History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 72

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 72

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work, and Giles loaded it on a wagon and started the first Democratic paper at Upper Sandusky.

In the earliest settlement of the counties it was a difficult matter for papers to exist, and there was generally but one in a county, and that depended for its support not so much on its patrons as on the county printing. Craw- ford was a Democratic county, and when Orr started a real Democratic paper he secured the county printing and the Whig paper went to the wall. Two papers could not be sustained in Bucyrus, and about 1843 Shrenck moved his plant to Kenton and on Feb. 3, 1845, the act was passed creating Wyandot county from Crawford, and Shrenck loaded his plant into a wagon and started it across the country and on Feb. 15, 1845, issued the first paper at Up- per Sandusky, which was called the Wyandott Telegraph, with two "tt's." His office was the old Council House, but the county bought the building and he was compelled to move, and while waiting to secure a new location pub- lished one number under an apple-tree in the open air. His paper was Whig in politics, to the great satisfaction of his former subscrib- ers in that portion of Crawford county, which was now Wyandot. That fall was the first election for the county officials in Wyandot county, and the editor poured his weekly ti- rade of abuse on the iniquities of the Demo- cratic party, and eulogized every candidate and every doctrine of the Whigs. The Democrats were wild, and they hurried to Bucyrus for re- lief. Good natured, genial Tom Orr had been publishing a Democratic paper at Bucyrus at such irregular intervals that the Democrats had induced another man to establish a paper in their city. While Orr talked politics and told stories at every loafing place in the village, his paper was being gotten out, such as it was, by a young man named William T. Giles, not an editor, but a printer, about 22 years of age. When the Upper Sandusky delegation reached Bucyrus they met Orr. He was not only ready to quit, but as usual would do anything to ac- commodate his friends, so he suggested that Giles could buy his plant and take it to Upper Sandusky. Giles only paid $1.25 per week for board, but was unable to collect enough money from Orr to keep this paid up, so he was finan- cially insolvent. He also doubted his ability to

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run a paper, but his democracy was unques- tioned; and, persuaded by Orr and the Upper Sandusky Democrats, he agreed to look over the field. In company with William M. Scroggs, afterward his brother-in-law, he visited Upper Sandusky, and agreed to undertake the job. Orr had said there would be no difficulty on terms. And there wasn't. Orr was to receive Giles' individual note for the property, due in eight months, the amount due Giles from Orr being deducted. When the note was due, if Giles could not pay it, he was to return the property, and Orr was to pay him in cash the balance due him for wages. The contract and note were drawn up by Josiah Scott. Giles was an in- dustrious and hard worker. His Democratic friends bought him an old house in Upper San- dusky, and this he fitted up for a printing of- fice. Everything being ready, Giles borrowed a horse of one of the staunch Democrats, of Upper Sandusky, Col. Robt McKelly; started early in the morning, drove to Bucyrus, got Fred Feiring to assist him, and the plant was loaded on the wagon, and by evening in its new home, and he issued his first paper, the Dem- ocratic Pioneer, on Aug. 29, 1845. So the first papers of both parties were started in Up- per Sandusky by Bucyrus men. Giles poured hot shot and bad grammar into the Whigs, and when the election was over the county was Democratic, Giles had the county printing, and the week after the October election Schrenck left with his plant for a new field in Henry county, receiving the following complimentary notice from his successful rival:

"The thing that decamped from this place, and took up his abode in Napoleon, Henry county, and is issuing a little filthy sheet, is said to be doing great service to the Democracy of that county, and the Democrats are returning their thanks to him. Good! We hope our friends in those regions will give him plenty of rope, and the consequence will be seen."

When the note became due Giles wrote Orr of his impossibility to pay, and said he would return the plant, and collect his back wages, as per contract. Orr was in worse financial con- dition than ever, and being unable to pay the wages, finally succeeded in coaxing Giles to go ahead with the plant and pay when he could. Giles made a success of it and later became one of the prominent newspaper men of the west, and althought later in life he may have been

able to explain just what he meant in his first announcement in the Pioneer, he certainly never found any grammar which would suc- cessfully cover the paragraph in its entirety. Here is his entry into journalism :

"It is the intention of the editor to be perfectly free and uncontrolled by any man or set of men, and always willing to receive the counsel of such as are desirous of promoting the good cause, for which it is published to vindicate, as the advice of many is likely to be more correct than the few."

As for Tom Orr, he was more popular with- out his paper than with it, so his party elected him Clerk of the Court, a position he held for six years, proving a most efficient and popular official.

In 1859 he was chosen to represent Seneca, Crawford and Wyandot counties in the state senate. During the second session the war broke out and Orr supported the measures adopted by the legislature for the preservation of the Union. For doing this he was bitterly denounced by some of the leaders of his party at home, and when he sought a renomination at the next primary election, received only 782 votes in Crawford county, while Judge Lang of Tiffin received 760, and the latter was nom- inated at the Senatorial Convention. Orr aft- erward remove to Calhoun county, Iowa, where he died July 2, 1874.

When the Democrats of Crawford became dissatisfied with Orr's irregularly issued pub- lication, they induced J. R. Knapp., Jr., who had for several years been connected with the Marion Mirror, to establish another Democrat- ic paper at Bucyrus. The first number of this, the People's Forum, appeared April 12, 1845, and three months later Orr sold his plant to Giles. The Forum has been regularly pub- lished since, under different proprietors. John R. Knapp learned his trade as a printer in New York, and in 1842 with his brother started the Marion Mirror. In 1845 he sold out to his brother in order to come to Bucyrus and start the People's Forum, which he ran until 1847 and sold to Mordecai P. Bean. In 1846 while at Bucyrus Mr. Knapp was appointed by John G. Breslin, then clerk of the senate, as his as- sistant clerk. In 1848 he was elected Senate Clerk. The Senate stood Democrats 18, Whigs . 15, Free Soil 3; the Free Soilers were "Pro- gressive Whigs" so the Senate was a tie po-

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litically. In those days the Clerk of the Sen- ate had the giving out of the publication of laws, (worth about $50,000 to some paper,) so when opportunity offered there was a fight. Balloting lasted four days. Knapp got his 18 Democratic votes all right on every ballot, but lacked one of a majority, and on the 12Ist ballot he received nineteen votes and was elected, and Sam Medary, of the Ohio States- man, secured the publication of the laws. The next session was also close as it took 300 bal- lots to agree on the speaker, but Knapp got the clerkship on the second ballot, showing he had made a good clerk.

Knapp's office for a few weeks after he came here was opposite the Court House; then it was moved a few doors east, near the old Methodist Episcopal church. In April 1848 the printing material was moved to a room over Lauck & Failor's store; the frame still standing on the corner of the Square and East Mansfield street ; in April, 1850 it was moved to the An- derson block, long known as the Ward-Gorm- ley residence, opposite the present office of the Bucyrus Journal and the Evening Telegraph. In the spring of 1855 it was moved to the Deal House corner. Bean had bought the People's Forum in 1847 and was proprietor for about ten years. During the latter part of that dec- ade Philip Dombaugh was associated with him but never owned an interest, although consid- ered the publisher for several years. They fi- nally dissolved business relations April 24, 1857, and shortly after Bean sold the Forum to J. A. Estill, who was later editor of the Holmes County Farmer. The office was re- moved to the Quinby block April 1, 1859, and in a few weeks passed into the hands of A. Mc- Greggor who, after he left here was editor of the Stark County Democrat, at Canton, and died there in November, 1901. When Mr. Mc- Greggor left he transferred the paper to the late Judge Thomas Beer, and the office was removed to the Burkhart block, now known as the Mader block, on January 1, 1862. On April 25, Henry Barnes and Thomas Coughlin purchased Beer's interest in the paper. After five months Barnes retired from the partner- ship, but Coughlin continued as proprietor un- til April, 1868, and the office was removed to the Blair block. In October, 1867, he was elected County Clerk and was re-elected in

1870. Before entering on the duties of this po- sition he sold the paper to John R. Clymer, who had been the Clerk of the Court for the previ- ous seven years. About this time the office, which had been improved by the addition of a fine Cincinnati cylinder press and other new printing material, was removed from Blair's hall to the second story of No. 8 Quinby block.

In August, 1867, Mr. Coughlin employed as as- sociate editor of his paper William Hubbard, who continued with the Forum until April, 1869. This gentleman was an unusually earnest and forcible writer, and had a national reputation on account of the fearlessness of his writings in opposition to the war. During the war he was publishing a paper at Dayton, and the citizens believing his vigorous expres- sions were disloyal, visited his office one night without waiting for the formality of an invita- tion, and destroyed the plant. With a praise- worthy tenderness of heart, to prevent the ed- itor seeing his property ruined, they consider- ately threw him out of the window before they commenced their work of destruction. Noth- ing was done, as public opinion in that city was against the editor. He went to Bellefontaine where he edited the Logan County Gazette, with his pen a trifle sharpened by his experi- ences, and then came to Bucyrus. When he re- tired from the Forum the partnership of Hub- bard & Coughlin was formed and they bought the Democratic Northwest at Napoleon, Ohio, which Mr. Hubbard edited until he died, May II, 1872.

In 1874, Mr. Coughlin was elected clerk of the House of Representatives at Columbus, serving one term; he went from there to Cin- cinnati and eventually returned to the print- ing business. Advanced in years, he is still living at Colorado Springs, Col., a member of the Printers' Home.

Under the ownership of Mr. Clymer, in Feb- ruary, 1871, a steam engine was added to the plant and the first paper was printed by steam in Bucyrus. For over 27 years the paper had been folio in form, but in October, 1871, it was changed to a quarto, and subscribers who desired it semi-weekly were furnished four pages on Tuesday and four on Friday. This system was continued until the four page form was resumed, November 17, 1876. During the nine years Mr. Clymer was publisher the

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office occupied at different times each floor of No. 8 Quinby block. On April 20, 1877, Ma- jor J. H. Williston, one of the owners of the Marion Mirror, bought the paper, and in De- cember, 1878, the establishment was removed to the basement of the Deal block, were it con- tinued for a number of years and then moved to the south room of the Vollrath block where Jo- seph Ulmer now has his store, and from there it was moved to the old Methodist church build- ing where it is at present located. In 1883 Mr. Williston, was elected State Senator from the district and re-elected in 1885, and during the time he was in the Ohio Senate, A. R. Bell was the associate editor, and manager, a part of the time being assisted by Walter E. Wright, an unusually clever writer. Major Williston sold an interest in the Forum to Frank Holbrook and later the Holbrook Brothers bought the other interest. Grant A. McNutt, a brother-in- law of the Holbrooks became a member of the firm. He was one of the most brilliant and ver- satile local writers ever in the newspaper busi- ness at Bucyrus. When the Spanish-American War broke out he accepted a Government posi- tion at Washington where he remained several years, when he returned to Bucyrus, filling va- rious positions, and died in 1911. Under the Holbrooks, A. M. Ensminger was editor of the paper, a position he filled until he was appointed postmaster in July, 1894, when Horace Hol- brook assumed the editorial management and Frank Holbrook the business department. In Oct., 1901, the Bucyrus Publishing Company was incorporated, and the new company bought the Forum and the Crawford County News, changing the name to the News Forum, L. M. Smith being president and general manager of the new company, as well as the principal stock- holder ; W. H. Iams editor. Under this editor- ship and management the paper has continued ever since, its business constantly increasing and in October of this year they added a per- fecting press to their plant.

An attempt was made by Major Williston to establish a daily paper in 1880, the first num- ber having appeared July 13 of that year. But it was discontinued Nov. 3, after an existence of four months. About 1886 the Holbrooks took charge of the Daily Critic, which they ran for a few years and then discontinued it. On March 2, 1891, the Daily Forum was started

by them, and it has had a prosperous existence ever since. In 1907 a linotype machine was in- stalled, the first in the county.

When Major J. H. Williston left here he went to Fostoria, where he engaged in other business and died in that city, March 20, 1891. Frank and Horace Holbrook went to Califor- nia where they continued in the newspaper business, later returning to Ohio, Horace Hol- brook being the present proprietor of the War- ren Democrat, in Trumbull county.

After Shrenck's Bucyrus Democrat had been discontinued the Whigs of Crawford county were without an organ for nearly ten years. From 1845 to Jan. 1, 1853, the Forum was the only paper in the county. Near the close of 1852 subscription papers were circulated throughout the county, by Henry Converse, D. W. Swigart and James McLain, the Whig lead- ers, and enough subscribers were guaranteed to warrant J. A. Crevier in publishing a Whig pa- per, and the first number of the present Bucy- rus Journal was issued January 1, 1853. In 1855 the Republican party was organized, and the Journal, under Crevier, warmly espoused the doctrines advocated by that party. Since then, under different proprietors the paper has advocated the interests of the Republican party and its principles. With the exception of eleven eight-page numbers printed during three months of 1856, The Journal was always a folio until 1890 when it became an eight-page paper. For two years the office was located at the corner of Sandusky avenue and "Pill" alley, that alley being the name given the driveway south of the Wynn millinery store. From there the office was moved in 1854 to the sec- ond story of the old frame building which stood on the Bucyrus City Bank corner. May I, 1856 it was removed to the lot where the busi- ness of J. Herskowitz is at present located, just west of the City Bank Building. February 22, 1858 the office was removed to the McCoy building just opposite the court house, the building where the People's Forum published its first number. On Jan. 1, 1859 the Journal office was removed to the second story of the Rowse block, which had just been completed, and here the paper was published for seventeen years. In 1853 a strike occurred among the printers at work on the daily papers at Pitts- burgh; two of them, David R. Locke and James

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G. Robinson, started on a western trip. They reached Plymouth, Richland county, and were induced by citizens there to revive the Adver- tiser, which they ran until 1855, when they sold out and with Roeliff Brinkerhoff purchased the Mansfield Herald. Soon after Locke sold his interest in that paper and March 20, 1856, pur- chased the Bucyrus Journal of Mr. Crevier. After Mr. Crevier left Bucyrus he went to Cin- cinnati where he was prominent in local affairs. He died there December 27, 1867, aged 47 years. At the time of his death he was chief clerk in the office of the Hamilton county treas- urer. For several months after D. R. Locke purchased the Journal his brother D. W. Locke, was associated with him, but they dissolved partnership July 15. Shortly afterward Locke persuaded his former partner James G. Robin- son, to take an interest in the Journal with him, and in April, 1857, the two friends were again united in their business interests. The office was improved by the addition of a Robinson Princeton power press, which was the first cylindrical press brought to Bucyrus. These two enterprising men worked together, cor- dially, and advocated in their paper many new enterprises needed in the community. Among the many public and private improvements which were the result of their persistent agita- tion are the gas works, Oakwood cemetery, the many beautiful shade trees, better streets, and the excellent sidewalks and many buildings. In April, 1861, J. G. Robinson was appointed post- master of Bucyrus by President Lincoln, which position he held until removed for political rea- sons by President Johnson in 1866. Mr. Locke retired from the Journal November 13, 1861, and purchased the Findlay Jeffersonian and afterward purchased an interest in the Toledo Blade, with which he connected the balance of his life. His death occurred there February 15, 1888. The first of the Nasby satirical ar- ticles were written by Mr. Locke during his connection with the Bucyrus Journal and were first published in that paper December 13, 1860 and the first of Locke's letters signed "P. V. Nasby" was published in the Journal during 1861. In 1862 Ralph Robinson became asso- ciated with his brother in the ownership of the Journal.

One of the old customs of newspapers was the issuing of a Carrier's Address each New

Year's Day, in which the names of the more prominent business men were given compli- mentary notices in verse. These addresses were delivered by the carrier to the subscribers, and various sums were given him according to the generosity of the subscriber. In these ad- dresses Mr. Locke was an adept, and his light, satirical style shows to advantage; the one writ- ten by him for Jan. 1, 1858, praises and crit- icizes Bucyrus in the following bright style :

Here seven tall churches rear their towers in air; Here thirty grog-shops on the thirsty stare; Sinner and saint may both be happy here- Seven founts of grace and thirty odd of beer. City of Mud! 'tis true that every street Runs liquid nastiness about our feet. What though a spaniel dog can scarcely make His way along our streets, or through that lake We call the square; none hope to find A place with more good qualities combined. Look at our women !- tell, oh tell me where, Nature made others that are half as fair. Look at our men! and show me if you can, An equal number and each one a man.

Sept. 2, 1867, James G. Robinson sold his interest in the Bucyrus Journal to John Hopley for $1500 and the paper was run by Hopley & Robinson until May 20, 1868, when Mr. Hopley purchased Ralph Robinson's interest for $1500 and was thereafter its sole owner. After leaving the printing office James G. Rob- inson embarked in the drug busines with Dr. M. C. Cuykendall, and continued at this until he died April 14, 1872. Ralph Robinson re- moved to Iowa and was connected with the Fairfield Ledger, Clarinda Herald, and ended his life as editor and owner of the Newton Journal, a paper which he did much to bring to a high standard of excellence. He died in 1909. In October, 1875 a new Cottrell & Babcock cylinder press was purchased by Mr. Hopley for the Journal, and shortly after it was in- stalled it was found to be too heavy a piece of machinery to be operated on the second floor and the office was moved to the Converse build- ing, 230 South Sandusky avenue, December 30, 1875. This building was later owned by Ma- jor Williston, of the Forum, and in 1888 the building was purchased by F. L. Hopley, in the name of the Journal Block Company, of which he was the ruling spirit. Upon moving into its new quarters the Journal office was equipped with steam. Two additions to the building have been made since removing to the present location and now the Journal block is

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excellently appointed and equipped for news- paper and general printing. In August, 1907, a Duplex Perfecting press was installed for newspaper work, and the first paper in the county was printed from a roll.

John Hopley continued at the head of the Journal until his death. In 1876 John E. Hop- ley was associated with him under the name of John Hopley & Son an arrangment which continued only a short time when John E. Hop- ley went to New York and engaged in news- paper work. Returning in 1883 the firm of John Hopley & Son was resumed and the Jour- nal made many advances under the joint own- ership.

On October 17, 1887, the Evening Telegraph was started, enterprising Republicans raising a subscription list of 297, as the "organ of the Young Men's Republican Club" and was in charge of John E. Hopley with M. V. Long- worth as city editor. After the election John E. Hopley decided to make the venture a per- manent one and the Telegraph grew rapidly in public favor. John Hopley was appointed postmaster at Bucyrus in 1872 by President Grant, a position he held for seven years. He was again appointed postmaster in 1890 by President Harrison. After his appointment by President Harrison he organized the Hopley Printing Co., and incorporated it, being him- self the chief holder of stock but his sons each had blocks of the stock in their own names. It was at this time that The Telegraph and the Journal became one property. In 1898 John E. Hopley was appointed United States Consul at Southampton, England, and after that the Senior Mr. Hopley, advanced in years operated the newspaper properties single handed. In March, 1902, James R. Hopley became associ- ated with the plant as manager and continued in that position until he was appointed postmaster by President Taft December 13, 1910. J. W. Hopley was manager of the plant for a year when George A. Knapp of Marion took charge of it as business manager. John Hopley died June 3, 1904 at the age of 83 years. During his connection with the Journal he obtained a national reputation for the soundness of his views on great questions and often was able to help his political party associates by his con- tribution of planks in party platforms. He

was for years President of the Ohio Republican Editorial Association.

In 1881 Thomas P. Hopley started a small paper which he called The Temperance Ballot. He was an ardent prohibitionist and started this paper during the campaign. After the elec- tion of that year he found his little paper had made such a host of friends that he decided to continue to publish it. He added a local news feature and assisted by his sisters, headed by Miss M. C. C. Hopley, made the paper one of brightness and character. He concluded the title of his paper did not give a good and proper conception of its real character and perhaps hindered the good it could do. He therefore changed the name to the Crawford County News. He continued to run it successfully until 1893 when he sold it to A. J. Hazlett and went to Oklahoma, where he started the Enid Daily News, and where he still lives, though not now publishing a regular daily newspaper, being the present treasurer of the Enid schools. A. J. Hazlett had as a business asso- ciate his brother, Scott Hazlett, who later sold his interest to M. A. Charlton. In 1895 Hiram B. Sears bought the Charlton interest and con- tinned in the business until 1898 when he sold his interest to L. M. Smith. In October, 1901, the Crawford County News was consolidated with the Crawford County Forum, the daily paper retaining the name of the Daily Forum and the semi-weekly being called the News- Forum.

Two German papers have been published in Bucyrus. The first number of the Crawford County Demokrat was issued September 15, 1855, by Mordecai P. Bean, proprietor of the Forum. This German paper was continued several years, a portion of the time being in charge of Bernhardt Roth, who was killed by the cars at Dayton, Ohio, April 10, 1863, and shortly after the Demokrat was discontinued. The first number of the Deutsche Courier was published in January, 1875, by Joseph Killian, proprietor of the Mansfield Courier. About a year later the office was removed to Mansfield but continued to publish a Bucyrus edition. Later it was returned to Bucyrus and now oc- cupies quarters in the building on Sandusky avenue just north of the river. August Broe- mel is the owner and editor and conducts the

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History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 72

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1302

Author: Hopley, John E. (John Edward), 1850-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago,Ill., Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1302