USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > Zanesville > Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116
In November. 1883. Thomas M. and Daniel H. Gaumer purchased and became publishers of the Signal, and in Mav. 1887, Mr. Irvine took Mr. Thomas M. Gaummer's interest, which was ac- quired by Mr. D. H. Gaumer, January 16, 1889: his energy as sole proprietor made the property very valuable, and it was removed from its for- mer rooms on the third floor of the building. northwest corner of Main and Fourth streets, to the basement, and first and second floors of the rooms in the Opera block. southeast corner of Fifth street and Fountain alley ; the daily was re- established, and the proprietor having entered pol- itics, was successively Representative and Sena- tor to the General Assembly and Postmaster of the city ; his labors were in excess of his physical strength and February, 1898, he died, as so many other Americans, of overexertion. In October. 1898, the paper was purchased by Henry E. and Jamies R. Alexander, under whom it has had still greater success and is now published in the con- miodious quarters at southeast corner of Main and Second streets.
THE COURIER.
The federalists were weak and uninfluential in the west, and the democrats were supreme, but shortly after the appearance of the Muskingum Messenger, in 1810. the Muskingum Express was
106
PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
presented by J. H. Putnam and Company, as a federalist organ ; the field was uninviting and the publishers were doubtless satisfied with the exper- ience, and in 1812 sold to O'Hara and Bennett, who published the Erpress and Advertiser. which was changed December 30, 1812, to the E.r- press and Republican Standard, and was con- tinued under that title until 1823, when the name was changed to the Ohio Republican, by its new owners, David Chambers, editor, and Adam Pet- ers, publisher, in advocacy of the election of Henry Clay to the presidency. July 22, 1824, Chambers retired and Peters conducted the paper alone until January 5, 1825, when William C. Pel- ham purchased an interest, but resold to Peters, August 3, 1833. In 1842 Peters sold the estab- lishment to Lambert O'Hara and John A. Beatty, the latter retiring in the following year, when H. P. Bristow became part owner, and November II, 1845. David H. Lyman became owner and on that day discontinued the Ohio Republican and presented the Zanesville Courier, which soon be- came one of the leading journals of the State. Be- ginning March 31. 1846, the Tri-Weekly Courier was published and was discontinued June 21. when the Daily was issued: this was not successful and November 1. 1847. the Daily was suspended and the Tri-Weekly was re- sumed. October 19, 1849. Edward Ball and Imri Richards became proprietors and De- cember 16, 1850, resumed the publication of the Daily, which has regularly appeared ever since. The gentlemen were not successful and transferred the business to W. H. Ball, William Buell, H. J. Mercer and J. Carrel, who, in turn, in 1852, conveyed it to George Weaver and N. S. Kaufman.
About 1830 Uriah Parke had established the Zanesville Gasette, and March 4, 1858, it was consolidated with the Courier, by U. P. Bennett, its proprietor, purchasing Weaver's interest, and while the Daily maintained its title the weekly edition was issued as the Courier and Gasette, but December 18. 1868. 'Gazette" was dropped. In August. 1859. C. H. Upton and J. T. Shryock became owners and June 21. 1861, Shryock be- came sole owner and for the first time the paper was a financial success. When Gen. M. D. Leg- gett and Col. J. C. Douglass returned from the army they purchased the Courier, al.d took pos- session November 15. 1865: T. J. Newman se- cured a one-third interest, July 1. 1866, and in May, 1868. Gen. Leggett sold his interest to John H. Dodd, the firm being Douglass, Newman and Dodd. January 1. 1872. Newman and Dodd pur- chased Col. Douglass' interest upon his appoint- ment as city postmaster, and this firm continued the publication until 1876, when R. B. Brown purchased a portion of Dodd's interest, and the firm of Newman, Dodd and Brown were publish-
ers until 1889 when the Courier Company was in- corporated and organized with T. J. Newman, president ; L. E. Dodd. vice president; J. H. Dodd, secretary and treasurer; R. B. Brown, business manager.
For many years the office was in a three-story brick building, in the rear of the building at the northeast corner of Main street and Court alley, and upon the completion of the Opera block the plant was moved to the basement and the first and second floors of the rooms at the southeast cor- ner of Fifth street and Fountain alley, and in 1889 moved into its own building at the north- west corner of Fourth street and Locust alley. The present directors of the company are: John Hoge, president; R. B. Brown, secretary and treasurer : Joseph Shaw, G. A. Stanbery and O. F. Mckinney.
THE CITY TIMES.
September 1, 1852, Jacob Glessner and John B. Roberts began the issue of The City Times, in a frame building on the east side of Fifth street, midway of the block from Main street to Locust alley ; the paper was a non-partisan, weekly folio. printed on the first steam press brought to Zanes- ville, and between the words of the title was dis- played a view of the "Y" bridge. In 1853 Mr. Roberts was appointed postmaster, and Mr. Gless- ner became sole proprietor, and in 1857 moved to the southeast corner of Main and Fifth streets ; in 1864 he sold to George H. Logan, who was shortly after joined by John H. Dodd, and after a little more than a year they sold to Cooper, Evans and Ehrman ; a similar interval witnessed the succession of "Governor" John Greiner, who transferred the property to a Mr. Lee and he to R. C. Brown; W. W. Pyle obtained title from Brown, and published the paper about five years, and was succeeded by E. Z. Hayes, the publica- tion, in the meantime, having been moved to the Maginnis block, and latter to a frame building at the corner of Fountain and Court allevs.
During the spring of 1876 the Weekly City Times was discontinued and The Sunday Times was issued until November, when the Daily Times was presented ; in February, 1877, the paper was suspended by. reason of the destruction of the building by fire, and June 12, 1877, The Daily Morning Times was resumed by a cooperative association of practical printers, composed of W. W. Pyle, E. R. Sullivan, D. P. and Edward Mer- cer, Alonzo Shoemaker and Harry M. Parsons, under the name of the Times Publishing Com- pany ; Pyle was editor and Sullivan was business manager, and August 16, the weekly edition was resumed. A non-partisan policy was pursued until the gubernatorial campaign of 1879, when the republican cause was espoused with such en- ergy that the former democratic majorities in the
107
PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
county were eliminated and the party became con- scious that a new and aggressive champion had appeared in its behalf. D. P. Mercer, Shoemaker and Edward Mercer successively sold their in- terest to Sullivan and Parsons, as partners, and in October, 1881, Pyle, as the only independent in- terest, retired.
In 1883, the publication was transferred to a company composed of W. E. Krebs, W. H. Cun- ningham, jr., Thomas Campbell and Thomas E. Taylor, who issued the paper until January 1, 1885, when Jesse Atwell, who held a chattel mort- gage on the property, consolidated the Daily and Weekly Times with the Weekly Recorder, pub- lished by Edward Spencer, and the Weekly Dis- trict Visitor, published by Rev. W. M. Acton. the consolidation being issued as The Daily Times- Recorder, and the Weekly Times Recorder and Visitor. In less than a month Atwell and Acton withdrew, and January 1, 1886, a stock company, styled The Times Recorder Company, purchased the establishment. and Spencer was made editor and D. J. Richards, business manager, and the word Visitor dropped from the weekly. January I, 1889, Spencer severed his connection, and the financial acumen of Richards became manifest ; under his able management the paper was in- stalled in permanent rooms in south Fifth street, nearly opposite where the City Times was first issued, now more than half a century ago, and the plant has been equipped with modern machinery and devices to produce a first class morning paper.
ZANESVILLE SUNDAY NEWS.
The first issue of the Sunday News appeared in July, 1883, with William E. Krebs and John Mil- ler as publishers ; the office was in Maginnis block, and six months latter Miller's interest was pur- chased by Edward F. Faller. Several changes in proprietorship occurred and W. A. Hopkins, John F. Tracy. Charles E. Addison and C. R. Long be- came interested at different times. The latter's interest was as a creditor, and he took possession under a chattel mortgage, and February 8. 1888, sold the paper to Charles U. Shrvock, who moved the publication to his printing office at southwest corner of Fifth street and Fountain allev. Orig- inally the Sunday News was an independent jour- nal, but Shryock converted it into an independent republican newspaper. and the paper prospered under the energy and ability which backed it. In 1895 Shryock sold the publication to the Times- Recorder Company, which changed the name to The Sunday Times Recorder, but the enterprise did not flourish, and in July, 1898, was sold to Charles E. Barker, who resumed the publication under its former name.
In February, 1899, Ad. Elsperman, of Wooster.
and Calvin D. Myers, of Lodi, succeeded Barker. and the partnership continued until September, 1901, when Myers retired, and Elsperman has since conducted the paper ; under the management of Elsperman and Myers the publication became a valuable property, and since Mr. Elsperman has had possession it has largely increased in value ; although a strictly local paper it has a wide circu- lation outside the city, and agencies are estab- lished in thirty-one other towns and cities.
THE ZANESVILLE PENNY PRESS
was the pioneer penny daily of the Muskingum valley, and made its initial appearance April I, 1891, as a four page evening, independent journal, with W. O. Munson as editor and manager ; April 6, 1892, it was enlarged to a seven column, eight page daily, and a weekly edition was begun. January 8, 1897, the Press Publishing Company was incorporated with a capital of $10,000.00, and H. J. Sheppard, M. D., became president and D. C. Helmick, secretary : W. O. Munson remained as manager, and Ray Dollings. A. W. Evans. W. E. Harris, Harry Leis. C. E. Swingle and others were stockholders. Mr. Munson died during September, 1898, and the paper was conducted by Dollings and Helmick, who converted it into a morning daily called the Morning Journal: Hel- mick purchased Dollings' interest, and upon re- tiring from the mayoralty in April, 1899. L. H. Gibson became city editor, but in June of that year publication was suspended, and the plant was sold under decree of the court in December, 1899.
WEEKLY VISITOR AND HOME MONITOR.
In 1880 Rev. W. M. Acton, pastor of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, at Frazeysburg, began the publication of the District Visitor, and in the fall of 1881 was assigned to the charge of the South street church. at Zanesville : his paper was moved to Zanesville, and published from the office of E. R. Sullivan, in south Fourth street, where it was enlarged to a seven column folio, and the name changed to the Weekly Visitor and Home Moni- tor. In September, 1882, a substantial increase was secured to the capital of the concern, and the publication moved into its own rooms in the sec- ond floor of the Shinnock block, where the form was changed to a five column quarto and the sub- scription list was more than donbled. Politically. the paper was independent : religiously, it was non-sectarian, but it advocated personal morality. condemned public corruption, and attacked the liquor traffic : it did not demand legislation, but the enforcement of existing statutes. In 1882 cash prizes were offered for temperance stories written by subscribers, and many competitive
108
PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
stories were submitted which were printed in its columns. January 1, 1885, the paper was merged with others to form the Times Recorder.
Many cherished hopes and much of "other peoples' money" have been lost in the journalistic waters at Zanesville, and scarcely more than a memory remains of them.
The Dial was started during the 'eighties by parties from Wheeling and even their names are forgotten, but it is not possible that the parties have forgotten their experience. The Sunday Herald was issued for a few weeks from an office in Putnam. The Sunday Star was established about 1887, by Harvey J. Abbott and Pius Bad- gett and survived about four years. The Daily Democrat appeared August 18, 1879. projected by W. V. Cox, W. L. Maginnis and W. C. Crawley. and suspended October 31, of that year. The Daily Era, a democratic journal, published by W. L. Maginnis, W. C. Crawley and George C. Thompson, was issued March 24. 1880: July 28. Thompson and Crawley retired and were suc- ceeded by O. K. White, John F. Tracy and T. J. Maginnis, jr .: October 26th, the two Maginnis retired and the paper went into the possession of a receiver, who continued its publication, with White and Tracy in charge, until November 29. 1880. when it suspended.
LABOR JOURNAL.
The Zanesville Labor Journal was established in January, 1892, by Campbell & Sebaugh, the paper becoming the successor of the Zanesville Sunday Star. In 1894 the paper was sold to Fal- ler Brothers, and the publication continued by them for about a year, when it was discontinued. In 1896 the Journal was revived as a monthly. and about a year later was purchased by Charles H. Sebaugh, who again made it a weekly publi- cation in its present form. February 1, 1903. Neil M. Beckley & Sons became proprietors by pur- chasing Sebaugh's interest and are the present owners and publishers. Under the management of the present firm the Labor Journal has become firmly established and recognized as one of the standard labor periodicals of the country.
THIE WEEKLY ADVOCATE.
John T. Shryock began the issue of The Farm- er's and Mechanic's Advocate, May 20, 1870, and in 1873 changed the name to The Weekly Advo- cate, in the interest of the brevity of title, and be- gan the issue of a daily, which continued six months and was suspended during the panic of 1873: the Advocate was begun as an independent paper, designed to inform its readers upon politi- cal questions, but in 1872, espoused the cause of
the liberal republican ticket, advocated currency reform and protection to American industries. Mr. Shryock had peculiar opinions about news- paper publications, and was accustomed to pub- lish campaign papers in support of principles to which he did not wish to commit his regularly issued paper ; one of these, The Greenbacker, in 1876, had an extensive circulation, especially in Perry county, and the practice was followed in other campaigns. The Advocate was published on the west side of Fifth street, near Market, and died with the proprietor, in 1892.
THE ZANESVILLE POST
is the only German paper published in southeast- ern Ohio ; the first issue appeared March 28, 1872. with Adolph Schneider as editor, and for five vears it was published from the Courier building, then in Court alley, opposite the court house. The publication was then removed to the east side of Sixth street, near South, and in 1895 was taken over by a stock company, and since 1899 has been printed by C. U. Shrvock. It is strictly non- partisan in politics, and has a fair subscription list.
THE WESTERN RECORDER
was first published at Meadow Farm, six miles west of Zanesville, the residence of the editor. Rev. Cornelius Springer: the initial number ap- peared July 18, 1833, and in 1845 it passed to A. H. Bassett, who removed the publication to Put- nam, where it became so prominent and influential as an organ of the Methodist Protestant church that in 1855 it was transferred to Springfield, Ohio, and developed into a powerful religious journal.
A decade or more ago Zanesville acquired an unenviable reputation by the publication of al- leged papers under such titles as The Rural Era. The National Shepherd, and similar aliases, not now readily recalled, and of no moment except as records of deceit. In fact the papers were adver- tising media of the publisher, who carried his own address, under various names, and at different towns, to exploit schemes to fleece the unwary, and the number of such persons was ample to re- ward him liberally. The National Express Com- pany was conducted as a scheme, the Zanesville office notifying persons at distant points that a package had been deposited for transportation upon which the charges must be prepaid before shipment, and remittance by the alleged addressee closed the incident; a soap powder, for making soft soap instantly was not a swindle, but a decep- tion, and high grade poultry eggs from the com- monest stock were among the allurements pre- sented in the flashy advertisements. At last the National authorities "pinched" the operator who
109
PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
after serving a sentence in the Ohio penetentiary resumed business at Cincinnati under other aliases.
THE DRESDEN TRANSCRIPT.
Dresden has possessed a newspaper since 1838, although the publication has at times been inter- rupted ; July 30, 1838, A. Deffenbaugh began the issue of the Dresden Chronicle, which was pub- lished until 1842, when the name was changed to Journal, which was suspended about 1844. John W. Wallace issued one number of the Visitor in 1848, and the field remained uncultivated until 1850, when Wallace and Agnew began the Advo- cate, which was continued about two years when the senior partner died, and a Mr. Sygford took an interest, and the name was changed to The In- telligencer, and was issued regularly until 1855, when Bently Gill became owner and in 1877 sold to M. B. Lovett, under whom it suspended. Another interval of inactivity occurred until 1868, when T. W. Peacock and Son established the Dresden Monitor, which was sold a year later to J. A. Jackson, and it passed successively to L. M. Murphy, W. H. Conklin and J. T. Shryock ; the latter gave the paper life and published it two years, and sold to John W. Martin, and was published as the Herald for six months. Meantime the Dresden Doings, a fortnightly quarto, was established in 1874, by James W. Wheeling, and for a short time Dresden possessed two papers; in September, 1878, the Doings was sold to W. E. Smith, who changed it to a weekly and issued it until 1879. The Dresden Transcript succeeded the Doings, and continues to furnish the news to a paying subscription list.
The Good Citizen was established at Dresden, about 1900, as a four page weekly, with G. E. Stubbins as editor, but became extinct soon after for lack of support from the good citizens it pro- fessed to champion.
About 1880, Edward Spencer established The Telephone, an educational monthly, at Adams- ville, and in 1889 started the Adamsville Register, as a four page, seven column weekly, which was sold in 1892 to E. C. Jordan.
The New Concord Enterprise was established as a home paper, July 22, 1880.
The Federalist was edited at Frazeysburg. about 1875, by C. E. F. Miller, the printing being done at Dresden ; it was a small sheet, and was (liscontinued after a struggle of abont three months. The Midland was started at Frazeys- burg, August 20, 1880, as a five column, eight page paper, devoted to literature, news and local matter, with Rev. C. B. Downs, as managing editor : A. B. Clark, Newark, as assistant editor ; D. H. Lewis as general business manager, but its existence was brief. About 1800 The Fraseys- burg Advertiser made its debut upon the journal-
istic stage, and soon after made its final exit.
The Independent, at Roseville, was established about 1888, by George Stull, as an independent weekly newspaper, and subsequent proprietors were Charles Gibson, -- Ryland, Laura B. Poe, WV. H. Goodlive and a company which later sold to George Stine, who made it a republican organ ; it is an ably edited, handsome paper, in prosperous condition, and possesses a plant of the best char- acter to be found in a rural paper.
The Review at Roseville was established about 1895, by H. C. Williams, who still conducts it as an eight page weekly democratic organ, and like its local cotemporary, is well equipped for news- paper work.
CHAPTER XI.
AMUSEMENTS, COMPRISING: PRIMITIVE AMUSE- MENTS, FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS. KNIGHTS OF IVANHOE, HARRISON BALL, 1840.
PRIMITIVE AMUSEMENTS.
The early settlers were often required to com- bine work and play, and they did it so successfully that although the amusement was rough in com- parison with modern methods it was none the less enjoyable, and was more calculated to produce social pleasures than our ready made style of purchasing amusement at so much per plate or seat. There were no ready made suits in those days, cotton and woolen goods were expensive and spinning and weaving were household ne- cessities and accomplishments ; sheep and flax were raised and the products were mixed to form the "linsey-woolsey" which was worn by both sexes ; young men and women met to scotch the flax, which consisted in breaking the straw and separating the woody matter from the fibre. after which a dance concluded the labor.
Corn huskings, log raisings, hog killing and sausage making were all occasions for merriment, the neighbors joining to assist each other in the work. Sewing carpet rags for the weaver was another opportunity for an evening's enjoyment ; the men cut the strips and the women sewed them into ribbons; the tongue could wag in time with the scissors and needle, and as many hours were given to dancing and games as were spent in the industry, the latter usually beginning during the afternoon so that the time after a "supper" could be devoted to recreation. Sitting up with the dead was not marked by sport, but served to permit the young people to pass a night together in the enjoyment of each others' society in a manner that no other occasion allowed : the low tones in which the conversation was conducted afforded the op- portunities that were frequently availed of to say eventful words.
IIO
PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS.
From almost the birth of the county the resi- dents of Muskingum have recognized the day as one to be observed with special festivities and ceremonies, and in the consumption of explosives, the creation of noise, and indulgence in flights of oratory, they have never been restrained by a fear that the inimitable epigram of John Phoenix might be applied to them that they were "invinci- ble in peace and invisible in war."
The county has too proud and glorious a record to not have the right to celebrate the day with fervor and appreciation, because its sons helped to make the day, and maintain it. Among the pioneers were many impoverished soldiers of the Revolution, ranking from private to brigadier. from the hard contested fields of that prolonged and dispiriting war, whose sufferings and discom- forts in the military camp had hardened them to sustain the privations of the frontier, with pa- tience and perseverance. When the call for men for the second contest with the mother country was issued, Muskingum sent some of her best men to the bloody fields of Missinewa and the then northwest. When President Lincoln's first call for troops to defend the flag was made, Muskingum en- listed a company, and on the third day after the call it was on the cars en route to the National capital, as an integral part of the First Ohio cav- alry, and during that eventful struggle her quota was never unfilled and her sons lie in every field from the Potomac and the Ohio, to the Gulf, and filled every military position from the musket and sabre to the star. When the recent war with Spain occurred she sent a battery of artillery and a company of infantry among the first to report for service. Therefore, the people of Muskingum can consistently rejoice on the natal day of the Republic, for which she has done so much.
In selecting the occasions, to be preserved as historical, the first and the centennial have been chosen as the most prominent ; the former was at- tended by nearly every person in the county ; the latter by a large majority of its citizens.
THE FIRST 4TH OF JULY.
was perhaps the most universally attended of any of the celebrations of the day that have been ob- served ; the county had not yet been formed and the attendance included nearly every person tribu- tary to Zanesville. July 4, 1800, the town contain- ed about half a dozen log cabins ; West Zanesville. or Westbourne, was a much more pretentious place, while South Zanesville, or Natchez, excited the envy of its neighbors by its air of greatness. The two larger settlements could not admit the superiority of the rival as the point at which the
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.