerly owned and published by C. H. Smith, who had given a bill of sale of his printing material to certain parties in the village. It appears that frietion occurred between the owner or owners of the bill of sale and the editor ou account of the policy of the paper toward certain matters of local interest, and the bill of sale was enforeed by the appointment of a receiver, who was put in charge of the office and paper; the editor was eliminated and the
paper was kept alive. It was published until consolidated with the Tribune in 1910.
In August, 1905, C. H. Smith took a plant to Balaton and put forth the Balaton Tribune. The village was hard- ly large enough to support one paper, but the new paper was backed by interests that also required an organ. In the spring of 1907 the owners of a bill of sale of the Tribune plant given by Mr. Smith was enforced and a re- ceiver was appointed. The bill of sale did not cover the title of the paper or the subscription list, but these were taken by the new owners and the dispute between the interested parties found its way to the courts.+ F. J. Sherry be- came the proprietor of the Tribune after Mr. Smith was ousted and continued publication until the consolidation in 1910.
The two Balaton papers were consoli- dated March 15, 1910, and the Balaton Press-Tribune took their place, the new paper being printed in the Tribune office. The paper has since been edited by E. F. Whiting, while H. G. Towne has been business manager. The Press- Tribune was enlarged to a six-column quarto on October 15, 1911. It is Re- publican in politics and is an influential publication.
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