History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 51

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio > Part 51

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).

When the clouds of civil war darkened the political sky the Plain Dealer threw all of its influence in favor of the government, but Mr. Gray was not long spared to wield his pen in favor of his country. After his death, which occurred in 1862, the paper declined through bad management; but four years later it was purchased by W. W. Armstrong, of Tiffin, a veteran clitor and publisher, and was thoroughly rehabilita- ted. In 1877, Mr. Armstrong organized the Plain Dealer Publishing Company, and the paper has since been issued under the management of that company, of which W. W. Armstrong is president, and George Hoyt is vice president. Among the gentlemen edito- rially connected with the Plain Dealer who have he- come prominent, may be mentioned H. Bartlett, auditor of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railroad Company; J. B. Boughton, now on the staff of the New York Commercial Ideer- Fiser; ex-Judge J. D. Cleveland, a leading member of the Cleveland bar; Bishop MeLaren, of the Episco- pal diocese of 1Hinois: D. R. Locke, celebrated as " Petroleum V. Nasby," and the late Charles Farrar Browne, renowned in America and England as " Ar- temus Ward."

The Plain Dealer is now (1879) in the enjoyment of a large circulation. and possesses an influence in the Democratic party surpassed by but one journal in Ohio; it being in all respects and without question the second Democratic daily in the State.

194

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

THE CLEVELAND LEADER.

The germ of the Leader which has become one of the prominent newspapers of the country, is to be found in a journal established in what was then known as Ohio City (now the " West Side" of Cleveland, ) in the year 1844, and called the "Ohio American." It was founded by R. B. Dennis, Esq .. who published and edited it as an organ of the old " Liberty Party" till 1845, when it was published by Mr. Edwin Cowles, (the present editor of the Leader who was then but eighteen years old,) and edited by L. L. Rice. In 1846, Mr. Cowles transferred the publication to Mr. M. W. Miller, who continued his connection, in company with Mr. Rice, till 1848. In 1846, 1Ion. E. S. Hamlin, formerly member of congress from the Lorain district, founded a weekly anti-slavery Whig paper, called the True Democrat. It was first published at Olmsted Falls. In 1842 the True Democrat was moved to Cleveland, where it was changed into a daily.

In 1848 the famous Buffalo convention met, com- posed of anti-slavery Whigs, who bolted the nomina- tion of Gen. Taylor; of that branch of the New York Democracy known as " Barnburners," who bolted the nomination of Gen. Cass for the same office, and of the members of the old Liberty party, all of whom formed the Free Soil party, and nominated Martin Van Buren for president, and Charles Francis Adams for vice-president.

The True Democrat and the American having com- menced occupying the same politieal platform, were consolidated under the former name. During that year (1848,) Mr. Hamlin transferred the paper to Messrs. James A. Briggs and T. G. Turner, who edited and published it till the following year, when they sold out to Messrs. John C. Vaughan and the late Thomas Brown. In 1851 Mr. George Bradburn, of Boston, became associated with Messrs. Vanghan and Brown as one of the editors of the True Democrat, and the weight of his trenchant pen was felt in the Western Reserve in favor of the cause of the down- trodden slave.

In 1852 Mr. Joseph Medill, now editor of the Chi- cago Tribune, came to Cleveland and established the Daily Forest City. The result was that the journalistic field in Cleveland, at that time, was filled with daily papers to more than its supporting capacity, there being the Herald, Plain Dealer and True Democrat to compete with the Forest City. The consequence was that all these papers were losing ventures. In 1853 the Forest City and True Democrat were consol- idated under the name of the Daily Forest City Dem- ocrut. Mr. Edwin Cowles, who was then carrying on the printing business, was taken into partnership, the name of the new firm being Medill, Cowles & Co. Mr. Cowles had charge of the business department, and Messrs. Medill and Vaughan were the editors; Messrs. Bradburn and Brown having retired the year previous.

In March, 1854, the long and enmbersome name of the Forest City Democrat was changed to that of the Cleveland Leader, which name the paper has borne ever since. In the spring of 1855, Mr. Cowles pur- chased the interest controlled by Messrs. Medill and Vaughan, and they moved to Chicago, taking with them Mr. Alfred Cowles, brother of Mr. Edwin Cowles, who had previously served as book-keeper in the Leader office. The three took possession of the Chicago Tribune, then in an exhausted condition financially, and raised it to its well known important position.

From that time till 1867 Mr. Edwin Cowles was the sole proprietor of the Leader, with the exception of two brief periods, when he admitted partners into the business, from whom, however, he soon separated. In 1856, that veteran journalist, Mr. J. A. Harris, who had edited the Cleveland Herald for the previous twenty years, became associated with Mr. Cowles in the editorial work of the paper, and remained with him till the fall of 1860, when he resigned. At that time Mr. Cowles assumed the editorship, and has held the position ever sinee.

In 1867 the Leader establishment was placed under the control of a stock company, under the name and style of the Cleveland Leader Printing Company, Mr. Cowles retaining a majority of the stock. The busi- ness of this corporation is for the purpose of publish- ing the Leader, and for carrying on its extensive printing establishment, which is celebrated for its handsome ornamental work and its fine book print- ing. This history is a specimen of its work. In this connection we would also mention that the Leader was the first newspaper in the world that was printed on a rotary lightning press which delivered the sheets pasted, with leaves cut at top and folded, all in one operation.

Sinee 1869 the company has also issued an after- noon paper, called the Evening News, which repro- duces the most important articles from the Leader, together with the later telegraphic and other news.

The Leader, with its evening edition, has a larger circulation than any other Republican paper in the State. The company also publishes the Tri-weekly, the Weekly and the Sunday Leader; all papers of large circulation and wide influence.

The officers of the company are as follows: Edwin Cowles, president ; E. H. Perdne, business manager ; B. O. Wilcox, secretary ; Henry L. Brown, manager of the job printing department, and W. T. Stumm, foreman of the news room. The directors are: Ed- win Cowles, E. II. Perdue, F. II. Mason, P. G. Wat- mongh, B. O. Wilcox, F. H. Bradner, Ilenry L. Brown and W. T. Stumm. The editorial staff consists of the following gentlemen: Edwin Cowles, editor; Capt. F. II. Mason, managing editor, assisted by J. C. Keffer, J. C. Covert, Henry A. Ford, J. H. Ken- nedy, F. H. Bradner. Eugene II. Cowles, and a large force of local reporters, besides two hundred corres- pondents located in all the large cities of the Union

Odim Cowles

Edwin W-bowles

195

TIIE PRSSS.

and at all prominent points in the country west of the Alleghenies.

The success of the Leader may safely be ascribed not only to its thorough business management, but to its strong advocacy of Republican principles, to its bold position on all questions of the day, (opposing slavery when slavery was powerful, and now opposing every description of tyranny, whatever) and last, not least, to its being emphatically a live news paper in every sense of the word. Mr. Cowles is now the sen- ior editor of Cleveland. The Leader has risen to its present position under his editorial management, and he will doubtless continue the work of improvement until it shall be the peer in power of any journal in the west.

THE OHIO FARMER.

This paper, a weekly agricultural, live stock and family journal, was established in Jannary, 1848, by Thomas Brown. Ile built up for it a fair circulation, and an enviable reputation as an enterprising agri- cultural paper; but, becoming financially embarrassed, relinquished his control of it in August, 1862. It then passed into the hands of William B. Fairchild, as publisher, and Sullivan D. Harris, as editor.

At this time the Ohio Cultivator, which was estab- lished in 1845, and was for seventeen years conducted by M. B. Bateham and S. D. Harris, at Columbus, Ohio, was purchased and consolidated with the Ohio Farmer, which became the only agricultural paper of the State. In December, 1866, Mr. Fairchild sold his interest as publisher to A. W. Parker. On the 29th of October, 1867, Mr. Parker died, and the publica- tion was continned by Mr. Harris alone until Janu- ary following, when the services of George E. Blake- lee were secured as associate editor. On the 1st of January, 1869, Mr. Harris retired, and Mr. Blakelee became editor and proprietor.

While the paper had, up to this time, maintained a high standard of excellence, and enjoyed a fair patronage, it had brought financial ruin upon each of its managers.

In December, 1822, M. J. Lawrence purchased the paper from Mr. Blakelee, and became sole editor and proprietor. He shortly afterward procured the assist- ance of M. E. Williams as associate editor, and under the management of these gentlemen the paper is now conducted.

The Ohio Farmer, at the present time, has a large and steadily increasing circulation, and takes a promi- nent position in American agricultural journalism. Its circulation extends throughout Ohio and the neigh- boring States of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ken- tucky, Indiana and Michigan, and it is well known in every State and territory of the Union.

In 1874 Mr. Lawrence purchased the Buckeye Farmer, a paper for several years published at West Salem, Ohio, and united it with the Ohio Farmer.

In February, 1879, he also purchased the American Farm Journal, for nine years published at Toledo, Ohio, and consolidated that paper with the Farmer.

This paper stands to-day upon a firm and substan- tial basis, successful financially and in point of circu- lation, and is assuredly the agricultural organ of the State.

WAECHTER AM ERIE.

The title of this leading German newspaper in Northern Ohio, reads in English " Sentinel on Erie." The present editor, proprietor and publisher, Mr. A. Theime, was its original proprietor, and issued the first number August 9, 1852. In 1866, Mr. Theime organized a stock company, called the Waechter am Erie Company, by which the publication of the journal was continued until 1821. In that year Mr. Theime resumed sole charge of it, and since that date its proprietary status has remained the same. Early in its history, although substantially independent in politics, the paper inelined toward Democracy, and this tone it maintained until the or- ganization of the Liberal Republican party, of which, in Ohio, Mr. Theime was one of the pioneers, when its influence was carried over to that organization. Since the demise of Liberal Republicanism the Waechter am Erie has aimed to pursue a liberal but independent course touching the political questions of the day. The paper contains four pages, with thirty-two columns, issues daily and weekly editions, and enjoys not only a wide circulation, but also an important place as a director of public opinion.

PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIA- TION.

The first effort at establishing a publishing house for the Evangelical Association, was made in 1816, when the organization was about sixteen years old, and the whole membership numbered only one thousand four hundred persons. The immediate instrumentality of this enterprise was the late Father John Dreisbach, then a young man. While on a visit to Philadelphia he bought, at his own expense, the necessary outfit for a small printing office and book bindery, of which he made the conference a present. Preparations were then made to carry the project into effect. The conference appointed a book commission, consisting of seven members, to which was assigned the erection and management of a print- ing establishment. A small wooden building, twenty by twenty-six feet, one story and a half high, was erected on a part of the lot occupied by the first church edifice of the Association, at New Berlin, Union county, Pennsylvania, in which the business was established on a basis, as was then thought, ade- quate to the demands of the organization. A book agent and assistant were at once elected, and work commeneed. But the church was too young and weak properly to support such an institution, and the concern became involved, adjusted its affairs, and ceased its operations. From this time on until 1836, book publishing was still carried on, but the work was contracted for. In November, 1836, at a special meeting of the General Conference, it was decided to

196

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

again locate a book establishment at New Berlin, Pennsylvania, which was done the next year.

'The church in its further development, as well as the business of the establishment, extended westward, and in 1851, the General Conference ordered the re- moval of the publishing house to Cleveland. This was consummated in 1854, and the new building erected on Woodland avenue, then called Kinsman street, where the business is still carried on. It was tar up town, almost out of the city, and considering its position in a comparatively unsettled neighbor- hood, was quite imposing. It was forty feet front and sixty-five feet deep, and three and a half stories high. Though larger than necessary at first, some departments soon became cramped for room. Thou- sands of dollars worth of work was refused for want of printing facilities.

This led to the erection in the year 1874 of a new building for store and office purposes, while the old was to remain as the manufacturing department. The new block occupies lots 214 and 216, Woodland avenue, adjoining the former premises. It has a front- age of fifty-five feet and a half, with a depth on Vine street of eighty feet and a half. It is four stories high, of brick, with best eut sandstone, rubbed surface, window .sills and caps, the caps on the front being belted together with stone. The first story, on Wood- land avenne is all standstone, with large windows, having single panes of best British plate glass. The building throughout is substantial and convenient in its arrangements, being provided with all needed modern improvements, and is heated by steam radi- ators in the different rooms distributing the heat.

The business of the Publishing House continued to increase until it became necessary to erect still another building. In October, 1877, the Board of Publication ordered this improvement, and in September, 1878, the building was ready for occupancy. It fronts on Harmon street, and in style of architecture corre- sponds with that erected a few years ago on Woodland avenue, for the book store and clerical and literary departments,-brick, with stone sills, caps and trim- mings. Indeed, what has thus far been finished is only a part of the block that is eventually to occupy the entire premises, and was planned from the begin- ning. It measures thirty-five feet by sixty-eight feet, has four stories besides basement, with large and well lighted rooms, and is built throughout in a most substantial manner, of the very best material.

Thus, originating in a small way in New Berlin, Union county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1837, with an investment of about two hundred dollars, this has become one of the largest publishing houses in the country. The business of the association requires a capital of three hundred and eighty-two thousand dol- lars, and furnishes employment to nearly one hundred hands, besides having a large branch house in Ger- many and a depository in Canada. The range of its business includes a wholesale and retail bookstore, and the publication of books and periodicals. The follow-

ing English publications are a part of its periodical literature: The Evangelical Messenger, The Sunday School Messenger, The Blackboard, My Lesson and The Evangelical Lesson Leaf, weekly; The Living Epis- tle, The Evangelical Teacher and The Sunday School Messenger, monthly, and a semi-monthly edition of The Sunday School Messenger. In the German lan- guage it publishes Der Christliche Botschafter, (the oldest and most widely circulated religious weekly in the country,) Der Christliche Kinderfreund, Die Wandtafel, Laemmerweide and Das Evangelische Lertionsblatt, weekly; Das Evangelische Magazin and Der Christliche Kinderfreund, monthly; and Der Christliche Kinderfreund, semi-monthly. In Ger- many it issues Der Evangelische Botschafter, weekly, and Der Evangelische Kinderfreund, monthly. The issues in America average one hundred thousand copies per week; those in Germany twelve thousand. This house is a church association, under the authority of the General Conference of the Evangelical Associa- tion, which appoints its officers and a board of publi- cation to act in the interim of its sessions, and is under the direct management of a publishing agent. Its net profits, beyond what is needed for its own develop- ment, are devoted to benevolent purposes, being divided among the annual conferences, for the support of poor ministers, or ministers' widows and orphans. The present publishing agent who has served for the last nine years, is Rev. W. F. Schneider.

PERIODICALS OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.

DER CHRISTLICHE BOTSCHAFTER.

The Christliche Botschafter was established by the fifth General Conference of the Evangelical Asso- ciation, held at Orwigsburg, May 25, 1835. The first number was issued January 1, 1836, at New Berlin, Union county, Pennsylvania.

It was eight and a half inches broad and ten and three-eighths inches long, and had eight pages.

With the beginning of 1840, the Botschafter ap- peared, somewhat enlarged, and semi-monthly. This volume was commenced with two thousand and sev- enty subscribers.

With the fifteenth volume (1850,) it was enlarged and furnished with new type. In 1855, the Bots- chafter appeared in a considerably enlarged form. From November of that year it was published weekly. In 1867, it was again enlarged. The subscription price was raised in 1868 to two dollars and the paper again considerably enlarged. At present it numbers over nineteen thousand subscribers, and is the oldest, largest, and most extensively circulated German relig- ions newspaper published in America.

DER CHRISTLICHE KINDERFREUND.

A German Sunday-school paper, well illustrated. It was commenced in June, 1856, with five thousand subscribers, and its maximum number now is over thirty thousand. It is highly valued by its many

197

THE PRESS.

readers on account of its excellent reading matter and pictures. Three editions are issued; weekly, semi- monthly and monthly.

DAS EVANGELISCHE MAGAZIN.

Das Evangelische Magazin was established in July, 1869, as a private enterprise. The General Conference of the Evangelical Association purchased it in 1871, and has since ordered material improve- ments. It is now a monthly magazine of thirty-six large pages, ably edited, beautifully printed, finely illustrated, designed to entertain and instruct in the family circle, and devoted to the interests of the Sun- day-school and its promoters. It enjoys a continually increasing circle of readers, and is an especial favorite of those who are friends of a literature that is healthy and sound, and at the same time entertaining. It has a circulation of over eight thousand. The sub- seription price is one dollar and twenty-five cents a year.

LAEMMERWEIDE.

This is a weekly illustrated juvenile paper, estab- lished in 1876, and particularly designed for infant Sunday-school classes. It is printed in large type on tinted paper. It contains the lesson for the respec- tive Sunday, but put in a form to suit young children.

EVANGELISCHES LECTIONSBLATT.

A lesson leaf containing the lessons of the Interna- tional S. S. series with golden text, topic, questions, and practical applications.

DIE WANDTAFEL.

Die Wandtafel is an exact fac-simile of a real black- board, thirty-two by forty-eight inches in size, and designed to illustrate the International Sunday School Lessons. It was started in January, 1879, and is issued weekly and mailed to subscribers at three dol- lars a year, or one dollar per quarter.

THE ENGLISH EVANGELICAL MESSENGER.

The Evangelical Messenger was begun in New Berlin, Union county, Pennsylvania, on the 8th of January, 1848. It started with eight hundred subscribers. It was a royal sheet of four pages. It had sixteen col- umns of reading matter, but no advertisements, and was issued semi-monthly. The subscription price was one dollar. A new volume of the Messenger was commenced with the year 1851. It was reduced in form to a demi quarto sheet of eight pages. In August of 1864, it was advanced to one dollar and twenty-five cents, and so continned until the end of 1867. At the commencement of 1868 the price was raised to two dollars.

In November, 1861, the Messenger appeared as a weekly, without change of size or price. Eighteen hundred and sixty-eight ushered in its last and great- est change. It then assumed its present form and

price. It has at present a circulation of between nine thousand and ten thousand.

THE LIVING EPISTLE.

The Living Epistle was founded in January, 1869, and published by a company as a private enterprise. It became the property of the Evangelical Association in January, 1822, and has since been published by it. It is a monthly magazine of thirty-two pages, devoted to the spread of Scriptural holiness and a pure literature.

EVANGELICAL SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.

The Evangelical Sunday School Teacher was estab- lished in January, 1876, to meet the wants of those in the Evangelical church who were inquiring for a low-priced standard magazine, containing notes, expla- nations and illustrations of the International Sunday School Lessons. It has made its way into public favor, and has a fair circulation.

SUNDAY SCHOOL MESSENGER.

The Messenger is an illustrated paper for the Sun- day school and home. Its issue commeneed in June. 1864, and it has reached a circulation of about thirty- tive thousand copies. The appearance and mechanical execution of the Messenger are above the average of papers of this character. Three editions are pub- lished, weekly, semi-monthly and monthly.

MY LESSON.

This illustrated weekly was established in 1876, and is adapted to scholars in infant classes. It presents the lesson in a very simple form, and is printed on tinted paper, presenting an attractive appearance.

EVANGELICAL LESSON LEAF.

This contains the International Sunday School Les- son, with remarks adapted to intermediate or ad- vanced classes. It is a valuable help to both teachers and scholars, containing the golden text, topie, questions, and practical applications.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL BLACKBOARD.

The Blackboard is a weekly sheet, designed to illus- trate, in the exact style and form of a blackboard, the International Sunday School Lessons. It is printed on heavy paper, thirty-two by forty-eight inches in size. Its publication commenced with January, 1829, and it has found its way into all the States and Ter- ritories.

REFORMED CHURCH PUBLICATIONS.

The German Publishing House of the Reformed Church in the United States was established in Cleve- land in 1860, when the publications were limited to the Reformirle Kirchen Zeitung, ( Reformed Church Journal) a weekly issue, originally published in Tittin -beginning in 1857-under private enterprise as The

198

GENERAL IHISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

Evangelist. Following upon the first named paper, Der Laemmerhirte ( The Shepherd) was put forward as a monthly and semi-monthly Sunday School pub- lication, and in 1876, Die Abend Lust ( The Evening Joy) was added as a journal for general circulation. These three named newspapers, and a small Sunday School pamphlet called Lections Blaetter (Lesson Leuf) comprise the issues of the house, the business of which is carried on by H. J. Ruetenik, at 991 Scranton Avenue, as business agent and editor.

BRAINARD'S MUSICAL WORLD.

In 1854 the Cleveland music-publishing house of S. Brainard & Co. issued an eight-page monthly jour- nal devoted to the interests of music, and its snecess proved so substantial that successive increases in volume to sixteen, to thirty-two and to forty pages, followed as a necessity. S. Brainard's Sons, as the successors of S. Brainard & Co., conduct the publica- tion now, and as the firm has also branch houses in Chicago and Cincinnati, the Musical World is issued simultaneously the first of each month in the three cities. Karl Merz is the managing editor and is as- sisted by a full corps of capable writers.

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 Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 51

Author: Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716