USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 34
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Smith found after a while that the pa- per would not pay, and being generally dis- gusted, left the country with his press, and the Lower Sandusky Gazette died of ma- laria and hard times at the age of about eighteen months. The future life and fate of Mr. Smith is not obtainable at the present day, but wherever he may be, whatever his fate, David Smith stands as the pioneer newspaper editor and publish- er of the county, and we cheerfully give him the honor in return for his daring and sufferings in the attempt to establish a pa- per at that early day in Lower Sandusky.
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'HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
Mr. Reuben Rice, now deceased, late of Ottawa county, near Elmore, in a communi- cation to the Sandusky County Pioneer and Historical Society, on the 26th of August, 1875, said he was a practical printer, and settled on Portage River in 1823, after spending some time at Lower Sandusky and trading there. Mr. Rice, in this com- munication, further said:
That in the year 18-year not recollected-there was a man by the name of Smith started a paper at Lower Sandusky, called, I think, the Lower San- dusky Gazette. He was taken sick and he-no, he didn't, -but his paper drooped and died, not a natural death; but Sandusky being at that time a place infested with the effluvia arising from the marshes and stagnant waters, jeopardized almost every thing that had life, and some things inanimate as well as animate, suffered from the malaria of a sickly place, so the printing of the paper died out though the printing materials he removed. I had the honor of printing said paper for a few weeks while the edit- or and proprietor was sick, but whether this had a tendency to bring about a more speedy termination of the malady with which said paper was afflicted, I know not, but this I do know, that the paper was to no great degree benefited by the operation, as the sequel goes to prove.
It is not known now that the Lower Sandusky Gazette was the organ or advo- cate of any political party, church, or sect. It was probably only a newspaper and ad- vertising medium of no marked proclivi- ties or objects except to live, and in this primary object it failed. From some time in 1831 to the month of June or July, 1837, a period of more than six years, no paper was printed in Lower Sandusky, and newspapers published in other locali- ties and townships, which, in a small vil- lage is about equal to a daily paper, fed the appetite for news.
The next venture in the way of news- paper publication in Lower Sandusky was the publication of
THE LOWER SANDUSKY TIMES.
The press for this paper was brought here by Alvin G. White, who edited and published it for a time, under the auspices
of some leading politicians of the county who were opposed to the administration of Martin VanBuren. The first number was issued in June or July, A. D. 1837. It was, under the management of Mr. White, a very useful medium for advertis- ing, and in advocating moral order in so- ciety. Mr. White published the Lower Sandusky Times several years, when ill health caused him to retire, and Peter Yates succeeded him in the management and editing of the paper. Mr. Yates was a bitter partisan and a most acrimonious writer, and under his management the paper lost ground in popularity and pat- ronage. The Democratic party being in the ascendancy in the county, it had no public patronage, and was printed at a loss to those interested. Mr. Yates' sharp, per- sonal attacks on men, and the bitterness in the treatment of the feelings and opin- ions of the party opposed to him, finally resulted in a transfer of the management, and a change of the name of the paper. In 1839 Clark Waggoner, then a young printer, was placed in charge of the press and materials of the office, and com- menced the publication of the.
LOWER SANDUSKY WHIG.
At this time events were tending. to a great political excitement. Mr. Ogle, of Pennsylvania, had made his remarkable ex- pose, in Congress, of the extravagance of the administration of Martin VanBuren. His great speech about the gold spoons and other golden furniture of the White House, and the immense defalcations which had taken place under his adminis- tration, amongst which was the notable defalcation of Swartwout, collector of cus- toms in New York, were being exposed, and party spirit was being aroused under the cry of reform. The Lower Sandusky Whig, printed and published by Mr. Wag- goner, was the organ of the Whig party of
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
the county, through the memorable cam- paign of 1840. It had the patronage and support of such men as Ralph P. Buck- land, who was an active leader in the Whig party, with many other able and in- fluential men, such as Revirius Bidwell, John A. Johnson, Dr. L. G. Harkness, Barney Kline, Amos Fenn, Frederick Chapman, Alpheus McIntyre, William S. Russell, Norton Russell, Caleb H. Bid- well, Elisha W. Howland, Thomas L. Hawkins, Dr. Thomas Stillwell, and many others, whose names do not now occur to the writer, who took an interest in the sup- port of the paper, and many of whom be- came contributors to its columns. Some of these men still live, and will remember the political contest; but most of them have "passed to that bourne from whence no traveller returns," unless they return to communicate with the Spiritualists. It was in the heated campaign of 1840 that the now veteran editor of the Fremont Jour- nal, Isaac M. Keeler, took his firstįlessons in the art of printing. The paper became an effective one in the'campaign of 1840, and was rewarded for its labors by the tri- umph of its party in the election of Wil- liam Henry Harrison to the Presidency.
It is proper here to place on record a description of the printing press on which the Lower Sandusky Whig was printed. It was what was called a "Ramage," almost a fac-simile of Benjamin Franklin's old press, now so carefully preserved in the patent office in Washington, and the same one on which, years before, the Albany Argus had been printed. With three pulls to print one side of the paper, it was no small job to work off an edition.
The Lower Sandusky Whig was, after a few years, transferred to John Shrenk and changed to the
LOWER SANDUSKY TELEGRAPH.
Mr. Shrenk edited and published the
paper with fair success until March, 1849, when it was purchased by James S. Fouke, who changed the name and edited and published it under the title of the
LOWER SANDUSKY FREEMAN.
When, at the October term of the Court of Common Pleas, the name of the city was changed from Lower Sandusky to Fremont, of course the name of the paper was
changed accordingly. Mr. Fouke edited and published the paper until No- vember 6, 1852, when it was transferred to Mr. J. M. Main, who issued about six numbers, when he sold the office.
On the 27th of January, 1853, Mr. I. W. Booth commenced, with the same press, the publication of
THE FREMONT JOURNAL,
and continued it until December 24, 1853, when John Mastin, became the sole proprietor.
On the 26th day of May, 1854, Isaac M. Keeler purchased a one-half interest in the press and paper, and became the editor of it, and continued the publica- tion under the firm name of Mastin & Keeler.
On the Ist of December, 1854, Mr. Keeler bought out Mr. Mastin's interest and became editor and sole proprietor. Under Mr. Keeler's management the paper flourished, and became not only a paying concern, but the best record of passing events, local and national, in the county. He managed it carefully and ably in the interest of the city and county, and was always stalwart and able on the side of morality, law and order, and the right in politics, as he understood the right. The paper was born a Whig, and under his management did good service to that party, and also the Republican party since its organization.
Mr. Keeler continued to publish and edit the Journal until the 15th of Septem-
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
ber, 1865, when he sold the establishment to Redway Brothers, under whose man- agement the paper was published until the 5th of October, 1866, when they sold out to Messrs. Wilcox and Greene.
On the 22d of May, 1868, Mr. Wilcox sold his interest in the paper to his part- ner, J. H. Greene, who managed it some months, when he sold the establishment to A. H. Balsley. Mr. Balsley continued in the management of the paper until No- vember 12, 1875, when Messrs. Harford & Grove became the proprietors and pub- lishers, and conducted the Journal until December 12, 1877, when Mr. Keeler again became the owner of the Journal office, and resumed control of the paper, after having been out of the publishing business for more than twelve years.
The frequent changes in the manage- ment of the paper had not improved it in either popularity or profit in the publi- cation of it.
Mr. Keeler says that in all the twelve years he was engaged in other business he had a yearning for the Journal office, where, for a period of twenty-five years, he had labored almost continuously.
Since Mr. Keeler resumed the manage- ment of the Fremont Journal, it has been much improved in all respects. It is now on a sound financial basis. The Journal is now printed on a Wells' cylinder power press, moved by steam power. It has in the job-room two steam power-presses, and has a full patronage.
Mr. Keeler, it is true, continues to edit and manage the paper, but has associated with him his son Samuel, who is local editor, and who is now in well advanced training in the newspaper business. The father now regrets that he ever left the management of the Journal. He intends, however, when the course of human events shall disable him from the proper discharge of editorial labors, that his son,
who is already a promising proficient in the business, shall become the editor and manager of the Journal, and the indica- tions are now quite plain that whenever the Fremont Journal shall pass to the con- trol and manageinent of the son the paper will be fully sustained in all those qualities which make it an able, and pure, and popular county newspaper.
The Lower Sandusky Times, the Lower Sandusky Whig, the Lower Sandusky Telegraph, and the Lower Sandusky Free- man were all staunch advocates of the Whig party and its principles, and the Fremont Journal has always been an earnest Republican paper, and has been consistent in urging the party to organ- ize and contend for its principles. It opposed the election of Buchanan, and supported the war for the Union, with zeal and great effect.
THE SANDUSKY COUNTY DEMOCRAT.
It should be noticed that the Lower Sandusky Times, which by sundry mutila- tions and changes of name became the Fremont Journal, was first issued in Lower Sandusky in June or July, 1837. It soon appeared that A. G. White, the editor, was opposed to the Democratic party. After a few months the political course became clearly apparent, as it grew more and more pronounced in its political inclinations. This at once aroused the attention of the dominant Democracy, and they at once began to counsel, and devise the ways and means of meeting the advantages which the opposition had acquired by the establishment of a party organ in the county.
About this time Adolphus Kreamer had purchased a tract of land at the head of navigation of the Portage River, then in Sandusky, but now in Ottawa county, and had laid off and platted a town there, which was named Hartford, and was to become a great city. Among
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
other wise things, Mr. Kreamer, in order to make known the existence of the future city of Hartford, had determined to start a newspaper there, and had obtained for that purpose a printing press and type for a newspaper and moved them from Toledo to Hartford. It was an old and second-hand press, as was also the ma- . terial. Mr. Kreamer was a good Demo- crat, and Hartford was then in the bounds of the county. The newspaper material had lain there some time but the paper did not make its appearance. A financial crisis occurred, and the sale of town lots in a wilderness, as Hartford was at that time, was cut off and the future prospects of the embryo town were shadowed by thick, dark clouds.
In the fall of 1837, about three months after the advent of the Lower Sandusky Times, the leaders of the Democratic party were called together for consulta- tion upon the question of establishing a Democratic paper in Lower Sandusky. John Bell was perhaps foremost in this enterprise and was chairman of the meet- ing. An association was formed to pur- chase a press and publish a Democratic paper. Stock was liberally subscribed, and a committee appointed to visit Hart- ford and endeavor to negotiate with Mr. Kreamer for his press and printing ma- terial. In due time the committee re- ported, and the press and printing material were finally purchased for twelve hundred dollars. The press, etc., was hauled by wagon from Hartford up the Portage River to the Maumee and Western Re- serve road, and by that to Lower Sandus- ky. The paper was to be published by the joint stock company, not incorporated, and was to be under the control of a committee, of which John Bell was chair- man. A young printer by the name of William Davis was employed to superin- tend the mechanical department, and the ed-
iting was to be done by anyone who wished to write for the paper, the matter subject to the admission or rejection of the com- mittee. The first number of the paper, under the title of the Sandusky County Democrat, was issued in the fall of 1837. The paper was managed in this way for a year, perhaps a year and a half, when it was found not to pay expenses. The office was, during this time, on the second floor of the old building on the southwest cor- ner of Front and Croghan streets, where the First National Bank now (1881) stands. The company afterward gave the publication of the paper entirely into the hands of William Davis, the printer, on his agreement to faithfully publish and edit the paper, and to keep the stockhold- ers from further charges and expense.
Mr. Davis took charge of the paper on these conditions, and managed it to some profit for himself until after the October election of 1838. At this election Homer Everett, then a young man not quite twenty-five years of age, was elected sheriff of the county. Everett had written for the paper during the campaign, and on his election to the office, of course, be- came the dispenser of considerable adver- tising patronage. For, be it remembered that the financial crisis of 1836 and 1837 produced more sheriff's sales than any period before or since in the history of the county.
The stockholders by this time had be- come willing to donate their subscription for the benefit of the party, if the paper could be continued without further charge upon them. There was about four hun- dred dollars still due from the committee who had given their notes for the press, and they offered it to Mr. Davis if he would print the paper and pay that sum, or keep the signers harmless from the notes. On these conditions Everett and Davis bought the paper in the fall of 1838, or early in
30
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
the year 1839. From this time Everett & Davis published the Sandusky County Democrat until 1842, when they dissolved, and at which time Everett was admitted to the bar, and entered the practice of the law in partnership with Nathaniel B. Eddy. Mr. Davis continued to publish the paper until some time in the year 1842, when he sold it to Charles J. Orton, who, for a time, had sole charge of it, after which Edward F. Dickinson bought an interest in the paper, and it was published a while by the firm of Orton & Dickinson, who transferred it to John Flaugher. Mr. Flaugher was a high-minded, honorable man, and a true Democrat, but his views on slavery and the war of the Rebellion were not satisfactory to the anti-war and pro-slavery portion of the Democratic party, who gave it a rather poor support, and the paper lost patronage and influence. In fact, as early as 1856, during the great discussion over the extension of slavery, the leaders of the extreme pro-slavery por- tion of the Democrats of the county started another paper, which drew off a large part of the patronage formerly enjoyed by the Sandusky County Democrat, and it had a hard struggle for life until, sometime in the spring of 1856, Mr. Flaugher sold the press and materials of the Democrat to Isaac M. Keeler, and the publication of the paper caused the radical pro-slavery Democrats of the county, who were dis- satisfied with the principles advocated by the Democrat, to combine and bring about the establishment, in 1856, of
THE DEMOCRATIC MESSENGER.
This paper was started in 1856, under the editorial control of Jacob D. Botefur, who came from Boston. Mr. Botefur suc- cessfully conducted the paper for several years, but he had been reared where De- mocracy was composed of men of different characteristics from those of Sandusky county. Although his Democracy was radi-
cal enough, he did not understand the men- tal and moral condition, or tastes of those who 'supported the Messenger, and it was thought best for the party to put the paper in charge of men to the manor born, and Mr. Botefur accordingly sold out and retired from the editorial charge of the Messenger, and it passed to the hands and control of John. B. B. Dickinson. After managing the paper for some time suc- cessfully, and with more talent than the paper before had shown, he was willing to retire from the charge of the paper, and sold it to Messrs. John and Frank Foulke, brothers, and young men of some literary aptness, but of too romantic proclivities to make a solid Democratic paper. The Foulke Brothers, after a short experiment, failed to please the Democracy, and failed financially.
This condition of things resulted in a transfer of the press and materials for the printing of the Democratic Messenger to Mordecai P. Bean, who assumed the edit- orship and publication of the paper. For a time Mr. Bean conducted the paper and gave it considerable party popularity, but the patronage declined and the party then placed the paper in charge of J. S. Van Valkenburg, who conducted it until about the Ist day of April, 1872, when the estab- lishment passed to the control of James M. Osborne, who had been a partner with Van- Valkenburg about one year before, and who took charge as editor and publisher. Since Mr. Osborn took charge of the paper it has been a well-conducted politi- cal journal, thoroughly and decidedly Democratic. It is well received as the organ of the Democracy of the county. The Messenger office has a steam power- press, and a large job office attached, which is doing a thriving business aside from the patronage of the county officials, who are all of the Messenger's political party.
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
THE FREMONT COURIER.
This is a weekly paper published in Fremont, in the German language, to sup- ply the reading wants of a large, indus- trious, and intelligent portion of the in- habitants of Sandusky county. The Courier was founded and first published in Fremont, March 10, 1859, by Dr. · Ferdinand Wilmer, a German physician by birth and education. Dr. Wilmer was a man of much learning, a ready translator of the English and German languages, and became at once, through his paper, the ad- vocate of the most extreme party measures of the Democratic organization. Dr. Wil- mer was not a practical printer, and Mr. George Homan was the printer of the Courier until the 14th of June, 1860, when Mr. Homan withdrew from the firm, and Dr. Wilmer assumed sole control of the paper until August 28, 1862, at which time Mr. Paul Knerr took charge of the mechanical department of the office. Dr. Wilmer, however, continued as editor un- til the 6th day of November, 1862, when he sold the office to George Homan.
It was during the day of the 18th of April, 1861, when the excitement pro- duced by the Rebellion was kindling into flame, and many patriotic Democrats were going into the service to fight for the Union, that one forenoon the Fremont Courier, printed that day, fell into the hands of Frederick Fabing, a prominent German citizen of Fremont and a thor- oughly patriotic man at heart. Mr. Fabing read and translated an editorial article to the bystanders. The Courier was, at the time spoken of, printed in the third story of what is now known as White's block, cor- ner of Front and Croghan streets.
The effect of this article in the Courier so well illustrates the temper of the times, that we give it as a part of the history of the Courier, as well as to show to future generations the true state of feeling at that
memorable time. This can not better be done than by a simple and brief narration of what followed Mr. Fabing's interpreta- tion of the Courier's article.
In thirty minutes after the nature of the article was made known by Fabing, Front and Croghan streets, facing the Courier office, were filled with men. There were men with set teeth, and pale countenances, and eyes that expressed unutterable in dignation; in fact, the whole crowd, num- ber ny; from five hundred to a thousand determined and angry men, had congre- gated under the windows of the office. One of the most pallid countenances in that crowd was our cool, level-minded fellow- citizen, Stephen Buckland, as patriotic a man as the city contained, and it contained many good ones. As he saw the crowd swelling and every moment becoming more threatening, he secured a location on the northwest corner of Front and Croghan streets. Colonel R. P. Buckland and Charles O. Tillotson took a position about half way up the outside stair leading to the Courier office.
When the storm was about to burst, and a movement of the crowd, and the utter- ances from below indicated a rush up stairs, with threats looking to the destruc- tion of the office, and to serious personal injury, if not the life of the editor of the Courier, Stephen Buckland mounted a railing running along the street, near the northwest corner of Front and Croghan streets, and holding by an awning post, called the meeting to order, saying, that if the paper had done wrong, as was claimed, he was in favor of doing all that was fair to suppress it. "True," said he "the paper can speak to thousands while by our words we can speak to few. Now," said Mr. Buckland, "we must not do anything un- manly or rash. I move that Judge John L. Green be chosen chairman of this meeting, that we may deliberate in an
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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.
orderly manner." The crowd listened, and Mr. Green was chosen chairman.
This firm and manly stand by Mr. Buckland had the desired effect. A com- mittee was chosen, consisting of William E. Haynes, Charles O. Tillotson, Doctor Robert S. Rice, and Jacob Snyder, who were at once permitted to pass up the stairs to perform the duty assigned them.
In less than five minutes after the com- mittee passed Tillotson and R. P. Buck- land on the stairs, a window of the Courier office was raised, and the whole edition of the Courier, containing the offensive ar- ticle, came whirling down like leaves upon the pavement. The papers were carefully piled near the middle of the street, and every one burned to ashes. None of the edition had been sent beyond the city limits, and the angry multitude was satis- fied when the committee announced from the window that the whole edition was destroyed, and the type which printed the offensive article distributed, and that the paper would print no more articles to prevent the enlistment of men in the Union army.
The following is the translation of the offensive article, which appeared as edito- rial in the Courier of April 18, 1861 :
The Union in its past proportions is irrevocably lost. The Republicans will be answerable at the judgment seat of history for the annihilation of the freest republic in the world, and the curse of the op- pressed, whom they have robbed of the last place of refuge, and last hope that could become their part. The Republicans are now everywhere calling meet- ings of all citizens, irrespective of party, to devise mcans how to support the Government. They suc- ceed in their ruse to get some easily deceived Demo- crats into their trap. We caution all our Democratic friends to take no active part in such meetings, for after the t.rst heat of the excitement is over, they will repent of having been caught in such a dull way.
The next day, April 19, 1861, the Fre- mont Journal published the foregoing in- terpretation of the Courier's article, with the following comment :
When the liberty-loving citizens of our town and vicinity, without distinction of party, understood the above, their indignation knew no bounds. They at once secured an American flag and took it to that office, and saw that it was flung to the breeze from out of the window.
The edition of the Courier, which had just been printed, was destroyed, and the editor requested to issue an extra, both in the English and German lan- guage, giving some explanation of his treasonable and palpably false article, which he did.
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