USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 42
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" It must be acknowledged that this venerable press, in the service of half a century, has earned at least the reputation of a faithful . herald of a noisy world.' It has no doubt emblazoned to the world the achievements of many an eminent statesman, and probably chronicled as they occurred the stirring events which gave our government its national existence. Commencing its tour of pilgrimage upon the Atlantic coast, it has wound its way to the fancied ' far west.' It is indeed a relic of other days. He who would com- pare, at this day, that sturdy lever with the vast improvements made upon its like, since its first days, would behold one of the most astonishing and remarkable evidences of human skill ever developed in any branch of scien- tifie or mechanical invention."
If this be the first press (and it undoubtedly was) that crossed the Alleganies, it should become the property of the west, and here be pre- served to attest the improvements in the " art preservative of arts."
Mr. Alonzo Rawson, who bought the press, issned the first number of the Independent Chronicle and Seneca Advertiser on the 26th of April, 1834. Making his bow to the people he said he would be independent in politics, and advocate measures, not men. He soon, however, leaned over to the Whigs very strongly, and the leading Democrats put their heads together to buy Rawson out.
Mr. Josiah F. Reed purchased the office from Mr. Rawson, and issued the first number of the Tiffin Gazette and Seneca Advertiser in the last week in November, 1835, as the organ of the Democracy.
During a large portion of the year 1836, it seems that there was no paper published in Lower Sandusky, for nearly or all the official notices from Sandusky county during that time were published in the Gasette here.
In the latter part of February, 1838, Luther A. Hall, who was one of the principal leaders of the Whigs of Seneca county, bought the whole concern of Mr. Reed, and immediately handed it over to Mr. Joseph Howard, who was one of the early lawyers here, and the second clerk of the common pleas court, a Whig, of course. Mr. Howard kept the name of the Gazette for his paper, but dropped the Advertiser. In his inaugural he says that he must have the support of all people who want a newspaper, and throws himself upon the Whig party especially. Mr. Howard, after one or two issues, sold the concern to Samuel A. Gris- wold, who issued his first number on the 7th day of April, 1838, and conducted it as the organ of the Whigs until the fall of 1842, when it was discontinued. Mr. Griswold is at present the editor of the Lan- caster (Ohio) Gazette, which has been under his charge for many years.
What has become of the old press? Now came on the ides of the ever memorable campaign of 1840, and the Democrats without a news-
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paper ! "Willenskraft Wege schafft," says an old German proverb. Money was raised, a new press and type purchased, and the Van Burenite saw the light of day; "Cronise and others, editors and pro- prietors." The " others " were Joshua Seney and Gabriel J. Keen. In the fall of 1841 the Van Burenite was discontinued, and in the follow- ing spring Mr. John G. Breslin purchased the concern and issued The Seneca Advertiser. The first number was published on the 6th of May, 1842 Mr. Breslin conducted the Advertiser until 1854, when it was leased to John Flaugher, who continued it about one year, and was succeeded by W. W. Armstrong. now of the Cleveland Plaindealer, until the year 1857, when Mr. Armstrong purchased the concern and became its proprietor, as well as its editor. He continued the paper until the spring of 1863, when he rented the office to Messrs. Beilharz. & Myers to take charge of the office of secretary of state, to which he was elected in October, 1862. About one year thereafter Mr. Beilharz withdrew, and J. M. Myers had charge of the office alone, and has edited the paper ever since, with his acknowledged ability. The office has been vastly enlarged and improved, and the Myers Brothers have lately abandoned steam power and substituted water power to run their presses. In the line of politics the office has made no change since the first issue of the Van Burenite, now forty long years.
The inaugural address of the Van Burenite was written by Joshua Seney, Esq, and a copy is preserved in the appendix to this book, which see.
In the summer of 1848 my esteemed old friend, John G. Breslin, was a candidate for member of the house of representatives of Ohio. The leaders of the Democratic party undertook to publish a German Dem! ocratic newspaper in the office of the Advertiser, and thereby aid in rallying the German citizens in support of the Democratic party.
In conformity with this plan an address was issued and circulated among the Democrats of the county to raise funds, of which the follow- ing is a copy.
To --
The undersigned, Democratie central committee of Seneca county, desire to secure the publication of a German Democratie paper in Tiffin for the campaign, and. if properly sustained, design making it a permanent issne. Of the success of this enterprise we entertain no doubt, if we can secure sufficient means to purchase the necessary type, etc. We have made arrange- ments to secure the use of the press, etc., of the Seneca Advertiser office, and it now remains only for us to raise the amount necessary to enable us to pro- enre the above articles.
The expense of sustaining the paper, etc., after its commencement, will be
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borne here by our friends in subscriptions. Our desire in addressing you is, to solicit such aid as you may deem proper to extend, to enable us to com- mence the publication. And we assure you that such aid as you may afford will be gratefully received, and faithfully applied to the purpose intended. and the furtherance of democratic principles in northwestern Ohio.
The necessity of a German Democratic paper in this section of the State- located. too, in the banner district of Ohio-will be apparent to yon, when we State that there are in this (Seneca) county abont eight hundred German Democratic voters-at least twenty-five hundred in this congressional dis- triet-and doubtless from fifteen to twenty thousand in northwestern Ohio- among whom we can number some of the most unyielding Democrats in the State-yet are comparatively destitute of the means of acquiring political information.
If successful in commencing this publication, we feel assured hundreds. if not thousands, can be rallied to the polls, and many induced to a speedier naturalization, who have heretofore felt indifferent as to the importance of acquiring the rights of citizens, and the glorious privileges of an American freeman-and thus swell, by thousands, the Democratic vote of Ohio.
For such amount as may be contributed by yourself. and other friends in your place, we will, of course, furnish the proper number of papers, weekly. in remuneration. Will you exert yourself actively among the friends of the canse, and advise us as soon as possible of your success, etc. ?
JOEL W. WILSON. RICHARD WILLIAMS, WILLIAM LANG. JOHN G. BRESLIN. Democratic Central Committee.
TIFFIN, February 4, 1548.
This call was answered by funds sufficient to purchase a lot of type for, a German paper, and the first copy of the Seneca Adler made its appearance about the latter part of April. 1848, and appeared weekly for just six months; William Lang was the editor, and John G. Breslin the publisher. At the end of this time, Mr. Breslin was elected a member of the general assembly, and getting ready to go to Columbus, had nobody to look after the Adler in the office, and the writer found other and more profitable employment. The Adler was the first German paper published in Seneca county. The next German newspaper pub- lished here was the Unsere Flagge, J. M. Zahm, editor and proprietor; and the third, Die Tiffin Presse, George Homann, editor and propri- etor; both of which shall be noticed again.
On the 18th of November, 1845, the first number of the Whig Standard was issued by George L. Wharton, editor.
The following is the conchision of the editor's " salutatory." viz :
" We shall enter our protest against the Locofoco party and labor ardently for the preservation of those principles bequeathed to ns by the patriots of the revolution-the principles of the Whig party-a party whose origin was
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our country's revolution, and whose fidelity and patriotism achieved our independence. Upon this broad platform we shall stand, adhering firmly to liberty, despising anarchy and despotism with an eye single to the interest of our country, feeling assured that upon the integrity of the Whig party, rests our destiny as a nation."
Mr. Wharton conducted the Standard until 1848, when he was fol- lowed by Abraham Laubach, who continued it only one year, and sold out to Captain McKee, who conducted the paper until 1855, when W. C. Gray became its editor, and changed the name to the Tiffin Tribune. He left in 1861, at which time John Robbins purchased it, and con- tinued its publication until 1865, when it again changed hands, passing into the possession of Abraham Kagy, who edited it but a short time, when Messrs. Myers and Miller bought him out, and published the paper until 1868. In November of the year 1868, Messrs. Charles N. Locke and Otis T. Locke purchased the office, and it has ever since been continued under the firm name of Locke & Bro When the Whig party merged over and into the Republican party, the Tribune followed the transit, and has ever since been the organ of the Republican party of Seneca county. The paper has a large circulation, and is very ably edited by O. T. Locke, who is still at his post.
In October, 1854, J. M. Zahm, Esq., started a German paper called Unsere Flagge, and continued the publication until January, 1867. It supported Democratic principles from an independent standpoint. The office was purchased by Elmer White and Frank Rader in 1868, who commenced the publication of an English paper, independent in poli- tics, called the Tiffin Star. In October, 1873, Messrs. J. K. Huddle and Frank Dildine purchased the office, the latter retiring in 1874, after which time the paper was published by Mr. Huddle alone, who turned it into a daily, made a most spicy sheet, and the first daily newspaper Tiffin ever had. It is to be regretted that Mr. Huddle was not sus- tained with funds, as he should have been, until the office could rely upon its own resources, which it would have done in a short time after it failed.
The Tiffin Presse, George Homann, editor and proprietor, made its first appearance on the 6th day of January, 1871; is Democratic in its views; has a large circulation, is generally admired by the Ger- man community in the county, and is very ably edited.
The Evening Herald was established January 9th, 1877. It is a spicy little daily, well managed; H. C. Kepple, publisher and proprietor; W. H. Kepple, editor.
The Tiffin Gazette, Charles L. Zahm, editor and proprietor, issued
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its first number in April, 1878. It was a weekly neutral family news- paper, well edited, and very clean and neat in its mechanical appear- ance, decidedly the most readable family paper published in the city; appeared only about one year, when it was suspended for want of proper patronage. Mr. Zahm sold the office some time afterwards to D. J. Statter, Esq., who, as the editor and proprietor of the Tiffin News, a weekly family newspaper, issued the first number on April 3, 1880. It is a beautiful and interesting four page sheet.
The circulation of all these weeklies is about 5,000.
In addition to all these newspapers, large quantities of daily papers from Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo and Chicago are sold by the news- boys. There are more that 5,000 newspapers and 3,000 periodicals distributed at the Tiffin postoffice every week in addition to the above. What further proof is required to show that Tiffin contains a reading population ?
The letters and papers sent by the Tiffin postoffice number over 15,000 per week.
Foreign dailies are sold to the number of 300 or more by the news- boys.
WILLIAM W. ARMSTRONG.
Hitherto, in glancing over the history of the press in Tiffin, very little has been said about two distinguished men connected with it, and who did more than any of their predecessors to elevate the tone of the press and improve the style mentally and mechanically, thus fitting it to the demands of the age and the requirements of a higher order of newspaper literature.
One of these men is the subject of this sketch, and if time and mate. rial can be procured before this chapter goes to the printer, there will also be added a short pen-picture of the other.
Mr. Armstrong was born in New Lisbon, Ohio, on the 18th day of March, 1833. He is the youngest son of General John Armstrong, a prominent and influential citizen of Columbiana county. In 1847, on the 27th day of May, when only two months past fourteen years of age, William became an apprentice to the printing business in the office of the Seneca Advertiser, at Tiffin, then published by John G. Breslin, Esq., a position he was compelled to take owing to the financial reverses of his father. William was then a small boy, and the writer, being an old friend of Mr. Breslin, and visiting the office of the Adver- tiser very often, well remembers the little fellow sitting at the desk try- ing penmanship, and looking up into my face with his large blue, sad eye, that seemed to speak of homesickness or loss of friends. Our old
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citizens too, well remember the boy with his red curls, his friendly face, his polished manners, as he delivered his newspapers every week for a couple of years. It was not long after his arrival here until William had a host of friends among the older classes of our citizens. His sprightliness and ability soon endeared him to his employer, Mr. Bres- lin, who made him one of his family.
Mr. Armstrong worked at his trade, occasionally contributing to the editorial columns of the Advertiser, until 1852. When Mr. Breslin was treasurer of state, he tendered him the office of register of the bank de- partment af the state treasurer's office, which he filled with the satisfac- tion of the banks and the treasurer for about two years. The life of a clerk was distasteful to young Armstrong, and he returned to Tiffin in 1854, purchased the Advertiser, and entered on his majority and edi- torial career about the same time.
The young writer being an ardent Democrat, the Advertiser was conducted as a Democratic organ of the strictest sect, and he being a good business manager and a vigorous writer, soon made his paper a power in northwestern Ohio. In 185; he was appointed by President Buchanan postmaster at Tiffin, an office which he held until 1861, when he was retired by a Republican successor.
On the 10th of November, 1857, Mr. Armstrong was married to Miss Sarah V., the youngest daughter of Josiah Hedges, Esq. Their union has been blessed with three children, two boys, both now dead, and one daughter, Miss Isabella H., surviving
Mr. Armstrong's position in politics in Seneca county, and his genial nature, made him a strong man in his party in the state, and his strength was manifested in 1862, when, although still but twenty-nine years of age, he was elected secretary of state of Ohio. His determination to make that office one of importance is shown by the fact that under his administration its reports became the most interesting of any of the state departments. He collected election statistics, facts, etc., which made the report much sought after. He served as secretary from 1863 to 1865 during the period of our great civil war, and although an ardent Democrat, was in favor of the maintenance of the union. His name will be found on the commissions of many thousands of officers of the union army from Ohio, who served during the war of the re- bellion.
After Mr. Armstrong had served one term of two years, the Repub- licans returned to power in Ohio and he was again at liberty to return to his favorite pursuit of journalism.
He accordingly, in April, 1865, purchased the material of the lately
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suspended Cleveland Plaindealer, and selling the Tiffin Advertiser to the Messrs Myers, he transferred his efforts to the metropolis of north - ern Ohio, the city of Cleveland.
Owing to the death of J. W. Gray and subsequent unskillful manage- ment the Plaindealer had been brought into a very unfortunate con- dition, as was indicated by its suspension.
It is a severe task to revive a dead newspaper, yet Mr. Armstrong not only did that, but in a few years made the Plaindealer one of the leading newspapers of the west. A clear, vigorous, ready writer, self- educated and nervy, he naturally took a bold, aggressive course, and neither friends nor enemies had the slightest difficulty in knowing what he meant. He showed himself on all occasions a Democrat of the school of Jackson and Benton, unswerving in favor of state rights, home rule and hard money, and those time-honored principles he was pre- pared to maintain against all opposition, either by voice or pen, for if Mr. Armstrong had made any efforts he would have taken rank as a very graceful orator and stumper.
In 1868 Mr. Armstrong was elected delegate at large from Ohio to the Democratic national convention, which met at New York, and which nominated Horatio Seymour for president. In 1872 he came within a few votes of securing the nomination for congress in the Seneca-Erie district. In 1873 he removed his family permanently to Cleveland, and settled in a beautiful little home. In 1876 he was chosen by the Democrats of the Cuyahoga district, the second in point of population and wealth in the state, to represent them in the St. Louis Democratic national convention, and again in 1880 the same compli- ment was paid him by the same district, and he was chosen a delegate to the convention which nominated Hancock and English for president and vice-president His co-delegates to that convention selected him as the member of the Democratic national executive committee from Ohio. One young printer boy from old Seneca has made himself a reputation as an able and capable politician., In every capacity in life in which he has been tried, he has been found equal to the occasion. A biography in the history of Cuyahoga county says of Mr. Armstrong: " What he is in his office, he is out of it, a man of decided convictions and strong will, always a potent force in the councils of his party and in the community in which he lives." He never has allowed his strong party feelings to control him in his personal and social re- lations, and he numbers warm friends in all parties. His career is one that has been watched with satisfaction by every resident of Seneca county.
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THE "SENECA WHIC."
Tracing the history of the press in Tiffin, I came very near forgetting to record a very strange feature in the history of the old Whig party that affected the old Whigs in Seneca county, and resulted in the estab- lishment of another newspaper called the Seneca Whig.
The great question of slavery divided and finally broke down the old Whig party. The Democrats were called pro-slavery men because they could see no constitutional wav to get rid of the evil. Many lead- ing men in the Whig party had less constitutional scruples about the question, and organized the " Free Soil party." A host of Democrats joined them; even Martin Van Buren, on whose account, and in whose defense of "Florida war," " gold spoons," "sub-treasury," etc., etc., the Democrats had suffered countless abuse, left them and became the candidate of the " Free Soilers " for the presidency in 1848, with Adams for vice-president. The regular Whigs supported Taylor and Filmore. There was considerable of a stampede from the Democratic party to the " Free Soilers " in some states and just enough to defeat Messrs. Cass and Butler, the candidates of the Democrats. If the course pur- sued by Mr. Van Buren was the satisfaction of a revenge against Cass, it free-soiled Van-Buren's fame as a statesman and patriot.
A very respectable number of the Whigs of Seneca county leaned over to free-soilism, and Mr. Wharton with his Standard supported their cause. This left the old regulars without a paper, and the Clay Whigs said some unpleasant things to Mr. Wharton. Some withdrew their subscriptions and advertisements. In less than a month after Wharton had hoisted the Van Buren banner, a press and type, cases and printers, were brought to Tiffin and the first issue of the Seneca Whig saw the light of day on the 29th day of September, A. D. 1848, calling upon the old " faithful and true" to stand firmly by Taylor and Filmore. And they did. Captain J. W. Filler was the editor. He was a very nice looking young man, but a little reckless about running into debt. The paper continued about two years and then became the property of somebody who took it to Findlay.
. Four years thereafter the Whigs made their last, grand rally under General Scott and were defeated. Free soilism had assumed propor- tions.
THE SENECA COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION.
This society should not be overlooked, though it did go into dilapi- dation by neglect. After much talk and publishing notices in the news- papers of Tiffin, an organization was effected on the 22d of February,
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1869, at a meeting held in the city hall of Tiffin in conformity with the call hereto attached. This notice was published only eleven short years ago, and already more than one-half of the signers have passed over the troubled ocean of life; but their names should be preserved.
A PIONEER ASSOCIATION-OLD FOLKS, ATTENTION !
As one after another of the old settlers of Seneca county are leaving ns. and their number is continually growing less, we express but a general wish when we call on you, the survivors, whom a kind Providence, has, in his . merey, spared up to this time, to meet with us at the next anniversary of Washington's birthday. February 22, 1869, at 10 o'clock A. M., in the City Hall. in Tiffin, for the purpose of organizing a Pioneer Association.
We desire to preserve among the archives of the association, the names of the old settlers, both male and female, and incidents of frontier life in this county. Let us meet and organize in the morning, adjourn for dinner, and spend the afternoon in social chat, listening to speeches, frontier anecdotes, etc. We would also invite as many of other friends as can make it con- venient to be with us: believing that to see the old "bushwhackers " to- gether would afford them pleasure.
Abel Rawson. Francis Rife.
Jacob Neikirk,
Mrs. Ann E. Seney.
Andrew Albright.
James Patterson,
G. J. Keen.
Phillip Seewald.
W. C. Myers,
J. A. Gibson.
A. Keubler,
Thomas Baltzell.
Benjamin Pittenger.
John Dockweiler,
W'm. Lambertson,
Luther A. Hall.
Jeremiah Williams.
James Pence,
Mrs. J. A. Pittenger.
Henry Ebbert.
Henry Vandenburgh,
.J. HI. Pittenger.
Samuel Gross,
Samuel Kridler,
C. C. Park.
Elder Lewis Seitz.
Mrs. Eleanor Brish.
W. H. Gibson,
Henry St. John.
Mrs. Thomas Lloyd,
Dennis F. Cramer.
Levi Davis,
Daniel Dildine, sen ..
Andrew Bergderfer,
Samuel Herrin,
Thomas Thompson,
Mr. Caroline E. Jaeck,
C. P. Coonrod. William Toll.
Mrs. S. Pennington.
Amos Nichols.
Joseph Bever,
Mrs. Margaret Kroh.
Ezra Derr,
Jacob Price, Wildman Loomis.
Il. A. Buskirk.
Mrs. Sarah Huss.
G. L. Keating,
Uriah Egbert.
James Goetchis,
Richard Baker.
S. S. Hunter,
Richard Jaqna,
John Kaga, sen ..
. John Keller,
Spencer St. John.
Eden Lease.
M. Kirchmer,
William Lang.
W. C. Hedges.
R. W. Shawhan.
Peter Lantz,
A. Phillips. 11. Kuhn.
John W. Eastman.
Samnel Shade,
Mrs. M. Campbell.
Samuel Ink,
Dr. A. Benham,
W. H. Keilholtz.
Mrs. Nancy Kline,
Erastus Jones.
Phillip King.
John Gnisbert, Abraham Rine,
S. B. Sheath.
Mrs. G. D. Shawhan.
Phillip Wentz,
The meeting was called to order by the Rev. John Souder, who
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called on the Rev. D. C. Howard to open the meeting with prayer. Rev. John Souder was chosen chairman, and W. Lang, sec- retary; a constitution was adopted and permanent officers elected as follows:
For president, Dr. Henry Kuhn; for vice-president, Philip Seewald; for secretary, William Lang; for treasurer, Lyman White.
Regular meetings were held for several years, which were highly interesting; for many of the old settlers related incidents of pioneer life in Seneca that were both pleasing and instructive. No meetings were held since the death of Dr. Kuhn.
The following is a list of the members, showing the time and place of birth, and time of location of each in this county:
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