History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 91

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162

USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches > Part 91

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NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.

church there for a time, removed to Evansville, Ind., where he died Nov. 10, 1879, at the age of eighty-two years. His son, Rev. Simeon Siegfried, Jr., died a short time before him. His grandson, Rev. T. J. Siegfried, is now (1881) pastor of a Baptist Church in Conshohocken, Pa.

Nathan Siegfried, who was connected with Alexander Marshall in the publication of the Literary Casket at the Yellow Springs in 1829, was a younger brother of Simeon Siegfried. He afterwards was employed in the office of the Saturday Evening Post, of Philadelphia, and subse- quently became a Baptist clergyman. He is now deceased.

On March 1, 1836, William Jenkins, who had been asso- ciated with Henry S. Evans in the publication of the Waynesburg Press, and with Caleb H. Kinnard in the publication of the American Spectator, in Downingtown, commenced in Coatesville the publication of the General Advertiser and Journal of the Times. It was published by him about two years, when he failed and the publication of the paper ceased. The press and printing materials were purchased by John S. Bowen and Benjamin I. Miller, who in May, 1838, started a newspaper in the interests of that part of the Whig party which advocated a distinct organization. This new venture was called the Coatesville Star, and was edited by John S. Bowen. George Shidell, the foreman in the office, became after a time the owner and publisher. After being conducted in Coatesville about one year, it was removed to West Chester, and the name changed to that of the American Star, and soon thereafter, in June, 1839, Townsend Haines, Esq., became the editor and proprietor. It was printed in an office which stood on the site now oc- cupied by the First National Bank of West Chester, on High Street. The party of which it was the organ advo- cated the formation of an independent county ticket, and the purpose was accomplished. In the autumn of 1839 two tickets were placed in the field, one by those calling themselves the distinctive Whig party, and the other by a union of Whigs and Anti-Masons. The ticket of the distinctive Whigs was formed on a Monday, and that of the Whigs and Anti-Masons combined on a Tuesday. The people, ever fruitful in giving distinctive names, soon dubbed the first the " Monday" Whig ticket, and the other the " Tuesday" Whig ticket. As a consequence of this division of forces the entire Democratic county ticket was elected. The next year the Presidential campaign united the warring factions and consolidated those opposed to the re-election of Van Buren and in favor of the election of Harrison into one party, and the term Anti-Mason was dropped, and the party became known simply as the Whig party. The term " Monday Whig" was long used in speak- ing of the divisions of those days, and is yet occasionally heard in the conversations of our older citizens on past political events.

The publication of the American Star was continued until Aug. 23, 1841, when the establishment was sold by Townsend Haines to Asher M. Wright and Alfred J. Creyon. These gentlemen discontinued the publi- cation of the American Star, and established a new paper, called the Independent Journal and Working- man's Advocate, the first number of which they issued Aug. 31, 1841. The first name, Independent Journal,

having been the title of the paper formerly published in Downingtown by Fairlamb & Plitt, this was called a new series. The Journal was neutral in politics. The publish- ers, however, soon found that in that character it could not be made successful, and on Oct. 4, 1842, they discontinued it and established the Jeffersonian in the interests of the Democratic party.

On Sept. 5, 1843, John Hodgson commenced the publi- cation of the West Chester Herald. It was published, however, but one month, and on Oct. 3, 1843, was united with the Jeffersonian. The latter paper had at that time been suspended five months, but was resuscitated, and on the union with the Herald the publication was resumed, under the title of the Jeffersonian and Democratic Her- ald,-the latter name as a sub-title,-and published by John Hodgson and Asher M. Wright. Mr. Wright's con- nection with the paper ceased in February, 1845, and John Hodgson was sole proprietor from that time until 1866, when he was succeeded by his son, William H. Hodgson, who is still at the helm. The Jeffersonian through all the vicissitudes of parties has been a Democratic paper.

On Nov. 19, 1872, Mr. Hodgson commenced the publi- cation of the Daily Local News, the first daily paper cs- tablished in West Chester, which is still published. It is neutral in politics, and is edited by Wilmer W. Thomson.

The Jeffersonian was published for several years in the basement of the building east of the Mansion House, on Market Street, where its predecessor, the Independent Journal, has also had its home. It was removed from there to its present location, on the west side of High Street, south of Market, about the year 1860.

The year 1829 saw the rise of two weekly papers in the interest of the Anti-Masonic party, then becoming a power in the county. The first was called the Anti-Masonic Regis- ter, and was established by Joseph Painter in West Chester on the 1st of October, 1829. The second was called the Anti-Masonic Examiner, and was started in Coatesville by Dr. John D. Perkins very shortly thereafter. There was not room, however, for both these papers to receive a living support, and in September, 1831, Joseph Painter purchased the Examiner from Dr. Perkins and united it with his own, giving it the title of the Anti-Masonic Register and Chester County Examiner. The Anti-Masonic party cul- minated in the election of Joseph Ritner to be Governor of Pennsylvania, and soon after the close of his administra- tion the name ceased to be used as that of a distinct politi- cal party, and its fortunes were united with the Whig party.

Mr. Painter, in January, 1836, dropped the distinctive title from his paper, and thereafter called it the Register and Examiner. He continued to publish it until Jan. 1, 1851, when he sold it to John S. Bowen and James M. Meredith, both of whom were members of the Chester County bar. They greatly enlarged and improved it, and sought to make it a successful paper, but, it not proving a remunerative investment, it was in 1854 sold to Henry S. Evans. He continued the publication of it for a short time as the Register and Examiner, in the name of Willian Baker & Co., but it soon became absorbed into the Village Record, which from that time became semi-weekly, under

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the name of the Village Record and Register and Exam- iner. The title of Register and Examiner was, however, soon dropped.

Bowen & Meredith also published the Pennsylvania Farm Journal. Prior to the sale of the Register and Examiner to Henry S. Evans, they had dissolved partner- ship, Mr. Bowen becoming sole proprietor of the Register and Examiner, and Mr. Meredith of the Pennsylvania Farm Journal. The latter periodical was subsequently removed by Mr. Meredith to Philadelphia, and its publica- tion continued there.

The office of the Register and Examiner was first at the southeast corner of New and Market Streets, where it re- mained about a year. It was removed from there to a frame building on the south side of Market Street, east of the Mansion House. After a time this building was re- moved to the north side of Market Street, a short distance west of Church, and continued to be occupied by the print- ing-office until it was torn down and another building erected on its site. The office was then removed to the south side of Market Street, between Church and Darling- ton, and thence to the south side of Market, between Church and Iligh, where it remained until the paper was sold to H. S. Evans and united with the Village Record.

Henry Bosee, on his retirement from the American Re- publican, in 1853, projected the Independent Herald, the publication of which he commenced on Jan. 1, 1854, in West Chester. He published it one year, and then sold it to Lewis Marshall, who conducted it from Jan. 1, 1855, until May 1, 1856, with William Whitehead as associate editor one year of that time. William L. and Edwin F. James then became proprietors, and published it from May 1, 1856, to Feb. 6, 1857, under the name of the Independ- ent Herald and Free American, when they disposed of it to Samuel R. Downing and John J. Pinkerton. These gentlemen conducted it under the same name until April 25, 1857, when they changed it to the Chester County Times. On March 20, 1858, Mr. Pinkerton retired, and Mr. Downing became sole editor and proprietor. On Ang. 1, 1858, E. W. Capron became editor, Mr. Downing re- maining the proprietor. The paper was a weekly from its commencement until July 9, 1861, when it became semi- weekly, under the title of the Chester County Semi- Weekly Times. On Jan. 1, 1863, the Times was sold by Mr. Downing to George W. Pearce, and consolidated by him with the American Republican, which he was then publishing.

The Herald was started in the building which had been occupied by the Register and Examiner, on the south side of Market Street, between Church and Darlington. It was after a time removed to the room over the present office of William E. Barber, where it and its successor, the Chester County Times, remained until the latter was sold to the Republican.

In December, 1836, Jason M. Mahan, who resided in Sadsbury township, and was engaged in the silk-culture, then becoming quite popular, projected the Silk- Grower's Instructor and Farmer's Friend. It was an octavo pam- phlet of sixteen pages, and was issued monthly ; but instruc- tion in silk-growing did not seem to be sufficiently in de-

mand to warrant its publication, and only a few numbers were printed.

About 1836, when the controversy between the Coloni- zationists and Abolitionists was engaging the attention of the people, a paper called the Colonization Herald was started in Coatesville, but only a few numbers were issued. The publisher was a gentleman by the name of Walton.

In 1839 a temperance paper called The Bee was pub- lished in West Chester, under the editorial supervision of Cyrus P. Painter and others. It was printed at the office of the Register and Examiner, and ran about six months.

About 1847, Caleb N. Thornbury commenced the pub- lication in West Chester of a paper devoted to the temper- ance cause, called the Crystal Fountain, which was pub- lished about one year.

On tlie 6th of October, 1846, Samuel Moses and John Lewis commenced the publication of the Phoenix Gazette, the earliest attempt at journalism in Phoenixville. It was a weekly sheet, and in its local and editorial columns dis- played both zeal and ability. After an experience of two months in journalistic management, Moses sold his interest to Benjamin P. Davis and withdrew.

About this time Bayard Taylor and Frederick E. Fos- ter, the former of whom had recently returned from his first trip to Europe, had made arrangements to issue a weekly newspaper in Chester County, which they contem- plated establishing in West Chester. Through the repre- sentations of friends they were induced to change its loca- tion to Phoenixville, in the belief that they would find greater mail facilities and equal opportunities for obtaining a circulation. They purchased the Gazette, and issued, Dec. 29, 1846, the first number of the Phoenixville Pio- neer, a journal of decided literary ability, but the pecuniary success of which did not equal the anticipations of its edi- tors. Taylor left it Jan. 4, 1848, and became an assistant editor of the New York Tribune, and Foster, in conjunc- tion with S. L. Hughes, continued its publication until Feb. 21, 1849, which was the date of the last number.

After the publication of the Pioneer had ceased, the Phoenix Ledger and the Iron Man had each a short and uneventful existence . during the years 1849 and 1850. The Ledger was published by Messrs. Hughes & Greene; and with the Iron Man, A. J. H. Duganne, a poet of con- siderable reputation, was associated.

On the 4th of April, 1857, John Royer and his son, John H. Royer, issued the first number of the Weekly Phoenix, which name was subsequently changed to the Phoenix, and then to the Independent Phoenix. In 1871 the paper passed into the hands of Vosburg N. Shaffer, who changed the name to that of the Phoenixville Inde- pendent. Mr. Shaffer, in addition to the weekly edition, publishes also a daily, called the Daily Independent.

In 1860, Col. J. H. Puleston started the Pennsylvania Guardian ; but in 1861, having been appointed by Governor A. G. Curtin, State agent for Pennsylvania at Washington, he abandoned the effort and removed to that city. He now resides in England, and is a member of Parliament.

The next journalistic attempt in Phoenixville was made by Wilmer W. Thomson. His first publication was Everybody's Business, an advertising sheet circulated free

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of charge. The first number was issued Oct. 17, 1868, and the paper was published weekly for a period of three months. He then, on Jan. 23, 1869, established the Legal Tender, which was, until Aug. 21, 1869, an adver- tising sheet. It then became a regular subscription heb- domadal, and was published by Price & Thomson about seven months, when its publication ceased. Mr. Thomson soon thereafter became editor of the West Chester Daily Local News, and still continues at his post. He is a gen- tleman whose talent in the use of both pen and pencil has won for him deserved reputation.

In 1870 the Phoenixville Republican was projected by John Pawling, but only one number of the paper was issued.

In January, 1871, David Euen and Hadley Lamborn established the Messenger. In February, 1873, they dis- posed of it to John O. K. Robarts, by whom it has since been published. It is now called the Phoenixville Messen- ger, and is a well-edited weekly sheet of large size.

The Phoenix Journal is a weekly paper, published by Frank M. Yeager. It dates from April, 1873.

Henry L. Brinton was the pioneer printer in Oxford, and commenced business there in 1861. He established the Oxford Press, the initial number of which was issued Feb. 14, 1866. On Jan. 1, 1870, he sold a half-interest in the paper to George D. Hayes, and it was conducted by Brinton & Hayes until 1871, when he sold his other half- interest to E. Howard Rollins, and the firm became George D. Hayes & Co. Sept. 1, 1875, Rollins sold his half-inter- est to John I. Moore and R. Frank Cochran, the firm- name remaining unchanged, and they in turn, in March, 1876, sold it to Henry L. Brinton, the original proprietor, and the paper has since that time been conducted by Hayes & Brinton as editors and proprietors. It is independent in politics, of high moral tone, and is well sustained.

The Farmers' Club, a monthly journal, devoted to the interests of agriculture, was published by Franklin P. Le- fevre, in Oxford, from October, 1871, for about three years.

The Oxford Republican was published by George C. Stroman & Co. from March 28, 1874, to July 25, 1874. It was issued weekly.

The Oxford News had a very brief existence. It ap- peared and vanished

" Like the lightning, that doth cease to be Ere one can say it lightens !"

Kennet Square, although quite a village in the days of the Revolution, and situated in the midst of an intelligent community, was without a newspaper until 1855. On the 21st of July of that year B. F. Coles issued the first num- ber of the Kennet Square Free Press, a five-column folio, nineteen by twenty-six inches. The printing materials had been procured the previous winter in Media, and conveyed to Kennet Square on a sled, and a jobbing-office had been conducted for some months previous to the publication of the paper. The prospectus announced that the Free Press would be devoted to literature and local news, and the initial number contained a poem by Bayard Taylor and sketches of Scandinavia, with translations from Hans Chris-

tian Andersen, by Barelay Pennock. The paper was edited by Dr. Franklin Taylor, who, with Barclay Pennock, ac- companied Bayard Taylor on his first visit to Europe,-the visit so graphically described in " Views Afoot; or, Europe secn with Knapsack and Staff." The paper was, for the times, well printed and conducted with rare ability. On the 16th of October, 1855, D. J. Godshalk became asso- ciated with Coles in its publication. After a time the publication of the paper ceased.

On Jan. 14, 1871, the first number of the Weekly Leader was issued at Kennet Square by H. M. Worth & Co. as publishers, and Swithin C. Shortlidge as editor. It was a seven-column folio, twenty-three by thirty-six inches, and soon attained a considerable circulation. In July, 1872, it was increased to a nine-column folio, and was published semi-weekly by the "Leader Association," a Saturday edition being issued at Kennet Square, under the title of the Kennet Leader, and a Wednesday edition at Oxford, called the Oxford Leader, the first number of which was issued March 20, 1872. The journal was devoted mainly to local news, and was Republican in politics until the Presi- dential campaign of 1872, when it advocated the election of Horace Greeley. The editorial management of the paper was above that usually attained by local journals, and it enjoyed a deserved popularity until the business depression of 1872-73 began to be felt in all departments of trade, when, the Leader Association becoming financially involved, the publication of the paper was suspended, in February, 1873. The effects of the two offices were sold in March of the same year, and were purchased by Joseph Short- lidge.

In April, 1873, the Kennet Leader was resuscitated by William W. Polk, an attaché of the office, then under age, and conducted by him until July of the same year, when, finding the business was not remunerative, he abandoned it.

Kennet Square was then without a journal until Janu- ary, 1877, when Theodore D. Hadley and J. Frank Hol- ton commenced the publication of the Kennet News and Advertiser, a six-column folio, seventeen by thirty-two inches. The paper was neutral in politics and devoted to local and general news, and soon attained a good eirculation. On the 1st of July of the same year Mr. Holton withdrew, and Mr. Hadley assumed the entire control, enlarged the paper to a seven-column folio, twenty-four by thirty-eight inches, and still condnets it.

On the 4th of August, 1877, the first number of the Kennet Advance, a weekly paper, was issued by William W. Polk and William H. Phillips, with Mr. Polk as editor. It was a seven-column folio, twenty-four by thirty-eight inches, Republican in politics, and especially devoted to the collation of home news. On the 1st of June, 1878, Mr. Polk purchased the interest of Mr. Phillips, and soon thereafter enlarged the paper to an eight-column folio, twenty-six by forty inches. It is still edited and published by him.

Dr. Edmund C. Evans edited and published the Rural Economist in West Chester for one year,-from April, 1861, to April 1, 1862. It was a monthly of thirty-two pages, and was devoted to agriculture, horticulture, and rural affairs.

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The American Stock Journal, a thirty-two-page octavo monthly, was founded by Nelson P. Boyer & Co. at Gum Tree village, in Highland township, in September, 1864. In 1868 the office of publication was removed to Parkes- burg, where they continued to publish it until about June, 1871, after which it was published at the same place by the American Stock Journal Company, Robert A. Young manager, until January, 1875, when the office was pur- chased by Potts Brothers. The Journal was suspended by the purchasers until October, 1875, when it was revived by them and published until December, 1878, and then dis- continued.

The Parkesburg Herald was established by Robert A. Young in January, 1874, and published by him one year, when it was purchased by A. H. Potts & Co., and the name changed to that of the Chester County Times, under which title they have published it weekly to the present time. The Herald was a four-page, five-column weekly. The Times is now a four-page, eight-column weekly.

The Ray was founded by Rev. J. L. Landis in August, 1877, and has been published monthly at Parkesburg since that time.

The Farmers' Magazine, a monthly farm and poultry journal of sixteen pages, is published at Parkesburg by Potts Brothers. It dates from March, 1880.

The Parkesburg Trade Journal is a four-page monthly, published by H. M. Bowman. It was commenced in 1880.

The Chester County Times Printing and Publishing House of A. H. Potts & Co., at Parkesburg, is extensively engaged in printing papers and journals which are pub- lished at various other points.

The Chester Valley Union, a large, non-partisan weekly, published in Coatesville, was established in June, 1863. It is edited by William J. Kauffman and Joseph C. Kauff- man, and published by the former.

The Chester County Farmer, a monthly agricultural journal, was established at Coatesville in 1879 by Joseph C. Kauffman.

The Weekly Times is published in Coatesville. It was started by William R. Ash, Esq., in 1879, and after being conducted by him one year, it was disposed of to the pres- ent proprietor, C. F. Jenkins.

A paper called the Coatesville Times had been published previously for about two years.

The American Stock Journal, formerly published at Parkesburg, is now (1880) published at Coatesville by N. P. Boyer & Co.

In August, 1866, Joshua Kames, at the head of a com- bination known as the " Journal Company," commenced in Downingtown the publication of the Chester County Jour- nal, with Joseph Pepper as manager. On Aug. 29, 1868, Mr. Pepper became its proprietor. It was subsequently owned for a short time by Potter & Cordery, and was after- wards managed for a period by W. H. Hineline, and he was succeeded by William S. Kames. It was a large and enterprising paper and well edited, but becoming unprofit- able, the publication ceased in 1873.

The Downingtown Independent was established Sept. 25, 1873, by Potter & Cordery. It was a neat and spirited sheet and promised success, but, the senior partner dying,

Cordery sold the paper to Professor F. Dunleavy Long, and he again to a Mr. Cochran, who in turn sold to Harry L. Skeen in November, 1874. In January, 1875, the name was changed to the Chester County Archive, an odd but very suggestive title. Mr. Skeen still continues at the helm.

The Commercial Advertiser was a four-page monthly of eight columns each, published in West Chester by James P. Taylor and F. S. Hickman from August, 1867, to Au- gust, 1868,-one year.

The Spring City Sun, a weekly. paper, was established in 1872, by John H. Royer, the present editor and pro- prietor. Mr. Royer was formerly connected with the In- dependent Phoenix, of Phoenixville.

The Green Tree and Malvern Item is published weekly at the Green Tree Station, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, in Willistown township, by Herbert L. Gill, by whom it was established Nov. 30, 1878. Mr. Gill is a son of ex-Sheriff Davis Gill.

In the autumn of 1876, William Nesbit commenced the publication at Kimbleville of a paper called the Item, which ran about two years. He then started there the Register, which was for a time a semi-monthly, and then became a weekly. Its publication ceased some time in 1879, and the publisher removed to Philadelphia, and soon thereafter died.

The Honeybrook Graphic, a weekly paper, was estab- lished at Honeybrook (formerly Waynesburg), Feb. 15, 1879, by J. Henry Long, and conducted by him until August 8th of the same year, when he disposed of it to Jesse I. Dauman, who has since then been editor and proprietor. Mr. Dauman has had a job printing-office at Honeybrook since April, 1869.

The Chester County Democrat is published in West Chester. The first number was issued Sept. 11, 1879. It was published by J. Henry Long and George R. Guss, under the firm-name of J. Henry Long & Co., until September, 1880, when Mr. Guss purchased the interest of Mr. Long, and has since been the sole proprietor. It is, as its name in- dicates, an organ of the Democratic party. It is the second paper bearing that name that has been published in Chester County. The first has been already referred to as having been commenced in Downingtown in 1830, and united with the American Republican in 1833.

The Day Spring, a weekly paper, devoted to temper- ance, literature, and general news, was commenced at New London in March, 1853, by Edward E. Orvis. Soon afterwards John Larkin became associated with Mr. Orvis in the printing business and as one of the editors, and the paper was published by them until Oct. 29, 1853, when it was sold to Pearsol & Geist, of the Saturday Express, a temperance paper published at Lancaster.

Mr. Orvis also conducted at New Loudon the Christian Union and Religious Review, a monthly periodical of thirty-two pages, in pamphlet form, devoted to the interests of the religious denomination called by themselves the Disciples, more familiarly known as the Campbellites, from Alexander Campbell, who was a leading minister among them. Mr. Orvis was a minister of that denomina- tion, and had charge of a church near New London. This perodical was published from about 1853 to 1856.

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History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 91

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162