History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I, Part 43

Author: Drury, Augustus Waldo, 1851-1935; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, pub
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 966

USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 43

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for Hungarian women and girls were maintained in the Malleable Iron Work's Center House on Dakota street, its use being donated, until that building was needed by the company and no other suitable location could be found.

LUNCH ROOM-The lunch room has always been an important department of the league's work. Through this agency, the league has had a good source of income and has been able to help the wage-earning woman to secure a good warm meal at a reasonable price. During the past ten years, the number of waitresses has grown from one to twenty-five and meals served per day average from sev- enty-five to four hundred and fifty, with a total of eight hundred and thirty-nine thousand, eight hundred and thirty-five lunches.

MOTHERS' GUILD-This organization is an outgrowth of the Burns Avenue Extension. It was organized January 23, 1897, and held its first meeting with four charter members on the following Thursday afternoon, January 28, at the Extension house, corner of Burns and Pulaski street. The object of the organi- zation was to have a place where mothers could meet and spend a pleasant, restful afternoon, and be entertained by persons who would come each week to read or talk on travel and other interesting topics, their children being cared for at the same time in an adjoining room by a kindergarten teacher.

During the first years of the organization, no active part was taken by the members in the programs, but as numbers grew, interest also grew, and a desire was felt and expressed to do active work. The result was that excellent papers have been prepared and read by the members. A number of guild members, de- siring to do more literary work, organized the Home Culture Club. The guild has sewed for the hospitals ; given "pound parties" for needy families ; contributed annually to the Salvation Army ; sent flowers to sick members and other sick women ; formed two circles of the Needlework Guild ; earned money, and carried on other activities. Mrs. C. H. Kumler was the first president.

The guild meets on Thursday afternoons in the league parlors. During the past year, one hundred and two garments were made at the meetings and dis- tributed. Four needy families have been supplied with clothing. Magazine articles have been read and discussed and profitable talks by outsiders have been given.

SOCIAL WORK-Social life has centered largely around "The Maples" on Forest avenue. . This house has not been open only to the members of the league, but has also thrown open its doors to outside organizations.

At present the league has an enrollment of five hundred and thirty-eight. The constitution provides for active and sustaining members. Through these sources one thousand and seventeen dollars and seventy cents were taken in for member- ship in 1908-9.

The annual report for the year closing April 1, 1909, gives the receipts, in- cluding a loan of one thousand, one hundred dollars, as six thousand, two hundred and fifty-four dollars and thirty-six cents, making a balance in the treasury of thirty-eight dollars and sixty-eight cents.

The present officers are: President, Miss Grace A. Greene; Vice-President, Mrs. John R. Moore : General Secretary, Miss Bessie Charles; Treasurer, Mrs. H. S. Frank ; Secretary, Mrs. Anna Conover Phelps.

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The Young Women's League is about to erect a five-story steel-concrete build- ing on the south end of its Fourth street property. The present brick building will remain as it is. The first three floors will be occupied by the league. The building without equipment or furnishings will cost forty-five thousand dollars.

CHAPTER XI.

THE PRESS.

EARLY NEWSPAPERS-THE JOURNAL-THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS-THE DAYTON HERALD- MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS-GERMAN PAPERS- THE RELIGIOUS PRESS- THE UNITED BRETHREN PUBLISHING HOUSE-THE CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION-THE LUTHERAN EVANGELIST-THE CHRISTIAN WORLD.

The first comprehensive account of the newspapers of Dayton was given in 1850 in a series of articles in the Dayton Bulletin by M. E. Curwen, he at the time being the editor of that paper. Robert W. Steele, in his History of Dayton, gave a good account of the Dayton newspapers down to the time when his history appeared in 1889. Other accounts have likewise been published. These and other sources will be freely used in giving anew the history of the Dayton news- papers and bringing the same down to the present time.

EARLY NEWSPAPERS.

The first newspaper published in Dayton was by Noah Crane, formerly from Lebanon, Ohio, who began its publication in July, 1806. After issuing a few numbers, he was attacked by chills and fever and abandoned the enterprise, re- turning with his press and type to his former home at Lebanon. No copies of his paper have been preserved, and even its name cannot be ascertained.

Some time previous to September, 1808, Archibald McLean, printer, and William McClure entered into an agreement to publish a weekly paper in Day- ton, but it was never carried into effect.

September 18, 1808, the first number of the Repertory was issued by William McClure and George Smith from their office on Main street. It was a small four page sheet, 8x12 inches in size, with two columns on the outer and three on the inner pages. It was printed without rules and on pica type. The price was $2.00 per year, payable in advance. With number five, issued October 21, 1808, the paper was suspended until February 1, 1809, when it re-appeared, enlarged to a four-column four-page sheet, 12x20 inches in size, without rules, Henry Disbrow and William McClure being the editors and proprietors. The files closed December 14, 1809. The paper was filled with foreign news, mostly French, which was four or five months old by the time it appeared in print. It had no editorials and no local news except deaths, marriages and elections. Some knowledge may be obtained through the advertisements.

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After the suspension of the Repertory, December 14, 1809, Dayton had no newspaper for several months. The place was filled, May 3, 1810, when Isaac G. Burnet issued the first number of the Ohio Centinel. In outward form, the new paper was somewhat similar to its predecessor. It was published "on a sheet of royal size," IIx19 inches, there being four pages, each having four columns, and without rules. The paper was issued weekly and the subscription price was two dollars per year if paid in advance, two dollars and fifty cents if paid at the end of the year. Produce of almost all kinds was taken in payment at the market price. In content, however, the Centinel was a great improvement over the Repertory. It was sprightly in its editorials and gave a variety of information from points that would interest its readers, being careful to thoroughly post them as to the events occurring during the war of 1812-13. Its motto was, "With slight shades of difference, we have the same religion, manners, habits and political principles."-Washington. Politically the paper was devoted to "Republican Principles," but there is no clear indication what these principles were. Official announcements and legal notices for all the territory north as far as Detroit, and on out to Chicago, were necessarily published in this little paper that circulated through all that sparsely settled territory. It was one of the ten papers which at the beginning of 1810 were published in Ohio. How- ever, most of the men being away with the army or in some other way con- nected with it, and the women being fully occupied with the cultivation of the fields and the care of their families, the paper suffered for lack of patronage. Mr. Burnet sold out his interest and the paper was discontinued May 19, 1813.

The Ohio Centinel was succeeded October 3, 1814, by the Ohio Republican, a paper so nearly like its predecessor that the one is practically a continuance of the other. The same type and press were used, and the style and appearance were so nearly identical that, in looking over the files, one would never discover except for the change in title that there was a new paper. Isaac G. Burnet and James Lodge were the editors and proprietors. Their motto was, "Willing to praise, but not afraid to blame." It was devoted mostly to literature and foreign news, local news at that early day not being deemed of sufficient importance or interest to find a place in the columns of the papers. The subscription price was two dollars per annum if paid in advance, two dollars and fifty cents if paid within the year, and three dollars if paid at the end of the year. After a year, Mr. Burnet was elected to the legislature, and sold his share to his partner, Mr. Lodge, who conducted the paper alone until October 9, 1816, when he was obliged to discontinue its publication, because his subscribers would not pay up --- two-thirds of the list never paid a cent.

Robert J. Skinner purchased the press, type and "good will" of the Ohio Republican, and, November 27, 1816, less than two months after the discontinu- ance of that paper, issued the first number of the Ohio Watchman. At first the Watchman was the same size as the Republican, but on April 9, 1818, it was en- larged to a sheet 12x20 inches in size, five columns to a page, ruled. At first the paper was published every Wednesday at the old stand of Burnet and Lodge, but the date of publication was changed to Thursday on January 30, 1817. The original motto was, "Truth, equality, and literary knowledge are the three grand pillars of republican liberty." Another motto was added on the inside June 5,

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1817, namely, "A free press is the palladium of liberty." When the paper was enlarged, the first motto was dropped but the second retained. Upon starting the paper the editor announced that he intended to support "genuine repub- licanism"; that he was partial to the administration then in power, but that he did not intend to permit party prejudice to blind his eyes, or to make his ears deaf to the principles of truth. He did not define "genuine republicanism," which was a very vague expression at that time. December 25, the paper appeared in new series under the title of the Dayton Watchman and Farmers and Mechanics' Journal, published by George S. Houston and R. J. Skinner. August 6, 1822, R. J. Skinner retired from the firm, and from that date until December 24th of the same year the paper was published under the name of George S. Houston and Company. During this winter A. T. Hays became one of the proprietors, and the second volume of the new series beginning December 24 was published by G. S. Houston and A. T. Hays. When Mr. Houston was appointed postmaster in 1823, he gave up most of his activity in connection with the paper. January 15, 1826, Mr. Houston sold his interest to A. T. Hays and E. Lindsley, though he controlled the editorial department until the paper was discontinued, November 21, 1826. The size and arrangement of the old Watchman was retained un- changed in the new series. However, in April, 1823, the style of the title was changed from old English to script, and that in September, 1823, was displaced by gothic. The motto of the paper was enlarged March 16, 1824, by adding "Democracy, literature, agriculture, manufactories, and internal improvements, the pillars of our independence." At the time when Messrs. Hays & Lindsley commenced its publication they announced their intention to follow the same democratic course that had been so successfully followed by Mr. Houston for the preceding four years ; that they were opposed to "mending" the constitution. and that they were in favor of the tariff of 1824. The office of the publication was on Main street, a few doors south of David Reed's tavern. The following were taken in payment for subscription to the paper: flour, beef, pork, whisky, wood, wheat, rye, corn, oats, sugar, tallow, beeswax, honey, butter, chickens, eggs, wool, flax, feathers, country linen, and clean linen and cotton rags.

Three years previous to the discontinuance of the Ohio Watchman, Judge George B. Holt established a weekly democratic paper called the Miami Re- publican and Dayton Advertiser, of which he was sole editor and proprietor. The paper was IIx21 inches in size. The first issue appeared September 2, 1823, the last September 7, 1826.

THE JOURNAL.

April 10, 1826, William Campbell, who was then residing on a farm in West- moreland county, Pennsylvania, purchased the establishments of the Dayton Watchman and the Miami Republican. In a prospectus, he announced his in- tention to consolidate the two papers and publish them as one in the fall of that year under the name of the Ohio National Journal and Montgomery and Dayton Advertiser. Accordingly, November 30, 1826, the first issue of the new paper appeared, on a sheet 13x20 inches in size with five columns to the page, and ruled. It was published weekly at the usual price of $2.00 per year. The

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paper adopted the motto: "Principals and not men where principals demand the sacrifice." It was Whig in its politics. After issuing two numbers, Mr. Campbell sold the paper to Jeptha Regans. December 4, 1827, Mr. Regans sold a one-half interest in the paper to Peter P. Lowe, and, on the same day, the title was cut down to The Dayton Journal and Advertiser. December 2, 1828, John W. Van Cleve bought a one-half interest in the paper, and from that date until Mr. Regans' death June 15, 1830, the style of the firm was Regans & Van Cleve. For a short time the paper was published by Mr. Van Cleve, but in October, 1830, Richard N. Comly bought the interest of Mr. Regans' estate in the estab- lishment, and the firm became Van Cleve & Comly.

This firm lasted until July 15, 1834, when Mr. Van Cleve sold his interest to William F. Comly, and, under the proprietorship of R. N. and W. F. Comly, the Journal was enlarged so as to become the largest paper published in the state of Ohio. It was made a seven-column, four-page paper. The place of publica- tion was removed in July, 1835, to the third story of Samuel Steele's new build- ing, on the east side of Main street. December 16, 1840, the management began a six months' experiment with a daily paper. Though they returned to the tri-weekly on June II, a few years later, May 6, 1847, the Daily Journal was permanently established. From the time the first Comly entered the newspaper field, till the last Comly laid down his pen, a period of over thirty-one years was covered. They were men of high ideals, and had the true genius for newspaper work. In 1857, R. N. Comly withdrew from the paper, and John P. Comly became a member of the firm, which continued so until April, 1862, when, on account of the appointment of W. F. Comly as postmaster of Dayton, in 1861, the paper was sold to Lewis Marot and William H. Rouzer, the latter gentlemen giving their notes in payment for the paper.

May 5, 1863, the entire Journal outfit was destroyed by a mob, on account of the arrest of Hon. C. L. Vallandingham, under the order of General Burnside, who was then in command of this military department. As payment had not been completed by the last purchasers, the real sufferers were the Comlys, who lost about $10,000.

Promptly upon the destruction of the office, citizens of Dayton subscribed a fund of $6,000, to re-establish the Journal, and Maj. William D. Bickham, then war correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial, and aid-de-camp on the staff of Major General Rosecrans, commanding the Department of the Cumberland, was invited to accept the fund as a gift, and publish the paper. He declined the gift, but accepted the fund as a loan, payable in three years, and located himself in Dayton, May 11, 1863. The debt was paid before the expiration of the three years. For several months after Mr. Bickham assumed charge, the Journal was accommodated in a single apartment in a third story, and the paper was issued in diminutive form, letter-sheet size. July 28, 1863, it was enlarged to a seven- column sheet, the office being re-located in suitable quarters on Main street, next north of the courthouse. Major Bickham's experience in various departments of the printing and newspaper business, proved greatly advantageous to the new enterprise. The cash system, a new thing in the newspaper business at that time, was adopted as far as practicable. From the beginning he was general business manager, editor, reporter, city editor, solicitor of advertisements, and so forth,

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until prosperity relieved him of details, and he educated young men for the several business departments of the establishment. For some time after Major Bickham took charge of the Journal political passions in this vicinity ran incessantly at a high pitch, and the conducting of the paper was exciting and hazardous. The editor, however, sustained himself vigorously and resolutely, and the Journal prospered and acquired a wide and valuable reputation. In the summer of 1881, Major Bickham erected a four-story brick office on Main street, opposite the market house, into which he moved November Ist of that year.

Major Bickham died March 29, 1894, after a thirty-one year proprietorship. His widow inherited the property and put the conduct of the Journal into the hands of her three sons, A. S. Bickham, C. G. Bickham and D. D. Bickham. The first two joined the army in 1898, and October 1, 1904, the Journal passed from individual ownership into the possession of a stock company. At the present time George A. McClelan is president of the company and general manager E. M. Burke is secretary and treasurer and business manager. June 22, 1908, the Journal celebrated its one hundredth anniversary by publishing a mammoth centennial edition of 124 pages.

THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS.

The Dayton Daily News and the Dayton Journal are rival claimants to the title of being the direct successor of the Repertory established in 1808. We have noticed the fact that William Campbell in 1826 bought the two newspapers existing before that time-the Watchman, an exponent of tendencies later be- coming Whig, and the Miami Republican, an exponent of tendencies later be- coming Democratic. Mr. Campbell bought the printing outfit, subscription lists and good will of both papers, and merged the two November 30, 1826, in the Ohio National Journal and Montgomery and Dayton Advertiser, announcing in the first issue adherence to the principles of the administration (said principles later bearing the name Whig). While others soon took his place, they steadily adhered to the course indicated at the beginning. November 13, 1826, at the very time when Mr. Campbell was launching his new enterprise, he sold to R. J. Skinner the press formerly used in printing the Watchman and part of the print- ing materials from the office of the Miami Republican. Mr. Skinner had been connected with the Watchman before 1822, and it was his purpose on buying this printing outfit at once to establish a paper that should continue the Jacksonian principles of the Miami Republican. The first issue of his paper appeared almost simultaneously with the first issue of the Journal, December 13, 1826. Without taking up the question as to the antiquity of the Daily News or the character of the mutations through which the Democratic press has passed, there are some good reasons for tracing the history of democratic journalism under the name of the Daily News.

The above mentioned paper was published by Mr. Skinner under the name Miami Herald and Dayton Republican Gazette and with the same motto as the Watchman, "A free press is the paladium of liberty," until December 8, 1829, when it was purchased by E. Lindsey, also a former publisher of the Watchman,

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and the name changed to the Dayton Republican. The files of the latter close in July, 1834, and in the same year Mr. Lindsey established the Democratic Herald.

In January, 1842, the Democratic Herald was succeeded by the Western Empire, published at first by Smith & Munn. Among the early editors of this paper were John Bigler, who later became governor of California, and Delazon Smith, who was afterward a United States senator from Oregon. About 1844, the Daily Empire appeared, published by Daniel C. Fitch and George W. Clason. For some time it was an evening paper. In 1847, the Empire passed into the hands of Vallandingham & Munn. Mr. Vallandingham edited the paper until 1849, when he disposed of his interest and the publishers became Fitch & Ramsey. July 3, 1851, the size was increased from a five to a six column folio, and it was then published by Fitch, Clason & Tillinghast. This firm was succeeded April 27, 1854, by Fitch, Clason & Company, the "company" being D. Clark. In July, 1854, D. G. Fitch and D. Clark became the proprietors and J. Z. Reeder assistant editor. On November 27th, following, the size of the paper was reduced to a five-column folio on account of the necessity of retrenchment. September 3, 1855, D. G. Fitch sold his interest in the paper to David Clark, thus relinquish- ing a position which he had filled for twenty-three years, in connection with this and other papers. J. Z. Reeder then became editor for a short time and soon afterward associate editor, a position which he retained until August 17, 1857, when his connection with the paper ceased. David Clark retired from the paper April 21, 1860, having been with it since January, 1854. His successors were I. R. Kelly & Company, and J. F. Bollmeyer was placed in charge of the editorial department. William T. Logan became editor with Mr. Bollmeyer in 1862, and upon the killing of Mr. Bollmeyer November 1, 1862, by Henry M. Brown, Mr. Logan became editor of the paper and conducted it until the arrest of Hon. C. L. Vallandingham in 1863, when, on account of an article published therein, coun- seling resistance to such measures, he was also arrested and the paper suppressed.

A company was then formed under the name of the Empire Company, which started a new paper, having the same name, on August 19, 1863. William T. Logan edited the paper until December 21, 1863, at which time the Hubbard Brothers became the proprietors. November 25, 1865, H. H. Robinson took up the editorship of the paper, with D. G. Fitch as assistant editor. This arrange- ment lasted until January 26, 1867, at which time David Sheward purchased a one-half interest, and as a consequence, Mr. Fitch retired. H. H. Robinson pur- chased an interest in the paper July 8, 1867, and on the next day, J. McLain Smith became its editor. On the same day, the Empire passed into the Dayton Daily Ledger. Afterward, the proprietorship of the Ledger passed into the hands of J. McLain Smith and Company, this firm being composed of Hon. C. L. Val- landigham and John A. Cockerill, the latter being subsequently connected with the New York World. Mr. Cockerill sold his one-half interest to Dennis Dwyer and James Kelly, and after Mr. Cockerill's withdrawal, Judge Elliott edited the paper for a short time. Dwyer, Kelly and Vallandigham leased the paper for six months to J. C. Ely, Edward F. Schenck and A. J. Hiller, who changed the name of the paper to the Herald. Pending this lease, the establishment was purchased in 1870 by John G. Doren, who changed the nanie to that of the Herald and Empire, and published it under that name until 1876, when it absorbed the Dayton Democrat,

DAYTON DAILY NEWS BUILDING

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which had been started by J. McLain Smith and George Neder in 1874, after which time the paper was known as the Dayton Democrat. Mr. Doran began his editorial work under Samuel Medary on the old Ohio Statesman when not more than eighteen years of age and was a veteran journalist by the time he lo- cated in Dayton. He prided himself on the orthodoxy of his political faith. At the same time, he showed decided independence as a political editor, frequently criticising his own party. After an editorship of nearly twenty years, Mr. Doran sold the Democrat to Charles H. Simms and F. T. Huffman, who at the same time bought the Evening Monitor, and on November 25, 1889, began the publi- cation of the Evening News and the Morning Times. Both papers were pur- chased on August 15, 1898, by the Dayton News Company, organized by James M. Cox and Joseph Dowling, with the backing of Paul Sorg, J. S. McMahon and others. Later the control fell into the hands of Mr. Cox, who became the sole owner of the Dayton News stock. Under the control of Mr. Cox as both pub- lisher and editor, the Dayton Daily News has obtained a large circulation. Mr. Cox was elected to Congress from the Dayton district in 1908. At the present time, a building specially adapted for the publishing of the News is being erected by the Dayton News Company at the northwest corner of Fourth and Ludlow streets.

THE DAYTON HERALD.

The Dayton Herald is the successor of the Dayton Evening Record, the first afternoon paper published in the city. The Evening Record, created in 1881 out of the merged Record and Democrat, was published on Fourth street on the site now occupied by the United Brethren book store. It was owned by Ferdinand Wendell, who purchased the good will, type and hand presses from a man named Kinsey.

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History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I, Part 43

Author: Drury, Augustus Waldo, 1851-1935; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, pub Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 966

Author: Drury, Augustus Waldo, 1851-1935; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, pub
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 966