USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 31
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Dennis Winfield Kimber was born in Wooster, January 30, 1855. He was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1878. He commenced the practice of his profession in Wooster, moved to Missouri and died there in 1895.
Samuel R. Curtis practiced law in Wooster for a short time in the forties, had experience in the Mexican war, became a major-general in the Civil war, had been in Congress, and was connected with many public national improvements. He died in 1868.
John H. Harris removed from Canton to Wooster in the thirties and began practicing law here, removed to Mendota, Illinois, and died there.
Alexander C. McMillan was born in Wayne county in 1837, admitted to bar in 1860; in 1862 he removed to Pana, Illinois, where he died.
William Sample was twice elected judge of the common pleas court, serving from 1857 to 1866. Upon his retirement from the bench he formed a partnership with the late Hon. John P. Jeffries, of Wooster, and remained in the practice of his profession in this city for two years when he went to Newark, Ohio, and thence to Coshocton, Ohio, where he died in 1877.
Lucian H. Upham was born in Vermont in 1808 and came to Wayne county in 1839, was admitted to the bar in 1843, served one term as auditor of Wayne county. He removed to Delta, Fulton county, about 1850, where he died in 1897, he was elected probate judge of Fulton county, in 1854. In 1856-7 he represented Fulton and Lucas counties in the state Legislature.
James Jeffery was born in Congress township, and ivas of Irish ancestry, his parents immigrating to the United States in 1819, locating the same year near West Salem, Wayne county. Mr. Jeffery was admitted in 1873. In 1876 he was elected mayor of West Salem. He removed to western Ohio where he died several years ago.
Henry Lehman was born in Pennsylvania, June 9, 1809. He came to Wooster about 1833, practiced law and held several local offices, including probate judge. He died in Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 17, 1897.
William McMillen practiced law principally in the justice courts in the ante-bellum days. He moved to Iowa and died there.
John McNeil Connell was born in Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, November 7, 1829, and located in Wooster about 1859, served in the Civil war, died in Lancaster, Ohio, in April, 1882, after serving in the Ohio state Senate in 1864.
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William McMahon located in Wooster in the late thirties and began the practice of his profession, serving as prosecuting attorney of Wayne county in 1840.
Bryant Grant came to Wooster from New York city about 1860, and practiced law for one year, then returned to New York.
Hugh Wilson was born at Smithville, Wayne county. After his admis- sion to the bar he opened an office in Orrville, where he remained for a num- ber of years, afterwards changing his location to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he died about 1899.
Noah L. Jeffries was admitted to the bar in 1851. He opened an office in Wooster. After an experience in practice of five years in Wooster, he went to Millersburg, then to Ravenna, and then to Mansfield, where he entered the military service of the United States. He died in Washington, D. C., about twelve years ago.
Ezra Dean was a native of Columbia county, New York, and had a Revolutionary ancestry, and served himself as a soldier in the war of 1812. He located in Wooster in 1824. He became a member of the Ohio Legisla- ture, judge of the court of common pleas and served in Congress. Later on removed to Ironton, Ohio, where he died.
George W. Wasson was a son of Joseph Wasson, who was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and who removed to Wayne county, Ohio, about 1819, practiced law in Wooster, held local offices, moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he died.
John W. Rankin was a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and in the forties removed to Wayne county, when, for a short period, he taught school in Wooster, but, probably in 1850, removed to Keokuk, Iowa, which he made his permanent home, and where he died. He practiced law in Wooster for several years.
John Elliott Irvine was born in Wooster, Ohio, January 18, 1830. About 1855 he began practicing law in Wooster. He died in Richmond. Ohio, in 1869. He was a noted lawyer.
Henry C. Johnson came to Wooster from Wadsworth, Medina county, Ohio, and practiced law here. For a number of years he was associated with Enos Foreman in the publication of the Wooster Republican. After his withdrawal from this paper he removed to Sandusky City, Ohio, where he published a daily sheet for a time, when he returned to Medina county, where he died about 1870.
CHAPTER XVI.
NEWSPAPERS OF WAYNE COUNTY.
By Albert Dix.
Wayne county owes its first newspaper and newspaper press to Judge Levi Cox, one of the pioneer attorneys of Wooster, who passed away on the last day of 1862. Judge Cox came to the county from Pennsylvania and from the east he imported the materials of a journal office : at about the same time he isued proposals for the publication of a weekly paper in the village of Wooster to be known as the Ohio Spectator. When he had se- cured what he considered sufficient support to carry out his plans, he took into partnership a young man by name, Samuel Baldwin, of Wilkes-Barre. Pennsylvania. The young partner in the concern was a printer by trade and thereby greatly aided Mr. Cox, who was unacquainted with the general work of a printing establishment. The two men began their work with much enthusiasm and in the summer of 1817 the first edition of the Ohio Spectator appeared.
The paper was of a medium size, but because of the newness of the materials and the excellent workmanship the paper made a good appearance. Politically it was neutral, promoting only what was the best for the welfare of both the town and the county. A few over three hundred residents were subscribers, while the advertising maintained an average of two dollars the week.
The firm only existed one year, when Judge Cox withdrew and was suc- ceeded by Asa W. W. Hickox, of the Western Reserve. The alliance sur- vived but one year, when Mr. Hickox disposed of his interests to Mr. Bald- win, who continued issuing the paper for a time himself. But always weak physically, the young man within a short time succumbed to the dread dis- ease, consumption.
Mr. Baldwin's year was finished out by a relative, Dr. Thomas Town- send, as manager of the business office, while Joseph Clingan had charge of the printing. This management continued but a short time, and at the
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end of a year the paper became defunct, and the county was without a pub- lication, with the exception of a small sheet called The Electioneer, estab- lished entirely to support personal claims to office in the nearing election of 1820.
During the period just covered, Mr. Cox, the founder, had held a lien upon the office, and he resumed the possession of it and soon after issued proposals for a renewal of the Spectator.
The offer was not well patronized and consequently Mr. Gox sold out his interests to Benjamin Bentley, a Wooster man, who was desirous of instituting a paper there. Mr. Bentley not being a practical printer, he se- cured as a partner Mr. Clingan.
After the issuing and returning of the subscription papers, the Wooster Spectator appeared as a weekly from the day of January 13, 1820. This partnership lasted for two years, when Mr. Clingan purchased Mr. Bentley's interest. Mr. Clingan conducted the paper for five years himself.
The office again changed hands in the spring of 1826, when Col. John Barr, of Hagerstown, Maryland, bought it and issued therefrom a paper entitled the Ohio Oracle, devoted to the support of General Jackson. This publication lasted for a period of four years and, as one historian of the county says of it, "It is probable that this pretentious journal, in name at least, had no prototype and will have no successor." Colonel Barr sold his office after four years to David Sloane, of Wooster, who issued a paper called The Wooster Journal and Democratic Times. This publication, as its predecessor, ran for four years, when Mr. Sloane disposed of it to a brother-in-law, J. W. Schuckers, who published it for the same period. Both papers were very capably edited, and it was known that the man at the back of the editorial department, during both papers, was Col. John Sloane. one of the "most bitter, vituperative, incisive and powerful writers of the day." A Mr. Wharton was the printer.
Mr. Schuckers, in June, 1836, disposed of his interests to Daniel Sprague, who for a time published the paper under the name of the Wooster Journal and Democratic Times. After a period of about four years, however, he changed the name to that of the Wooster Democrat. Mr. Sprague proved himself a very capable manager for sixteen years, when he sold out to H. C. Johnson and Enos Foreman. The new managers changed the name of their publication to the Wooster Republican. After five years Mr. Johnson retired from the business and moved to Sandusky City. Mr. Foreman con- tinued the paper, acting as proprietor and manager. On July 25, 1861, Mr.
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Foreman issued a daily from the Republican office, which was continued until November 30th of the same year. This was the first daily in the county and was devoted entirely to war news. Mr. Foreman disposed of the office in August, 1870, his successors being Capt. A. S. McClure and Joseph G. Sanborn. Horace N. Clemens, who had been the city editor of the paper under McClure and Sanborn, assumed the controlling interest in the paper, and, under the firm name of H. N. Clemens & Company, took charge of the editorial management of the paper and business control. It was while under the control of Mr. Clemens that the Daily Republican made its first appear- ance, in June, 1887. George Kettler assumed the city editorship of the Daily Republican at its start, and has held the position through all the years, there having been numerous changes in ownership and editorial control, and at the time this article was written was still acting in the capacity he has always filled. Mr. Kettler began work as a very young boy, in his early teens, in the job department, first holding that lowly position, "the printer's devil," but he had his mind set upon higher things and was not content until he reached the more lofty occupation of writer.
In 1890 Mr. Clemens, with a number of prominent Republicans, incor- porated the company known as the Wooster Republican Printing Company.
In 1891 Mr. Clemens retired from the management of the paper, hav- ing disposed of his interests to David W. Solliday, a lawyer, born in the county, but who had resided for some years in Texas, and who assumed the duties of editor. The paper had a precarious existence for some time and then in 1893 Thomas C. Reynolds, of Akron, an editorial writer and publisher of much experience, assumed a controlling interest with Francis C. Whittier, of Akron, as secretary and business manager. In 1898 Albert Dix, who had been engaged in the newspaper business at Hamilton, Ohio, with his son, Emmett C. Dix, became interested in the business.
Under the management of the Messrs. Dix, the publication took new life, with Albert Dix as business manager and Emmett C. Dix in editorial con- trol and assisting in the local work, with George Kettler in the news depart- ment. The circulation increased rapidly, especially in 1898, because of the fine news service during the war with Spain. The Messrs. Dix proved pro- gressive, with their every thought centered on the best available for the people whom they serve and consequently have kept pace with the times until their plant, at the present time, is probably the best piece of newspaper property owned in any city in Ohio the size of Wooster. The office is equipped with a Duplex printing press, printing the paper from the roll,
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thus being able to print the constantly growing circulation very rapidly. Two linotype machines are used in the composing room.
Having now completed the tracing, from origin to the present time, of one of Wooster's lines of the press, we will now direct our attention to another.
In the summer of 1862, Joseph Clingan, of whom we have already spoken, prepared for the publication of another paper in Wooster. It was in the same year that a German, by name John Sala, established in Wooster a German paper, known as the Wooster Correspondent; it, however, had a very small circulation and existed but a short time.
Mr. Clingan, having completed all his arrangements, in September, 1826, sent out the first edition of a most excellent publication, The Republican Ad- vocate. The paper, which had as one of its objects the advancement of General Jackson to the Presidency, was a complete success, and was well patronized, continuing for twelve years under the management of the orig- inal owner, when he sold out to Samuel Littell. Mr. Littell, who was already owner of the Western Telegraph, established by Martin Barr, combined the two papers, their politics being the same, and entitled the new sheet The Democratic Republican. This journal lasted three years, when it was trans- ferred to James G. Miller and a Mr. Carpenter, a printer ; these gentlemen published it for a year. Isaac N. Hill then leased the office, as had Mr. Miller from Mr. Littell, and issued for a few years The Democrat. After the expiration of this lease Mr. Littell sold out to Messrs. Carny and Means, who published until the death of Mr. Means.
. Hon. John Larwill obtained the proprietorship after the death of Mr. Means and sold the office to Jacob A. Marchand, who continued as owner of the Democrat up until the time of his death, on August 28, 1862. On the first of April, 1862, Mr. Marchand had rented the office to Franklin Harry and John H. Oberly, for the term of one year. His death made it necessary to sell the Democrat, and Mr. Oberly purchased it, conducting it for a year with marked ability. In 1864 Mr. Oberly sold out to Col. Benja- min Eason, who took possession as head of the paper on November 1, 1864. Mr. Eason sold the office in 1866 to the Hon. John P. Jeffries, who, for a year, acted as manager, with his son, Linneaus Q. Jeffries, as publisher. Mr. Jeffries then sold the office to Benjamin Eason and Asa Dimmock, the former doing a portion of the writing, although especially occupied with the managerial interests, as Mr. Dimmock was then prosecuting attorney of Coshocton county.
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In May, 1876, another change was made in which Mr. Eason sold his interests to Mr. Dimmock, who took into partnership Lemuel Jeffries, under the firm name of Dimmock & Jeffries. These gentlemen in turn sold it to James A. Estill, of the Millersburg Farmer, who took possession April 30, 1868. Mr. Estill retired February 25, 1869, and was succeeded by the Hon. E. B. Eshelman, of the Columbus Statesman, the paper being conducted by Messrs. Eshelman, Franklin Harry and John J. Lemon. On October 23, 1872, Mr. Lemon sold his interest to John H. Boyd, who, on August 2, 1876, turned his share over to Thomas E. Peckinpaugh, the firm name then being known as Eshelman & Company.
Ephraim B. Eshelman, now head of the publication, widely known as "Old Figgers" because of his propensity for figures in dealing with public matters when serving in the Ohio Legislature, was perhaps the most widely known and copied editorial writer the city and county ever knew.
After several years' existence as Eshelman & Company, Mr. Peckinpaugh sold out his interest to H. P. Gravatt. In July, 1881, Mr. Gravatt became the owner of Mr. Eshelman's one-half interest in the firm. Mr. Eshelman was then for a time editor of the Akron Times, but in 1886 returned to Wooster and again became a part owner, securing the one-fourth interest of the late Dr. Leander Firestone, and again assumed the editorial manage- ment. The firm was now known as H. P. Gravatt & Company.
During all these years, starting in the office when a boy of sixteen years, Capt. Lemuel Jeffries had been acting as city editor of the paper, serving in that capacity all the years but those spent as a soldier in the Re- bellion. Captain Jeffries was a writer of more than average ability, being exceptionally careful in the preparation of his copy, and was on the pay roll of the paper at the time of his death, on June 17, 1909. Mr. Eshelman, because of age, retired from the business May 12, 1902, and died in his apartment at the Archer House June 6, 1906.
The paper passed into the control of the Wayne County Democrat Company, a corporation, June 12, 1905, buying the property of H. P. Gra- vatt, then sole owner. The officers are John C. Hoffman, manager and presi- dent ; Fred H. Zimmerman, secretary and treasurer. The daily issue of the company, the Wooster Daily News, made its first appearance July 15, 1905. The city editor, at the present time, February, 1910, is Edward Hauensein, a young man who is rapidly developing as a news writer.
The equipment for the Wayne County Democrat and the Daily News is modern and up-to-date.
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While we have been discussing the growth of Wooster's two most im- portant publications, we must not neglect to mention those lesser papers that had their existence contemporary with the Wooster Republican and the Wayne County Democrat, for without these this history would be incomplete. While some of these lived but short lives and meant little to the community, yet others were considered good publications during the years they lived. One of the first of these was founded by R. V. Kennedy and was called the Wayne County Standard, a Democratic sheet that did not survive beyond its first year.
Another was christened the American Eagle. It was established by a young man of the county, by name Howard Coe. It was to advocate the interests of the town men then seeking office ( 1885), but this noble bird had a woeful flight extending over the short period of but six months.
Among the more successful publications than those just mentioned was the Wayne County Herald, established in 1878, as a result of a split in the Republican pary. The paper had a rather hard battle for a number of years and passed through many changes of ownership and control. The paper finally became the official organ of the Prohibition party and for a number of years was a paying newspaper property. This was under the editorial man- agement as well as the capable business management of John J. Ashenhurst. Other changes came in the years after Mr. Ashenhurst's retirement, and publication was finally suspended during the summer of 1909.
Elsewhere in this review we have made mention of a German publica- tion in the city that had but a very meager growth and died almost before its beginning was completed, but we have now another to discuss, the Woos- ter Journal, the only German paper that ever existed in the county and city. This publication was established in 1880 by Adolph Weixelbaum and was printed in the old Quinby building on the southwest side of the square, which later was torn down and replaced by the building now occupied by the Annat store.
The paper prospered from the start, the German element giving it hearty support. During the gas excitement in Findlay in 1886, Mr. Weixel- baum sold the paper to his brother, Max Weixelbaum, and went to that city. where he embarked in the same business. His brother conducted the paper for several years, having the office on South street. For some reason or other, in later years it did not enjoy its past prosperity and Mr. Weixelbaum went to Tiffin, where he purchased the old established German paper of Seneca county. Adolph Weixelbaum, the founder, is now in Lima, where he is very successful in his ventures in that city.
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The Jacksonian, another of the more successful contemporaries, was a Democratic newspaper, established and published by J. F. and J. A. March- and. The first issue appeared in August, 1881. Its mission before the public was the advocacy of the election of E. S. Dowell to the common pleas judge- ship, as against C. C. Parsons, who was successful.
The Evening News, the first regular daily paper ever published in the city, was started by the above gentlemen in February, 1884, and was con- tinued by them until 1887, when it was taken over by H. N. Clemens, then publisher of the Republican, who changed its name to the Daily Republican.
The Evening Journal was founded by Calvin D. Myers in 1898, and after about one year became the property of J. F. Marchand, who continued the publication until 1906, when it was discontinued. The Jacksonian in 1906 passed into the control of the Wayne County Democrat Company and the Evening Journal into the hands of the Wooster Republican Printing Com- pany.
Having thus as concisely as possible endeavored to describe the origin and growth of the papers of Wooster, the county seat, another subject, that of the papers of the county at large, remains to be reviewed, and to this end we now turn. The county is exceptionally well represented with news- papers, considering the size of the towns therein, and all of these publica- tions show a marked degree of prosperity.
In the village of Orrville we have two papers, The Crescent and The Courier, both independent of any political party.
The Orrville Crescent was established in the spring of 1867 by John A. Wolbach, who while working at his trade in Wadsworth procured a press and a lot of second-hand material and moved the outfit to Orrville, the trip being made on a sled. Mr. Wolbach conducted the plant for some years, when he leased it to Ruth, of Loudonville, and in the spring of 1879 sold it to Cherry and Colburn, of Wadsworth. This firm published the paper but eight months, when they sold out to James A. Hamilton, of Cleveland, on October 14, 1879. In the intervening years Mr. Hamilton sold the prop- erty twice, in 1891 to Emerson Brothers, of Indiana, who published the paper less than a year, after which it was again bought by Mr. Hamilton, who sold it again in Igco to Naftzger and Krieble, of Orrville. On repurchasing the property Mr. Hamilton gave his son, Harry, a third interest, but later pur- chased the son's interest. In the fall of 1909 the property was placed in the charge of A. R. Williams and James G. Hamilton, Jr., a son-in-law and son. who are now conducting the paper.
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In about 1904 the paper was changed from a weekly to a semi-weekly, and in 1908 was changed to a tri-weekly. The Crescent has kept pace with the modern newspaper and is equipped with as fine presses and assortment of job and newspaper type as any office in the county. In the eighties Mr. Hamilton purchased a Thorne typesetting machine, it being the first typeset- ting machine to be brought to Wayne county. In 1901 he ordered a two- letter Mergenthaler linotype machine, it also being the first one of its char- acter to be introduced into Wayne county.
When Mr. Hamilton first assumed control of the paper, a five-column quarto, patent inside, was in use and the circulation was about five hundred. It was later changed to an eight-column folio and then to a nine-column folio. When changed to a semi-weekly it was made a seven-column paper and since being issued as a tri-weekly it has been divided up between a five- column and six-column folio in size. Since its establishment the Crescent has had a steady growth until at the present time it is a welcome visitor in many of the country homes of eastern Wayne county.
The Orrville Courier, although founded in very recent years, has had a remarkable growth and, aside from upholding only the best for the town, i: is one of the best of the many county papers. The management has always made an effort to secure every item of interest in the county, by no means limiting it to the town, and thereby making it a publication to be highly appreciated by the farming community.
The Courier was established in June, 1903. by the Courier Publishing Company, an established company headed by P. E. Krieble. At its begin- ning it was edited as an independent paper until, as we have mentioned, it now stands as one of the foremost of the county's publications.
J. F. Adams, then principal of the high school, was the first editor. The Courier was first published as a weekly until 1907, when it was made a semi- weekly, under the editorship of Glenn D. Willaman, and has remained such up to the present time. In September of 1908 P. E. Krieble assumed the editorial management and is still acting in that capacity.
The village of Dalton also has in its midst a bright little newspaper. The Gasette. Walton C. Scott was the founder of this publication. On August 3, 1875, he issued one edition called the Dalton Banner, a four-column folio, in which, in an editorial, was stated that the town and community would be canvassed and if support enough was subscribed the paper would be enlarged and publication continued. Consequently, on October 5, 1875. the maiden number of the Dalton Gasette, a six-column folio, appeared and was pub-
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