History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 31

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912

USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 31

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).

The Genius of Temperance was a monthly publication, which appeared in New Lisbon in 1836, and was published for about two years. The Youths' Lyceum, an educational monthly, appeared in 1837 and continued for six months. In 1848 H. C. Trunick began the weekly publi- cation of the Ocean Ware, devoted to the inter- ests of temperance, but it continued but a few months.

SALEM'S NEWSPAPER VENTURES.

George D. Hunt, the old Salem historian, in a volume published in 1898, devotes no less

than three chapters to "The Printing Press" of Salem, which are replete with data, and com- ments upon the prevailing methods of conduct- ing the newspaper business in the early days of the old Quaker town. His style is so quaintly original that Hunt's "Salem History" will be drawn upon for some account of the city's earlier publications. Hunt says : "Print- ing in Salem was first done in a log house that stood on or near the place where A. M. Carr's new storehouse has been built. Joseph Shreve was then the teacher of the Friends' School, and his brother Thomas was studying medi- cine with Dr. Stanton ; both of them were liter- ary characters, friendly to the dissemination of knowledge and advocates of the printing press. They came from Pennsylvania and had some knowledge of Robert Fee, who in Brownsville published the Western Register. In this he appears to have made a failure, and was then induced by the Shreveș to come to Salem and start a paper .. In the latter part of March, 1825, he issued the first number of the Salem Gazette and Public Advertiser. (News-' papers generally affected long names in those early days. ) Robert Fee was a practical printer, and possessed some editorial tact; but he had domestic troubles from which he sought at times, relief in the intoxicating cup, which, in turn, aggravated the cause. A file of these papers was preserved by one of the oldest in- habitiants. It was an interesting relic of the times, and gave some idea of what the town then was. The Pittsburg Gasette appears to have been the most important exchange as more articles were credited to it than' to any other paper. An extensive account of Lafay- ette's visit to Western Pennsylvania, some amusing articles, accounts of horrid murders, advertisements of reward for the arrest of criminals, and some of the occurrences of the times were the prominent items. Joseph Shreve gave some articles on grammar ; and he wrote a short account of the appearance of a comet, that he thought would appear in the early part of 1829. Some marriage notices were published, and with them, according to a custom then, and during some subsequent years, prevailing, some pithy epigrams were given, such as:

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

223

Oh, what's a table richly, spread, Without a woman at its head?, * * * May heaven crown their bliss with joys, And fill their arms with girls and boys.

"William Beans married Sarah E. Green- field, on which event the editorial genius per- petrated this :

If fate shall to their wishes yield And fate to true love leans, . Time may bestow on this Greenfield A lovely crop of beans.

"There were some advertising in this paper, but there was then less to advertise, and people did not know the benefit of advertis- ing. One of the greatest calamities recorded was the burning of the Goshen meeting house. It occurred on a Sabbath morning. The Ga- zette came to an untimely end in July, 1826. "In 1830, and during some of the following

years, Salem received only a semi-weekly mail. Yet it then contained many newspaper patrons. The Ohio Patriot (Democratic) and the West- ern Palladium (Whig) were then published in New Lisbon. The Aurora, which commenced in 1832, was neutral. No postoffice received more of these papers than Salem. Some Phil- adelphia papers were taken, especially the Sat- urday Evening Post. Some time in 1835 Wil- son F. Stewart came and issued his prospectus for the Salem Visitor. This prospectus was a curiosity. It commenced by saying that 'With- out the usual notice that periodicals usually abound, the editor would simply state that he intended to publish a paper like others in some particulars-in others unlike them.' . It was to be like them, inasmuch as its main object would be to suit the public taste. He acknowledged the difficulty of knowing what this was and, "If it were possible to ascertain what the reign- ing taste was, he would endeavor not to reform but to conform.' Some promises about the character of the paper were given; among others, that 'Stanzas should have a ready ad- mission, adapted to the love-sick and sick of love.' The first number was issued, and the ·carrier sent around with it .. William Reed, on

seeing it, paid for it and gave orders for no more to be sent to him. John Frost, of the New Lisbon Aurora, noticed it by merely mention- ing that he had been favored with a visit from the Salem Visitor. In the spring of the next year P. F. Boylan bought the Visitor. He adopted Stewart's prospectus with a few words and terms changed, and changed the name to the Ohio Mercury. It was a slight improve- ment on the Visitor. * * After a few months Stewart's practice of reprinting a few * columns was adopted, and he confessed that he 'found it very convenient,' but 'would not do so very often.' Then followed irregular issues and a decrease of good reading matter until the Aurora took occasion to mention that 'the Ohio Mercury was about being transferred to some of its creditors as its editor had absconded between two days.' Another report was that after giving his presidential vote to Martin Van Buren, he left the town as fast as his feet and legs would carry him. After such signal fail- ures as these, it would have been impossible to establish a paper in Salein, if other policies had not been pursued."

THE BUSINESS IS REFORMED.

Early in 1842 "Benjamin Hawley, James Eggman, John Campbell and John Harris as- sociated themselves as an editorial committee with Benjamin B. Davis and Joshua Hart as publishers, the last mentioned being a practical printer. A press and other printing material were procured, and on the 12th day of April, 1842, the first number of the Village Register was issued. The well-known character of the editorial staff helped it much. It 'conformed' much to the 'reigning taste,' and did much to 'reform' without any cringing cajolery." After a fair start, B. B. Davis became editor and he employed printers to do the work. In 1844 Joseph H. Painter rented the office and con- tinued the paper. He retired in about two years and Mr. Davis again took charge of the paper. He took Aaron Hinchman into partner- ship, in 1846. and in a short time Hinchman became sole editor and proprietor. He changed the name to the Homestead Journal.

224

HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

In 1854 J. K. Rukenbrod and Jesse Hutton purchased the Journal, Mr. Rukenbrod shortly becoming sole proprietor. In 1857, having be- come identified with the Republican party, the name of the paper was changed to the Sa- lem Republican. Mr. Rukenbrod was a man of marked ability, and the paper soon secured and ever afterward maintained a standard which which made it a credit to the State and local journalism. In 1889, a short time before Mr. Rukenbrod's death, he sold out to the Salem Publishing Company. In 1873 Dr. J. M. Hole began the publication of the Salem Era. The following year he sold a half interest in the paper to Ed. F. Rukenbrod, and a little later the other half to J. B. Park. Later still Mr. Park sold out to his partner ; then J. D. Foun- tain acquired a half interest, within a year selling to Mr. Rukenbrod, and Rukenbrod, in turn, in 1889 sold to Stanley & Company, who afterwards aided in the organization of the Sa- lem Publishing Company. This company then consolidated the Republican and the Era, and the paper was still in 1905, published weekly as the Republican-Era. Meanwhile J. W. Northrop had established the Salem Daily News in 1889, and it was also taken over by the Salem Publishing Company and became a part of the consolidation. November 24, 1894, L. H. Brush bought a controlling interest in the Salem Publishing Company and he and his associates reorganized the company, infusing new life into its publications. In 1905 the or- ganization of the company-which had been practically unchanged in II years-was L. H. Brush, president and treasurer and Dr. T. ,T. Church, secretary. F. A. Douglas became edi- tor of the Salem News early in the '90's, and continued in the News harness until March, 1901 ; from that date until May, 1904, William B. McCord was editor of the Salem Publish- ing Company's publications; and he was suc- ceeded by R. B. Thompson. In 1905 there were two dailies and two weeklies published in Salem : The Salem Daily News and the Re- publican-Era (weekly), and the Daily Herald and Weekly Bulletin.

April 9, 1890, D. D. Kirby, who had prev- iously published a paper in Belleville, Kansas,

issued the first number of the Democratic Bul- letiu. This was the beginning of the enter- prise out of which grew in later years the Daily Herald and Weekly Bulletin. The style of the publishing firm from the' start was Kirby & Company. From July, 1890, to July, 1894, H. W. McCurdy was a partner. But for the greater part of the time, from the begining, Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Kirby had been sole pro- prietors up to 1905, when the constituency of the company was still unchanged. The Daily Herald was established May 12, 1891, and in 1896 the name of the weekly was changed to the Weekly Bulletin, but the political com- plexion of both daily and weekly, always Democratic, remained unchanged. Oliver O. Hogan was the first editor of the Democratic Bulletin, and continued so for a little less than' a year. The first editor of the Daily Herald was George Penn. Later J. W. Northrop, P. G. Hiddleson and George H. Gee served in the capacity. Mr. Gee was still editor in 1905.

The Anti-Slavery Bugle was established in Salem by the American Anti-Slavery So- ciety in 1845. The first issue was printed June 20th, the first six numbers being issued from the office of the Aurora, in New Lisbon; then the paper was removed to Salem, in which town it was published by a committee of the Anti- Slavery Society, . Milo Townsend being the first editor. The publishing committee con- sisted of Samuel Brook, George Garrettson, J. Barnaby, Jr., David L. Galbreath and Lot Holmes. James Barnaby, Jr., was publisher's agent. Benjamin S. Jones and J. Elizabeth Hitchcock (afterwards Mrs. Benjamin S. Jones) became editors, and so continued for four years, when they were succeeded by Oliver Johnson, who was editor for two years. The paper then passed to the editorial control of Marius R. Robinson, who managed it for eight years. By order, of a committee from the Anti- Slavery Society, publication ceased May 4, 1864, the paper having been in charge of Ben- Jamin S. Jones during the last year of its ex- istence. (A number of quotations from the Anti-Slavery Bugle will be found in the chap- ter on the anti-slavery movement in this work.)

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LEETONIA

JAMES FARMER "Father of Salineville Industries"

ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH, LEETONIA

CHRISTIAN CHURCH, SALEM

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SALEM

FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, EAST LIVERPOOL

227

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

The Salem Journal was established by John Hudson, the first number being printed Feb- ruary 17, 1865. It passed through many changes of proprietorship, the owners and pub- lishers being, at successive periods, John Hud- son, Vernon Hutton, J. R. Vernon ( for about three years), Vernon & Baird, J. R. Vernon and finally Vernon & Baker. By the last named firm it was sold August 24, 1872, to Maj. W. R. Snider, and shortly afterward dis- continued in Salem, the plant being removed to Crestline.

In 1870 the Ohio Educational Monthly, a Columbus, Ohio, publication, was purchased by William D. Henkle and removed to Salem, where its publication was continued up to the year of Mr. Henkle's death, 1881. In January, 1875, Mr. Henkle commenced the publication of Educational Notes and Queries, continu- ing it as a monthly publication until 1881. It is said of this publication that before the close of the first year of its existence it had sub- scribers in 35' States and Territories.

The National .Greenbacker, a radical weekly newspaper promising to devote its en- ergies to monetary and labor reforms, was started in Salem by a company in 1878, G. W. Cowgill's name appearing as publisher and editor. It did not receive the requisite support to make of it a financial success, and soon went out of business.

J. W. Northrop in 1883 removed the Buck- cye Vidette from Bryan, Ohio, to Salem, and resumed its publication here. It purported to be in the interest of the laboring classes, and it advocated the "issue and control of all kinds of money by the government and making the government responsible for its real value."

.The Salem Weekly Democrat was started by Asa H. Batten and Thomas Dillon, and continued just one year, from August. 1854, to August, 1855 ; and in the late 'Sos J. D. Foun- tain published the Salem Tribune, a weekly Republican paper, for about four months.

The following ephemeral newspaper ven- tures in Salem are made a matter of historical record by George Hunt in his history: "The Dollar, Agc, a weekly started by Alfred A. Sipe, survived but a few months, Mr. Sipe dy-

ing during a visit to West Virginia. Sipe was a brilliant writer and compiler of local news; · still the Dollar Age never paid. J. R. Murphy and J. C. Kling bought the outfit and started the Salem Times, which soon starved. Dr. Hardman at intervals issued a very original weekly called the Clipper, but it soon passed out of existence. In January, 1896. Willis Whinnery commenced issuing a monthly paper entitled the Swine Advocate. It was published in the interests of the business in which he was en- gaged. It was continued two or three years."

The Daily Holiday Newsboy was estab- lished in the '70s by J. S. Rentz, a practical printer, and published intermittently for many years, daily for a week preceding the Christmas holidays.

June 12, 1902, Charles Bonsall and J. S. Rentz began the publication in Salem of the American Worker, devoted to the interests of trades unions and workingmen generally. It was discontinued January 22, 1903.

In the early 'Sos a small monthly paper was published at Hanoverton by Joel Taylor, which he called the Crowder. It had a short and precarious existence. In 1901-02 L. R. Benjamin published the Hanoverton Weekly Record. It continued for less than two years.

PAPERS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE COUNTY.

In the autumn of 1835 Lewis Caton, who had been engaged in the publication of a paper at Snow Hill, Maryland, came to Wellsville and began the publication of a paper, which he named the Wellsville Commercial Adver- tiser, which was the pioneer newspaper of the town. He was accompanied from Maryland by William L. Clarke, a practical printer, who had worked for him there. Mr. Clarke is said to have set the first "stick" of type for the Advertiser, and pulled on an old Ramage press, the first sheet of the first issue of the first newspaper published in the town. This first paper was printed in October, 1835. In 1838 Caton disposed of the paper to Joshua Hart, and Hart in turn sold out in 1840 to McCartney & McBane. In 1841 McBane pur- chased McCartney's interest, and changed the

:228

HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

name of the paper to the American Patriot. In 1842 William L. Clarke bought the paper from McBane, changed the name to the Wells- ville Patriot, and continued its publication for 22 years, or until October, 1864. Clarke was a rabid Democrat practically all his life; and he was charged with being a "Southern sympa- thizer" during the Civil War. At any rate, owing to disloyal utterances through his paper, the popular feeling against him became so strong that he was impelled to discontinue the paper and to return to Maryland. In 1873 he. returned to Wellsville, where he appears still to have owned some property, and made his home in the town the remainder, of his life. He worked as a compositor at the case at inter- vals, in Wellsville and East Liverpool print- ing offices, until he was almost 80 years of age. He died in 1903, aged about 84. "Uncle Billy" Clarke, as he was familiarly known, was proud of the distinction which he claimed, that of having worked longer at the business, as an editor and compositor, than any other man in Eastern Ohio.

In 1864 W. G. Foster, a practical printer of some enterprise and some ability, came from Steubenville and established the Wellsville Un- ion. May 18, 1872, the Union, together with a farge job printing office, was purchased by the McCord Brothers-William B. and Robert T. -and a year later the former became sole pro- prietor. William B. McCord here began an editorial career which lasted, in Columbiana County, with two brief intervals of about one year each, for 32 years-or until 1904. In the fall of 1878 Mr. McCord sold out to Wiggins & McKillop. Mr. McKillop died about the be- ginning of the following year, and J. Wiggins continued the paper, A. P. Howard having purchased the job office, which he removed to Columbus, its capacity for business being in advance of the town. In February, 1882, Wig- gins sold the Union to P. M. Smith and F. M. Hawley; two years later Mr. Hawley ac- quired the full proprietorship and editorial con- trol, and continued the publication until Feb- ruary, 1897, in the meantime having estab- lished the Daily Union. On the latter date Mr. Hawley sold out to the McQueen Brothers,

who, in turn, sold about April 1, 1905, to K. W. DeBelle. In the meantime the Daily Un- ion and Daily Record had been consolidated a few months previous, the Daily Union-Record and Weekly Union being continued in 1905 by the Union Publishing. Company, K W De- Belle, editor and manager.

In the later '8os Edward B. Clark pub- lished the Wellsville Evening Journal for a short time, disposing of his plant to John Nich- 'olson, who revived the paper in the form of a weekly, which was continued for, some years. Out of this grew the Record, which in 1899 was established as a daily with John Nicholson, proprietor, and James Nolan, editor. This in turn, was consolidated with the Union as the Union-Record, as already stated, early in 1905.

In 1899 Taneyhill & Walkup started the Wellsville Daily Sun, which continued to emit it rays of enlightenment for less than a year. The Sun was Democratic, the Journal and the Record, Independent, while the Union was always Republican, which continued to be the political complexion of the Union-Record.

For several years, or between 1869 and 1872, a monthly known as the Rainbow attracted considerable attention by the spice of its local contents. It was published by an association of Wellsville merchants, chiefly for the pur- pose of advertising their wares.

PAPERS OF THE "CERAMIC CITY."

In 1870 David B. Martin established the Wellsville Local, and the following year trans- ferred his office to East Liverpool, and began the publication of the Potters' Gazette. But this paper, not being the first of East Liver- pool's local publications, will be passed now to be taken up later in turn.

The first paper published in East Liver- pool was the East Liverpool Mercury, and was issued by George J. Luckey (who was after- wards, for many years, superintendent of the Pittsburg city schools) and J. W. Harris. It was Republican in politics. It was started May 23, 1861, and lived but a year. In 1867 W. G. Foster, publisher of the Wellsville Union, started the East Liverpool Record, but this

229

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

paper suspended in 1869. The Record, too, was Republican in politics. In 1868 J. F. Murphy, of Wellsburg, West Virginia, crav- ing some newspaper experience in the new pottery town, launched the East Liverpool Local. It had a local existence for eight weeks.

Enoch Bradshaw was a "War" Democrat, possessed of good horse sense and a good sup- ply of hard cash, a portion of which he pro- ceeded to squander in trying to establish a Dem- ocratic paper in an overwhelmingly Republican town. He purchased, in 1869, the plant of the defunct East Liverpool Local; but in January, 1876, gave up his daring idea, and transferred his material to J. H. Simms and T. R. Brad- shaw, who immediately established the East Liverpool Tribune. The year following (1877), Mr. Simms became sole proprietor. September 1, 1902, the Morning Tribune was started; and so, in 1905, the daily and weekly editions were still being published, Mr. Simms having formed the Tribune Publishing Com- pany, himself holding the majority of the stock. He had been in the publishing business for over 28 years.

David B. Martin having removed his print- ing plant from Wellsville to East Liverpool in 1871, began the publication of the Potters' Gazette. It was not a class paper, as its name might be supposed to indicate, but local in its news matter and Republican in politics. It continued to be published as a Republican newspaper until the fall of 1884, when, by the tender of financial assistance, the Democrats gained control of its columns. This coup was offset in two weeks time, and the Gazette again became a Republican paper, and so continued until the death of Mr. Martin, which occurred about 1887. Mrs. David Martin continued to edit the paper for a short time; then she em- ployed Frank Crowl in the editorial and me- chanical management. In the course of a few months the office was damaged by fire and the paper suspended. In two or three weeks there- after Crowl issued the East Liverpool Gasette as a new paper. In 1889 a company was or- ganized in opposition to the Daily Review, at that time in its fifth year-the new company taking over the Gazette and making it a daily

paper. The venture lasted but a few months and the Gasette died a natural death.

October 25, 1879, William B. McCord is- sued the first number of the Saturday Review, printed in East Liverpool-from new type and on a new press-dated "Wellsville and East Liverpool," and containing a weekly resume of the local news of both towns. Several years later the Review became an exclusively East Liverpool publication. In June, 1885, the Daily Review was started, it being the first regularly issued daily paper in Columbiana County. It was also the first paper in the county to utilize the telephone in news gather- ing. In December, 1891, Mr. McCord sold the Review, daily and weekly, to Dudley Young, who came from New York State. He died about three months afterward and his. widow after conducting the paper about two. months sold it to J. E. McDonald. In April,. 1892, Mr. McCord started the Daily News, and in August following the Review and the. News joined issues by consolidation under the name of the Evening News-Review, the weekly continuing as the Saturday Review. A stock company was organized in the fall of 1892, Harry Palmer and Thomas W. Morris, of Mckeesport, purchasing a controlling interest. McDonald sold his holdings, as did also Mc- Cord, who retired for a rest of some months after which he served for about 10 years, first as editor of the East Liverpool Daily Crisis and later of the Salem Daily News.

March 1, 1901, the Newes-Review was pur- chased by the newly organized East Liverpool Publishing Company, H. W. Brush, president, and L. H. Brush, secretary and manager. April I, 1904, L. H. Brush individually purchased the name, good-will, circulation and advertis- ing contracts of the Crisis-which had just suspended publication -- and the News-Review became for the time being the News-Review and Crisis. January 1, 1905, the name was shortened and the old name as it had been back in 1885-the Evening Review-was restored. Meanwhile Mr. Brush had merged the Weekly Crisis with the Saturday Review, and leased it to C. G. Byron, who continued it as a Demo- cratic paper under the name of the Weekly.

230

HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

Crisis and Saturday Review. In April, 1905, Mr. Byron bought the consolidated weekly and continued its, publication.

A CRISIS IN LOCAL JOURNALISM.

In the fall of 1884 a fund of $500 was raised by the Democrats of East Liverpool, to induce some one to start the publication of a Democratic paper in that city. Not succeeding in the effort, this money was used to purchase the mortgage on a Republican paper in the town, the Potters' Gazette, then edited by "Dave" Martin. For two issues the paper was Democratic, when the Republicans repurchased the mortgage, and the Crisis began its issue October 4, 1884, simultaneously with the re- appearance of the Potters' Gazette as a Repub- lican paper. The Crisis was a political venture of the Democratic Central Committee, and James C. Deidrick, as secretary of that organ- ization, took charge. Dr. George P. Ikirt was engaged as editor until February, 1885, when he retired. The paper was issued as a weekly until March 21, 1888, when it was changed to a daily. Subsequently it included a Sunday issue, but after six months the Sunday feature was abandoned. The paper in the beginning was aggressive, but not profitable. Its career continued to be marked with much vigor, and IO years later it was a profitable venture. In August, 1898, the paper was incorporated for $25,000. It continued under the active man- agement of James C. Deidrick until May I, 1899, when he removed to Canton, Ohio. The company was subsequently managed by differ- ent parties until April 1, 1904, when the Crisis was consolidated with the News-Review. Dur- ing the career of the Crisis it absorbed the old Gazette and The People, a weekly paper pub- lished for a little more than a year in the in- terest of the trades unions and workingmen generally. During parts of 1897 and 1898 the Pottery Journal, a trade monthly devoted to the pottery business, was issued from the Crisis office. It suspended in 1898.

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.

History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 31

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 912

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912