USA > Minnesota > Redwood County > The history of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 35
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There were frequent changes of ownership in the early history of the paper, which possibly accounts for the fact that many of the files of The Messenger were not preserved, and in some cases the dates of change of ownership were calculations made by the early residents of Morgan. Not only were there several changes in the location of the plant, but also in the size and form of the paper. The first few years it was an eight-column folio, with but two pages printed at home. While Mr. Brooks was at the helm it was changed to eight pages, six columns, with about three pages printed in the local plant. Thus it remained during the editorship of Mr. McRae, who disposed of the paper to I. N. Tompkins in 1896. The publisher reduced the paper to five col- umns, eight pages, printing half of the paper at home. In the fall of 1898 Mr. Tompkins was elected to the position of county
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auditor of Redwood county, and shortly after assuming his offi- cial duties he sold the plant to W. Roy Whitman, who was con- nected with The Messenger for three years. Mr. Whitman in- creased the size of the paper to six columns, the present size. In January, 1902, F. S. Pollard made his debut as editor and pub- lisher. Having been appointed postmaster Mr. Pollard sold out to C. C. Eaton in June, 1905. During Mr. Eaton's ownership the plant was rebuilt entirely and the equipment much enlarged, mak- ing The Messenger plant one of the best and most up-to-date of any to be found in a small town. In February, 1912, H. B. West, the present publisher, purchased the paper. The paper has re- ceived liberal support at the hands of the business men and citizens of Morgan and community.
The Walnut Grove Tribune. The first newspaper printed in Walnut Grove was run off the press Aug. 13, 1891. The founder was Joseph N. Byington, an eastern man, who had come to Min- nesota to farm and had moved to Walnut Grove from Murray county. The paper was named "Rural Center," as it was Mr. Byington's ambition to have his town a center in both the spir- itual and material development of the community. He always maintained an editorial column of a high order and wrote vigor- ously in behalf of progressive principles, to some extent as ad- vocated by the People's party. In form the paper was a six column quarto.
On Oct. 25, 1900, he sold the paper to Hulburt & Gleason, partly because of political opposition, and to save the town from having to support also another paper which was talked of. He retired from active business and passed away June 17, 1906.
The new proprietors at once changed the name of the paper to Walnut Grove Tribune, which is its present name. The edi- torial end was managed by A. C. Gleason, who was a brilliant writer, but careless of details. The form was cut down to a five-column quarto, which was changed to a short six-column quarto in June the next year, and this again was enlarged in October, 1901, to a full six-column quarto, which had been its original size, and which is still being maintained. A. C. Gleason became sole owner and editor in October, 1901, and ran the paper until March 20, 1902, when it was sold to Geo. M. Long, an Iowa newspaper man. He was a good printer and built up the plant mechanically by the addition of a cylinder press and other im- provements. In politics he also took an active part on the Re- publican side and was appointed postmaster in January, 1903, but died on August 9, the same year, of typhoid fever, at the early age of 32 years.
R. W. Stewart, foreman at the office, managed the paper for the estate until in October, 1903, when arrangements were made whereby he became proprietor, and being a good printer, ran a
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creditable paper and job plant until April 6, 1905, when he sold his interest and moved to Ceylon, this state, where he is located at present.
The new editor was Wm. G. Owens, at that time an attorney at Walnut Grove, later county attorney, and now located at Wil- liston, N. D. On March 1, 1906, he sold his interest to Chas. E. Lantz, the present publisher, who bought the plant from the Long estate, and has run a politically and otherwise independent paper. In August, 1915, the Tribune took over the subscription list of the Revere Record, which having been published at Revere for 15 years was suspended by its editor, Owen M. Parry.
The Sentinel. The newspaper field of the south side of Red- wood county was greatly enlivened by the appearance on May 5, 1893, of the first edition of the Sanborn Sentinel, published at Sanborn. The town itself was one of the live towns of Redwood county and for a number of years the merchants had been calling for a newspaper of their own. The editor and publisher of the paper was C. K. Blandin, and from the outset he injected into the news and editorial columns a spirit of active publicity and generous boosting and hard knocking. It was in the early part of 1894 that Mr. Blandin made himself conspicuous all over Red- wood county by issuing a political edition that created a genuine sensation among all of the Republican politicians and followers of that county. The edition had a remarkable effect upon the county conventions of that year and Mr. Blandin was convinced that his purpose had been accomplished. The Sentinel continued as a prosperous sheet for the first year of its existence. How- ever, the town was small, the field limited, and in addition, the publisher was so active in politics and in his local field that he made the usual number of enemies. Support commenced to dwindle and the publication was discontinued and the outfit moved to Olivia, Renville county. Mr. Blandin is now the suc- cessful business manager of the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press.
Sanborn, however, was not long without a newspaper, for Sept. 7, 1896, the Sentinel again made its appearance with A. D. McRae as the publisher, and in September of 1898, it was sold to L. M. Reppey.
Still later, or in 1900, George E. Bartholomew became the editor and publisher. Mr. Bartholomew was an educator by pro- fession, but drifted into the newspaper field with the hopes that it would be beneficial to his health. He was a genial person and made more friends in the newspaper field than the average pub- lisher. He became a candidate for county office but was defeated. He was postmaster at Sanborn during a portion of his residence there, and in April of 1904, he was obliged to close out his inter-
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ests in the Sentinel, and with his wife, moved to Colorado with the hopes of regaining his health.
His successor was Angus D. McRae, a Redwood county prod- uct, who revived the Sentinel after its suspension under Mr. Blandin, and who continued as editor and publisher until Jan- uary, 1910. Mr. McRae was, like Mr Bartholomew, a publisher who made friends not only at home, but throughout the county. He became a candidate for register of deeds of Redwood county in 1908, and was elected, and he has been holding that position ever since. He closed out his interests in the paper to Grover Posz, a son of Geo. Posz of Sanborn, who had acquired some knowledge of printing in the Sentinel office under Mr. McRae's management. Mr. Posz did not continue long at the helm and on Sept. 11, 1912, he turned the plant back to Mr. McRae, and on Oct. 23, 1912, the building containing the postoffice and the printing office burned and the following week the remains of the plant were sold to H. E. Kent. Mr. Kent received his train- ing as a printer in a printing office at Sleepy Eye. He came to Sanborn with youthful newspaper enthusiasm and has made the Sentinel one of the active newspapers of Redwood county. By reason of his activity he was appointed postmaster at Sanborn and now conducts the postoffice as well as the Sentinel.
The destruction of the files of the Sentinel by fire several years ago has made it impossible to secure the exact date as to the number of changes of the paper, but the gentleman mentioned above were all interested in the Sentinel during the periods men- tioned. It is well to state that A. D. McRae, who has been one of the political and business successes of Redwood county, and the present Sentinel publisher, as well as those of the future, will always point to the present register of deeds of Redwood county with pardonable pride.
When Mr. McRae re-established the Sentinel in 1896 he pur- chased the greater part of the outfit from the Morgan Messenger, the press alone being purchased from another party, Fred A. Wright, of the Springfield Advance. It was a Mann hand cyl- inder press, the only one of its kind in the state of Minnesota at that time, and it was sold to Mr. McRae for $15. Mr. McRae has often informed the writer that to really appreciate the value of the press it was necessary for a person to operate it.
The Belview Independent. Running along the north side of Redwood county from the Minnesota river where it passes through the village of Morton in Renville county, and following very nearly the course of the Minnesota until it passes out of the western boundary line of Redwood county, is the Minneapolis and St. Louis railroad. This railroad was originally intended to be constructed through what is now the city of Redwood Falls, and from thence in a due westerly course to Marshall, and
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further on, to South Dakota. But when the construction crew reached Morton, there was a financial crash and when the work of extension was again taken up, for some reason known only in railroad circles, the company deviated from the original course and pursued the present route through the remaining portion of Minnesota and into South Dakota. The construction of this line was followed by the location of three different townsites- one at North Redwood, the second at Delhi, and the third at Bel- view. The village of Belview is apparently now the largest one of these three villages. It is the only one of the three villages that is blessed with a newspaper. Prior to 1895, Belview, as well as the other two villages, were given departments in the two papers at Redwood Falls, the latter vying with one another as to which could give the best service and make the best showing. Belview was given unusual space for the weekly doings and the businessmen patronized the Redwood Falls papers accordingly. The Redwood Gazette was long the official paper of the village, but in about 1895 there appeared Frank E. Harris, an excellent printer and a good news gatherer, and with him came the Bel- view Independent. Mr. Harris was an original character, but could not refrain from the pleasantries of life, and within a year or two after he established the paper, he disposed of it to W. T. Wasson, son of J. B. Wasson, a blacksmith of Redwood Falls. Young Wasson had some knowledge of the printing business, but never as a newspaper man. He was residing on a farm south of Belview with his mother at the time he made the purchase. The paper lost some of its former ginger and Mr. Wasson disposed of the plant about 1900 to H. M. Keene, who was also a printer and a newsgatherer, and who made little more than a living in con- ducting the enterprise. Mr. Keene, in about the same length of time, disposed of the paper to two young men under the firm name of Ehlers & Halberg, who continued the paper for two more years. when it was sold to F. G. Tuttle, and the latter continued the publication until some time about 1912.
Fred G. Tuttle possessed more newspaper experience than most of the newspaper men in Minnesota. His political experi- ence was correspondingly great. He had conducted newspapers in various parts of the state, and was one of the important fac- tors in the big Kindred-Nelson congressional fight in the Old Fifth Minnesota district. Quitting the newspaper field in that section he traveled into southern Minnesota and either owned or controlled papers at Echo, Vesta and Milroy during or before the time that he settled in Belview. "Dad" Tuttle, as he was more familiarly known, was a pleasant writer when telling of news, but he was bitter, vindicative, and convincing in his polit- ical writings, and when he finally disposed of his plant to take up newspaper life in Montana, there were many of the politicians
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of Redwood county ready to express thanks. He sold the paper to L. F. and C. A. Johnson, and the latter two young men are still the owners and are keeping the paper in pace with the big business progress and prosperity of Belview and the rich farm- ing district surrounding the town. "Dad" Tuttle moved to Pax- ton, Montana, where he started another paper. His declining health, however, caused his death, in 1915.
The Revere Record. The eighth newspaper to be established in Redwood county was the Revere Record. The place of its publication was Revere, between Lamberton and Walnut Grove. It is a town that was never able to properly support a paper. The census of 1910 gave it only a population of 134, while there were established newspapers in the towns on either side. But C. W. Folsom, a newspaper man, who never hesitated in estab- lishing newspapers and who came from northeastern Minnesota, was convinced that Revere would get back of the Record. He established the paper in May of 1901, and continued as editor until Sept. 29, 1904, running a six-column quarto paper with six pages printed by the patent inside houses.
On Sept. 29, 1904, R. D. Crow became the editor and busi- ness manager, Folsom remaining as publisher, though the style of the firm is given in the Record of that date as Revere Publish- ing Co., with H. H. Dahl, then a well known banker of Revere, as having some interest in the company. On November 10, 1904, it was enlarged to a seven-column quarto, with a patent inside ; and the ownership passed to Peer Storoegard on Dec. 14, 1904. Each edition of the paper showed that while the business houses of Revere were giving it support, the publisher must be dragging out a mighty poor existence. Mr. Storoegard continued as the publisher until the fall of 1912, when the paper passed into the ownership of Owen Parry, and on August 5, 1915, the paper, after over fourteen years of struggling for existence, suspeuded publication, the editor in his valedictory stating that the re- ceipts from the advertising had been only $12.00 per month ever since he had assumed control.
The Wabasso Standard. In 1899 the Chicago & Northwest- ern Railroad Company, fearing the construction of a line of railroad through the central portion of Redwood county by the Chicago Great Western Company, which latter company then had Mankato for its terminal point, concluded to head off the con- struction of a new railroad line by an opposing company in what it termed its territory, by constructing the line from Sanborn northwest to Vesta, and later by extending the line from Sleepy Eye to Marshall. This made Redwood county, with the single exception of the Minneapolis & St. Lonis railroad on the extreme north, distinctly Chicago & Northwestern territory.
With the construction of the line from Sanborn to Vesta there
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grew up the towns of Wanda, Wabasso, Seaforth and Vesta. Sea- forth at the outset being known as Okawa, the Indian name for pike.
With the establishing of the towns there came that one ad- vance agent of civilization, the newspaper, and on April 20, 1900, there appeared the first issue of the Standard, published at Wa- basso, the latter name being the Indian name for "the land of the white rabbit." W. F. Mahler was the editor and publisher, and was a remarkable young printer. He was gifted with more than ordinary talent for conducting a print shop and doing a fine line of printing. He was an excellent pressman in addition, and with his newspaper talent made the Wabasso Standard one of the neatest appearing papers in Redwood county. The town, however, was not large enough for him, and after spending a year or more with the Gazette at Redwood Falls, he purchased the Advance at Springfield, where he is now located. He sold the Standard on Nov. 7, 1902, to A. Clark Gleason, who came from Walnut Grove, and who, like Mahler, was an excellent printer and a good newspaper man. Mr. Gleason likewise found Wabasso too small for his talent, and on Oct. 14, 1904, disposed of the plant to James A. Larson, of Walnut Grove, the present assistant secretary of state, who bought the paper for the fun and experience of learning how to run a newspaper. Shortly afterwards the paper was controlled by Gooler & Larson, L. A. Gooler of Lamberton, associating himself with Mr. Larson in the publication, but on Oct. 25, 1907, this firm sold the paper to Messrs. Wiecks & Truedson, two young men hailing from Walnut Grove, and who were induced to make the purchase through the good offices of Mr. Larson. These two gentlemen sold the plant to Edward G. Weldon on May 7, 1909, and the latter has since conducted the newspaper with a good degree of success and is its present owner.
Bright Eyes and Vesta Censor. The tenth newspaper to be established in Redwood county was the Vesta Bright Eyes, of which the Vesta Censor is the successor. Vesta is the terminus of the extension of the railroad from Sanborn northwest to that village. Long before the railroad was even thought of, there resided on one of the large agricultural tracts near the townsite, a well educated gentleman of English descent, by the name of James Arnold. Mr. Arnold had been county commissioner for that district for a number of years. He was rich in thought and was able to commit his thoughts to writing in an excellent man- ner. Before the first edition of the Bright Eyes was published, Arnold was a frequent contributor to all of the county papers on the political issues of the day, and with the coming of the rail- road he saw a better opportunity to give a more complete pub- lication to his thoughts. After conducting the paper for two
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years he finally sold the plant to M. E. Lewis, a young Redwood county man, who had acquired some knowledge of the printing business in different offices of the county. Mr. Lewis conducted the plant for a couple of years, when he finally took as a part- ner Harvey Harris, who had come to Vesta as a townsite boomer and as an agent for the Western Town Lot Company. At the time of this partnership, or on July 20, 1904, the name was changed to the Vesta Censor, and the firm continued the publi- cation until June 1, 1906, when Mr. Harris purchased the inter- est of Mr. Lewis and became owner of the plant. He announces that he is still the owner, publisher, editor and devil, and during all the time he has been in control there have been only five com- positors, all ladies, employed in the shop, four of them retiring from their occupation to become popular wives, and each print- ing their own wedding stationery before leaving the office.
Mr. Harris was engaged in the mercantile business during his early years and afterwards engaged in railroading, telegraph operator and then working on a farm for two years. He came to Minnesota in 1900 and was cashier in the bank at Sherburn before moving to Vesta. Harris is a versatile, pugnacious little fellow and has always been sufficiently independent to denounce bad politics, bad business methods, and to boost for a good man for office. He maintains that his paper is Republican, but not- withstanding his politics, he maintains an independent attitude. The Censor has kept Vesta well on the map and has been a good advertising medium for that section of the county. In addition to running the newspaper Mr. Harris finds time to engage in the breeding of pure bred poultry and also in the breeding of Cornish Indian game chickens.
The Milroy Echo. The eleventh paper to be established in Redwood county was the Milroy Echo, the first edition being printed on May 5, 1902, at Milroy, on the line of the Chicago & Northwestern between Wabasso and Marshall. The veteran newspaper man, F. G. Tuttle, together with his son, Roy Tuttle, established the paper and continued its publication for a year or two when it was sold to J. A. Looney, a young Redwood county citizen, who had no knowledge of the printing business, and who, prior to 1905, disposed of the plant to E. M. Wilson. In 1910 Mr. Wilson purchased the Lamberton Star from W. C. Starr, and in turn sold the Echo to Max W. Johnson, the latter issuing his first number on May 1 of that year. Mr. Johnson was born and raised in Redwood county, and has not only given Milroy a good news- paper, but has made hosts of friends in the county.
The Wanda Pioneer Press. In 1902, at the commencement of a strenuous political campaign, Paul Dehnel, a native of Renville county, who had acquired a knowledge of the newspaper and printing business in that county, established the Wanda Pioneer
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Press, the publication being made from the village of Wanda, a town between Sanborn and Wabasso, with a much smaller popu- lation than even the village of Revere had at that time. Mr. Dehnel took an active part in the primary and general election campaigns, and finding insufficient support for his publication after the campaign was over, moved the plant to Fairfax, Ren- ville county, where he established an opposition paper, but con- tinued it for a short time only. He has since conducted news- papers at Worthington, Springfield and Bemidji, and is now engaged in the newspaper business at Sleepy Eye. Mr. Dehnel was twice the progressive candidate for representative in con- gress from the Second district, but failed of election both times.
Seaforth Item. Between 1900 and 1903 G. Roy Tuttle, son of the veteran newspaper man, F. G. Tuttle, established a paper in Seaforth, known as the Seaforth Item. Young Tuttle was versa- tile in the extreme and conducted an aggressive paper and even made way with a large portion of the county printing on one or two occasions. He conducted the Item until some time in 1908, when he disposed of the same to A. W. Milbradt, a business man of Seaforth, who conducted the paper in an excellent manner up to the time of his death, March 28, 1913, and the Item was con- ducted by his widow and son up to July 1, 1915. The paper is now conducted by his son, Ernest Milbradt.
Other Papers. This closes the list of bona fide newspapers in Redwood county. As far back as 1880, King Bros., engaged in a dry goods business at Redwood Falls, published the Redwood Merchant, a monthly folio sheet of five columns to the page, in the interests of their store. The firm circulated 1,000 of these papers each month gratis and aside from advertising the different articles in their institution the Merchant contained some inter- esting paragraphs. The paper suspended with the retirement of the firm from business. It was printed in the office of the Red- wood Gazette and the writer of this article, as well as his old partner, James Aiken, and his predecessor as devil in the Gazette printing office, A. C. Weiss, now of the Duluth Herald, will recall the strenuous days in working at the old Washington hand press one entire day during each month in getting out the edition.
In the late nineties, a Norwegian magazine called "Norrna" was published at Walnut Grove for two years by Peer Storoe- gaard, some time afterwards editor of the Revere Record. This magazine was a monthly and published in the "Landsmaal," as distinguished from the literary Norwegian, which is a close adap- tation of the Danish, and it is claimed to have been the first publication of its kind in the Western hemisphere. It was re- vived again in 1914 by its founder and editor, Mr. Storoegaard, who publishes it at 313 Broadway, Fargo, N. Dak.
Authority. Files of the various newspapers in the custody of the Minnesota Historical Society.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
REDWOOD COUNTY TOWNSHIPS.
There are twenty-six townships in Redwood county. Each of the townships is six miles square, except Swedes Forest, Delhi, Honner and Sherman, which are cut by the Minnesota river. Redwood Falls township was in the early days, generally sup- posed to consist of all unorganized townships in the county, though it was not created by the county commissioners until nearly all the other townships had been created. Sherman town- ship was created Sept. 7, 1869. Sheridan township was created as Holton Jan. 4, 1870. Five townships were created in 1872; Brookville on Feb. 29; Charlestown (consisting of Charlestown and Lamberton), May 3; Blackwood (this town was to include Paxton and Honner, but the organization was not perfected), May 3; Swedes Forest (consisting of Kintire, Swedes Forest and a small part of Delhi), Sept. 4; and Avon (now New Avon), Sept. 4. Four townships were created in 1873; Sundown on Jan. 7; Willow Lake and North Hero on Sept. 2, 1873; and Springdale (then called Summit), on Nov 21. Lamberton was created March 12, 1874. Four townships were created in 1876; Delhi on Feb. 1; Three Lakes on March 16; Underwood on April 13; and Gales on June 19. Three townships came into being in 1878; Water- bury on March 20; Johnsonville on July 16; and Westline on Sept. 25. Vail was created July 30, 1879, as Center. Five town- ships were created in 1880; Redwood Falls on Jan. 7; Honner on Jan. 10, as Baldwin; Vesta, Kintire and Morgan on May 11. Granite Rock was created several years later, thus completing the list.
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