USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Volume One > Part 33
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The first medical man to settle here was Dr. J. C. Wallace, whose entry to the county work was unexpected, and without results. He was hurriedly sent for to attend General Anthony Wayne at Erie in Decem- ber of 1796; and hurrying through the forests was met at Franklin with the news of the death of his friend on December 15, 1796, in the little block-house on the hill at the Garrison Grounds. He, however, was at- tracted to the town, and arranged to make it his home. He did so, and became one of the foremost men of the town, and of the county, as well as a most distinguished physician and surgeon. Dr. John Culbertson Wallace was a man we are proud to notice. In 1811 a second medical man arrived and settled in Eagle Village, now South Erie. This was Dr. Plara Thayer, followed soon after by his brother, Dr. Albert Thayer. Dr. Asa Coltrin followed them about 1815, and then came Dr. Peter Christie, a surgeon in the U. S. Navy. In 1822 came Dr. William Johns, and in 1825 Drs. Taber Beebe and Elijah Beebe. Dr. Peter Faulkner came to Eagle Village in 1825, and his two sons later followed their
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father in his profession at Erie; both of them will be remembered by some of our older people as Dr. William Faulkner and Dr. Robert Faulk- ner. Almost with Dr. Faulkner came Dr. Jacob Vosburg, and Dr. San- ford Dickinson came in from Wattsburg in 1840.
At North East Dr. James Smedley appeared at a very early day, and Dr. Ira Sherwin settled at Harborcreek in 1825, Dr. W. T. Bradley at Wesleyville in 1840, Dr. Rufus Hills at Girard, Dr. M. C. Kellogg at Erie, and later in Albion. Drs. Reuben Brinker, Daniel D. Franklin, Manhattan Pickett, D. C. Storer, Henry S. Tanner and others at Corry; Drs. John W. Jarvis, P. P. Fisher and D. R. Waggoner, at Mckean; Drs. Samuel F. Chapin, G. Thickstun, William C. Tracy, and D. T. Bennett, at Watts- burg; Drs. M. A. Millard and M. D. Satterlee at Fairview; Drs. T. J. Kellogg, A. G. Ely, A. R. Smith, I. N. Taylor and Helen M. Weeks, at Girard; Drs. O. L. Abbey, James F. Read, Stephen R. Davis, Mrs. Stephen R. Davis, Curtis B. Goucher, L. D. Rockwell, Alfred C. Sherwood and others at Union City; Drs. James Smedley, John K. Griffin, L. G. Hall, A. B. Heard, D. D. Loop, Burton H. Putnam, A. J. Sears, George B. Still- . man, and Mullin A. Wilson, with others, at North East; Drs. P. D. Flower, O. Logan and James Skeels, at Albion; Drs. T. W. Barton, John W. Bowman, Frank L. Clemens and others at Waterford; Drs. George Ellis, John Ross, Ransom C. Sloan, Joseph R. Hewett, O. O. Blakeslee, Lamarr V. Knapp, Charles N. Moore and others at Springfield; Drs. G. W. Wilson, William P. Biles, John H. Kirk and others at Mill Village; Drs. Henry R. Terry, Willard Greenfield, Truman Hawkins, S. B. Hotch- kiss, George M. Cole, Joseph C. Wilson and others at Edinboro; H. R. Hayes, Amity Township; Johnson Wright, Franklin Township; Barker A. Skinner, Elgin; J. L. Bennett, East Greene; George Wright, Lock- port; M. B. Cook, Harborcreek; W. V. Blakeslee, Concord Township; James G. Leffingwell, Miles Grove (now North Girard) ; M. M. Moore, Wesleyville; Martin V. B. Johnson, Wellsburg; Mary Steward, Wellsburg; Drs. Battles and J. W. Lloyd, at Westminster. Many others besides the above are as well entitled to notice.
The first Medical Society in the county was organized in 1829; it was succeeded by the present one named Erie County Medical Society, estab- lished in 1841. The Homeopathic Medical Society was organized July 1, 1891.
Homeopathy was introduced into this county by Dr. Bianchini, an Italian, about 1840. Dr. Nelson Seymour came soon after, followed by
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the conversion of Dr. Peter Faulkner from the allopathic to the homeo- pathic system of medicine, and his son Robert followed in his footsteps.
Several of our Erie County medical men have attained something of honor and celebrity in the service of their fellowmen. Dr. E. W. Ger- mer was a notable example in the public service he gave Erie City, and incidentally the county at large, as the first health officer under the newly created office. He took a wonderful interest in the public health, and in the means to promote it. To the people of his day he was regarded as eccentric and arbitrary where health matters were involved; but he usually found the means of carrying out his wishes, which have been largely followed in more recent times. Dr. Charles Brandes, who was a noted practitioner in the period of the Civil War; David N. Dennis, Dr. Ira Dunn, and O. M. Shreve, who specialize in eye and ear work. Dr. J. E. Silliman, of the older school of doctors, still maintains a fore- most place among his people, having also served on the State Board of Medical Examiners; Dr. George A. Reed, who has repeatedly headed the County Medical Society, the Erie City Board of Health, served on commissions for various objects, and is now serving his second appoint- ment as a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Asylum at North Warren.
Dr. John S. Carter and Dr. P. Hall, became manufacturing druggists; the former concocting Carter's Smartweed Extract, the latter Dr. P. Hall's Catarrah Balm and kindred remedies. Both names became widely known over the land.
Dentists did not appear in the county at so very early a day, so far as we are able to learn. When they did come, it was with the old fash- ioned instruments, the cork-screw pullers, hammers and chisels, which were then deemed the correct thing in dental surgery. And by the way, they were then called "Surgeon Dentists," and the first of the sect were Drs. W. C. Bunnell, M. Chapin, O. L. Elliott and W. E. Magill. Later research has very much refined the methods then in vogue, and with modern methods, systematic registration, and specialized training, the dentist of this county, and of the country at large, takes his place with members of any of the other learned professions.
CHAPTER XXVII
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
FIRST NEWSPAPERS-MIRROR, NORTHERN SENTINEL, GENIUS OF THE LAKES- GAZETTE, DISPATCH, HERALD, TIMES, OBSERVER-EARLY NEWSPAPERMEN -"RIPPER" PAPER-COUNTY NEWSPAPERMEN.
This county has always been in the front rank of counties of its class, in the matter of its news publications. Not all of the news ven- tures have survived, it is true, but the people have always been well supplied with news well collected, edited and creditably published. Our local editorial writers, too, have kept full pace with the requirements of their age, and many of these have been graduated into larger fields of usefulness in this and in other states.
The Mirror was the first newspaper published in this county, so far as we have been able to learn. It was established in 1808 by Mr. George Wyeth, and was announced as a "Federal Constitutional-Republican." Perhaps the editor and the readers of that day may have fully under- stood its field of usefulness from that title, but readers of this genera- tion will be somewhat perplexed to grasp the significance of that name. It was published at $2.00 per annum, and was ten by sixteen inches in size. It did not long endure, and was supplanted in 1812 by the Northern Sentinel, published by Mr. R. J. Curtis; this paper in 1816 became The Genius of the Lakes, with John Morris as publisher and R. J. Curtis as its editor. This paper continued here under the names of The Phoenix, and later as The Reflector, but in 1820 its publishers removed it to May- ville, N. Y., where its decease soon took place.
In 1818 Mr. Zeba Willis founded the Patriot, which, after a year of publication at Erie, was removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where it later be- came the Cleveland-Herald and still later the well known Cleveland- Leader.
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The three best known and probably best-loved papers of the older times were The Gazette, founded Jan. 15, 1820, by Joseph M. Sterrett; the Observer, established May 29, 1830, by a group of Masonic Order gentlemen as an answer to the stand taken by the Gazette, and was used in support of Andrew Jackson for President; and the Dispatch, which was started in Waterford in 1851 by Joseph S. M. Young, and by reason of its active partisanship of those in Erie who opposed the purpose of the railroads here to standardize the guage of their roadbeds, became known as "A Ripper Paper," and the influence of the "Rippers" induced its pub- lisher to remove it to Erie in 1856.
The Erie Gazette .- The old Erie Gazette is recalled by our older people with much affection. Mr. Sterrett was a man close to the people, and succeeded in making his paper a member of the families into which it entered. It was 17 by 21 inches in size when first issued, and its place of publication was a small log building on the west side of French Street, the second lot north of Fifth Street. Some of the men who were asso- ciated with this paper from time to time were James Buchanan (who did not act as President of the United States, although having the same in- alienable right to the office as the man who did), J. Hoge Waugh, John Riddell, John Shaner 1835-42, J. P. Cochran and George W. Riblet 1842 to 1845 when Mr. Sterrett returned to it; and on Sept. 10, 1846, Mr. I. B. Gara was induced to join him as its editor, continuing until May 3, 1865, when Mr. Samuel A. Davenport became its owner, publishing it until June 5, 1873, when he sold it to Mr. F. A. Crandall. While Mr. Daven- port owned it he had, amongst other editors on it, Messrs. E. L. Clark, John R. Graham, R. Lyle White, James Hendricks, and B. F. McCarty. Mr. W. G. Mckean purchased it from Mr. Crandall Feb. 1, 1882. It later became merged, and finally lost its identity, in the Dispatch. But while it lived its name was a household word throughout the county.
The Erie Observer .- In 1829 considerable anti-Masonic feeling arose which was sponsored or led by the old Gazette. The Masonic fraternity had no publication here with which to voice their sentiments. In con- sequence a number of the Masonic order, including P. S. V. Hamot, Daniel Dobbins, Joshua Beers, Robert Cochran, Smith Jackson, Edwin J. Kelso and others, threw into a common enterprise and established a paper in opposition to the Gazette. They named it The Erie Weekly Observer. It first saw the light May 29, 1830, in the second story of a building which
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then stood upon the northwest corner of Fifth and French streets, but two doors from where the Gazette was born. Amongst its publishers and editors were T. B. Barnum, followed by H. L. Harvey, in 1832; Thomas Laird in 1837; Hiram A. Beebe in the spring of 1839; J. M. Kues- ter and W. Mckinstry in 1840. Shortly after the courts took a hand in run- ning it by appointing E. D. Gunnison as its receiver, with Mr. William A. Galbraith acting for a time as its editor. Messrs. A. P. Durlin and B. F. Sloan secured this paper in May of 1843, who achieved very fair suc- cess with it until Mr. Durbin withdrew on Jan. 26, 1856, Mr. M. M. Moore taking his place with Mr. Sloan. Mr. Moore continued until Jan. 1, 1859, and Mr. Sloan disposed of the paper Jan. 1, 1861, to Andrew Hopkins, the brother of Hon. James H. Hopkins then of Pittsburg. On Jan. 17, 1862, Messrs. Benjamin Whitman and James I. Brecht obtained it, who con- tinued until April 1, 1865, when Mr. Brecht retired, leaving Mr. Whit- man, who continued the paper until Dec. 1, 1878, when Robert B. Brown came from the Clarion Democrat to become its owner. Mr. Brown started publishing it as a daily on Oct. 15, 1881. It continued until Mr. F. S. Phelps became its publisher, and during a period of 67 years it was the leading Democratic mouthpiece in this part of the state. When Mr. Phelps went to the Times, a new paper in Erie, the old Observer, with its daughter, the Sunday Graphic, were suspended.
The Dispatch .- The Dispatch, founded in 1851 at Waterford by Mr. Joseph S. M. Young, was removed to Erie in 1856 at the instance of the "Anti-Railroad" men of Erie, and was their clamorous mouthpiece dur- ing those strenuous days. Succeeding a fire which consumed the plant shortly after its establishment in Erie, funds were raised by its friends and supporters and a new outfit secured for Mr. Young, which was much superior to any of the equipment possessed by the other newspaper pub- lishers in Erie. February 1, 1864, Mr. Young's foreman, Mr. B. F. H. Lynn took over the plant, improved it, and on May 22, 1864, commenced the publication of a daily edition, which it is believed has been regularly published ever since. Mr. Lynn's management resulted in a sheriff's sale of the property after a few years, and some of the later publishers were S. Todd Perley, Azro Groff, W. P. Atkinson; Willard, Redway & Cook, in 1869; Willard, Redway & Seaman, in 1872; Willard and Brewer, on January 1, 1874; Willard, Brewer and Hooker, in April, 1877; Mr. Willard retired his other partners Sept. 3, 1878, and in May, 1883, Messrs. Camp, Belknap and Johnson of North East were associated with him in
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its publication. Eventually it was acquired by Mr. Charles H. Strong, who placed it upon a most substantial basis as a real newspaper venture. It has lately become consolidated with the Erie Herald and the two papers have become the Erie Dispatch-Herald. In November, 1924, Mr. Strong disposed of his interests in the combined papers to his business manager, Mr. John H. Strong, a western newspaper man, who became its owner and publisher. The Dispatch was originally independent, but since about 1860, it has been an ardent supporter of the principles of the Republican party.
The Erie Herald .- The Erie Herald was established in 1878, by William L. Scott to voice the principles of the Democratic party, which at that time was practically without a local spokesman amongst the newspa- pers. For many years Mr. Nelson Baldwin guided the course of this paper true to the Democratic faith, and it became a well known paper in this region. Later Mrs. Annie W. S. Strong became its owner and publisher, and when Mr. Baldwin retired from its wheel-house, he was succeeded by Mr. Samuel E. Holley, who had an able assistant in Mr. William D. Kinney. This paper lately was merged with the Dispatch, and is now published with that paper as the Erie Dispatch-Herald.
The Erie Daily Times .- In 1888, nine union printers found them- selves out of work because their unions had decreed a strike. Not con- tent to await the outcome of the strike, as most union printers were then doing, they looked about for something to do that would pay expenses until something better turned up. This resulted in their determination to start a new paper. They were all but out of funds, and it became necessary to do all of the work of collecting the news, editing and proof reading, as well as securing advertising patrons, themselves. They did manage in some way or other to secure sufficient type for their enter- prise and finding a back room in a basement which they could finance, the business started and a new evening paper was launched. Some of the original members of the project soon became discouraged and left it, but John J. Mead and Jacob F. Liebel clung to it through all of its early troubles, and in 1890 new blood and enterprise were added when they secured Messrs. J. H. Kelly, John Miller and D. S. (Dock) Crawford. As fast as practicable new equipment was secured, new departments added, the job department was discarded, and the venture became a sub- stantial business enterprise in the county. The members had then long ceased setting type themselves, and carting the forms to a small job
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office in their neighborhood. They secured linotype machines of the lat- est pattern, displaced their old presses with more modern ones, and today their new plant on West Tenth Street in the City of Erie is one of the most modern places for newspaper publication purposes to be found anywhere In 1894 the Sunday Graphic and Weekly Observer which were then pub- lished by Mr. F. S. Phelps, were absorbed by the Times, and Mr. Phelps became the managing editor. It has been Republican in principle, and vigorous in its news treatment. The Times Publishing Company, a cor- poration, is now one of the recognized business establishments of the city, and has one of the best equipped newspaper plants in the county. John J. Mead, Sr., the president of the company, is one of the veterans of journalism in this section.
Other Papers and Periodicals .- Many other periodicals, daily and weekly papers, and some technical journals, have been launched in this county from time to time; some of them have had a somewhat hectic existence and then gave up the ghost; while others have languished for a time and either silently passed away, or have secured new life and blood and have re-organized into papers which have served the purpose of their inauguration more or less perfectly. The following will be found a convenient list of those which have come to our attention:
Erie Chronicle, 1840, by Samuel Perley, Whig in politics, moved to Girard.
Commercial Advertisers, 1846, J. P. Cohran, A. H. Caughey, J. B. Johnson, in 1852, became the Constitution, opposed the "Rippers" or Anti-railroad men in the unsavory railroad war of 1855.
True American, 1853, Compton and Moore, an Abolition paper, un- til 1861.
The Express, 1857, E. C. Goodrich, Democratic, merged into True American.
Daily Bulletin, 1861, had a brief existence.
Unsere World, 1851, founded by Carl Benson, became Frie Presse 1860, was discontinued in 1868. It was a Whig and Republican.
Zuschauer (Spectator), 1852, Mr. Schuefflen, purchased by C. Moeser in 1855, and by E. E. Stuerznickel in 1861; by Mr. F. G. Gorenflo on Jan. 1, 1877, who achieved a partner in Mr. F. W. Dahlman in May, 1883. It was originally Democratic, but during the Civil War it became Republican.
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Weekly Leuchtthurm, 1860, Baetzel and Atkinson, purchased in 1873 by Merhoff and Wallenhorst, Otto Luedicke admitted to its partner- ship in April, 1875; the firm was succeeded in 1879 by Merhoff, Boyer and Rastatter; John F. Boyer became sole proprietor in 1880; leased to Mr. Otto Luedicke, Oct. 1, 1882.
The Jornal de Noticias (General News), was probably the first paper in the country printed in the Portugese language, and for some time the only one. Established Oct. 27, 1877 by A. M. and John M. Vincent, was independent in politics.
The Daily Republican, 1867, existed for about three years.
White's Bulletin, 1874.
Argus, May, 1875, was a consolidation of the Union City Times and the Corry Republican published in Erie as a weekly and daily, survived but a few months.
Lake City Daily, a penny paper, 1878, lasted about one year. It had the distinction of being founded by three graduates of the Erie High School (Woods, Constable & Co.).
The Sonntagsgast (Sunday Guest), May 15, 1881, Frank Weiss and Company, independent in politics.
Gazetta (Italian) is independent in politics, is published weekly on Saturdays.
Illustrated Erie Chronicle, Local Affairs, is published monthly.
Labor Press, a Socialist paper, is published at Erie weekly on Sat- urdays.
Tageblatt, a Republican Daily, is published at Erie in the German language.
National Zietung, is a German Weekly, and Republican in politics.
Erie County Farm Bureau News, is an agricultural monthly issued at Erie in the interests of the farmers and fruit growers, sponsored by the Farm Bureau organization.
Erie County Law Journal, Lytle F. Perry, owner and publisher, issued weekly at Erie, and is the official court paper of the county. In it will be found all of the legal advertisements ordered by the courts, together with interesting cases disposed of in court.
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Christian Home and School, is a Roman Catholic religious weekly published at Erie.
Lake Shore Visitor, is also a Roman Catholic religious weekly issued at Erie.
The Cosmopolite-Herald, is a Republican weekly issued at Girard.
North East Breeze and Advertiser, is a consolidation of the North East Advertiser and the North East Breeze, is a Republican weekly pub- lished on Fridays in North East.
The North East Sun, is the oldest paper published in North East, founded by the Cushmans and still owned and published by them. It is a Republican weekly issued on Saturdays.
Union City Times-Enterprise is a consolidation of the two Union City papers, the Times and the Enterprise. It is an Independent semi- weekly issued on Mondays and Thursdays.
Edinboro Independent, was originally a booster newspaper for the Normal school at that place. It is now a Democratic weekly published on Thursdays.
Waterford Leader, is an old publication of that town. It is a Repub- lican weekly, published on Thursdays.
The Albion News, is a Republican weekly published on Thursdays.
Some Newspaper Men of this County .- Joseph M. Sterrett, founder of the Erie Gazette Jan. 15, 1820, became County Commissioner in 1829, serving until 1831; he was State Senator, 1837 to 1841; Associate Judge of this county from 1850 to 1856; and was postmaster at Erie from 1861 to 1869. He died at Erie in 1888.
George W. Riblet became a Director of the Poor from 1878 until 1881.
Horace Greeley, was a native of Vermont. He worked for a time on the old Erie Gazette (1830-1831), when the call to larger news fields led him to New York, where he soon became the proprietor and publisher of the New York Tribune, a paper which acquired a national reputation, and was a most staunch advocate of abolition during and prior to the Civil War.
Isaac B. Gara, a native of Lancaster County, came here and edited the Gazette in September, 1846. His was the true newspaper instinct. At the age of 19 he had been connected with the publishing and editing
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of a Whig paper in eastern Pennsylvania. He was actively identified with newspaper work until his retirement in 1866. He was a gentleman of the old school, dignified, kindly and courteous to a degree; and is still remembered by the older folks about Erie and vicinity as a gentleman of pleasing and very attractive personality. He later served as Secretary of the Commonwealth, resigning to accept the position of Postmaster of Erie under President Grant. After two terms of service in this office, he continued to live in Erie, frequently contributing articles to the local press, usually signed "I. B. G.," universally beloved by his fellow citi- zens. A rule with him was always to speak good, and not ill, of every- one. He was always active with pen and voice in the political campaigns; and once, while attending a hustings at Beaverdam, or vicinity, the weather being extremely disagreeable, the roads execrable, and the party was obliged to be furnished with entertainment at a farm house where the fare consisted mainly of salt pork and other substantial and hearty food. The fare was not especially relished by the party, and after a long silence induced by the unsatisfactory entertainment, Mr. Gara remarked casually, "They have excellent salt here," which broke up the ice of the occasion and provoked hearty laughter. The enthusiasm resulting from this outburst continued throughout the meeting that evening, which was acclaimed as the most spirited and inspiring political meeting ever held in that locality. Mr. Gara resided in Erie until his death highly esteemed and respected by all.
Andrew Hopkins went to Washington, Pa., where he was publish- ing a Democratic Weekly at the time of his death.
Gideon J. Ball became State Treasurer in 1869, Chief Clerk to the Sixth Auditor of the Treasury from 1851 to 1853, a member of the State Assembly on the Whig ticket from 1847 for several terms, and was Paymaster in the Civil War.
B. F. Sloan was a Postmaster of Erie from 1853 to 1861; Clerk of the Pension Committee of Congress during 1875 and 1876, and later was secretary in the water department of the City of Erie.
J. R. Graham removed to Kansas, becoming prosperous and active in public life.
F. A. Crandall went to the Buffalo Express, where he was the prin- cipal writing editor of that paper.
W. Mckinstry left here for Fredonia where he was one of the pub- lishers of the Censor of that place.
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A. P. Durlin went to Iowa and engaged in the publication of a news- paper for some years, then returned to Erie and established an exten- sive job printing business here, and was highly esteemed by all.
Joseph S. M. Young, the founder of the Dispatch, left Erie and the publishing business for Pittsburg where he engaged as a medical specialist.
Samuel Perley was a Prothonotary of this county from 1851 to 1854.
Mr. B. F. H. Lynn, who in 1864 purchased the Dispatch, engaged in various enterprises at various places, and was found dead in a relative's house in Mauchunk.
E. E. Sturznickel became Sheriff of this county, 1877 to 1880, and later embarked in the confectionery business in Erie.
J. B. Johnson served the county in the Assembly in 1845, and in the State Senate from 1846 to 1849.
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