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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 279 CHAPTER XII HARRISON COUNTY NEWSPAPERS FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT PAPERS-THE INFORMANT-THE TELEGRAPH -THE REPUBLICAN-THE SENTINEL THE SECOND NEWSPAPER HARRISON TRIBUNE-HARRISON COUNTY DEMOCRAT-FREEPORT PRESS- SCIO HERALD-JEWETT AGE-NEW ATHENS REVIEW-- OTHER PUBLICATIONS. Harrison County has had the benefit of a local newspaper for one hundred and five years—since 1815. It may be said that the pioneers who came to this county were, for the most part, of the intelligent class and came in from states where there were excellent papers published for that day and age of newspaperdom, and it was not long before there was an urgent demand for a home paper and such demand was supplied by the establishing of what was known as the Cadiz Informant which made its appearance about 1815. Of its history no one now seems able to discourse. The Cadiz Republican of today has made diligent research among the files of all the papers in this county and has come to the conclusion that the following is about the true history of that organ: What was styled the "Ohio Luminary" made its first appearance by its issue September 15, 1815. It was edited by John Harris. In 1820 the name was changed to the Harrison County Telegraph and it was edited a number of years by David Christy. The next editor was Samuel Douglas. William Rea Allison was the editor of the Republican in the early forties, but in 1846 it is learned from old files that M. P. Brister was the editor. In 1850 Richard Hatton was the editor and in 1861, Hatton & Rowles, but in 1866 came Hatton & Thomas. It is found also that Jesse 0. Thomas edited the paper in 1866 and was succeeded by Samuel Knox October 2, 1867. W. B. Hearn purchased the paper April 23, 1869 and was, its editor and proprietor until February 12, 1912, when it was purchased by its present owner, Harry B. McConnell. In the late thirties it was called the Harrison Telegraph. During a portion of 1841 it was styled simply "The Republican". The first issue with the name as it is now was dated July 1, 1842, more than a dozen years prior to the formation of the Republican party. The first location of this paper of which, there is any authentic account was in the Beall Building with a stairway leading to the office on the third floor, the stairway being built on the alley side. The next place was the site of the Fourth National Bank of today. For a number of years it was located on the second floor of 'the old bank building where the Jennie Clark & Company dry goods house is now situated. The press room stood over the old bank's vault, that being the home of the old National Bank. The composing room was in the room now occupied by the Cadiz Building & Loan Company. 280 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES The office was removed to its present quarters in 1877, over the present First National Bank, then the Farmers & Merchants Bank. Mr. Brewster in his writings in 1846 gave the location as in the "McAdams Building, tbird story, corner Main Street and Court Alley, entrance on the alley." The size and form and general "dress" of this newspaper has changed numerous times. Today it is a handsome six column, eight page paper, well filled with all that good people desire to read in the PICTURE OF SAMUEL F. DICKERSON home circle. The office is run on business principles, has a large weekly circulation and in connection with it has an up-to-date job printing office. Of all that is good the Republican affords the best. What was known as the News in Cadiz, was conducted for about fifteen years and finally merged into the Republican. Its editor and proprietor in March, 1911, was Charles G. Addleman. It was established by Mr. Rogers as a Prohibition organ and did heroic work CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 281 in that cause—then not as popular as it has come to be now-a-days. So unpopular was it that his type was scattered out of his office near the present jail into the alley by men who later became radical temperance advocates of Cadiz. It finally became an independent Republican organ and as such was sold to the present Cadiz Republican. THE CADIZ DEMOCRAT-SENTINEL This newspaper was established at Cadiz, Ohio, September 23, 1892. It was established as the Harrison County Democrat ; changed to the Cadiz Democrat October 6, 1910 and in December, 1911, it took over the Sentinel, which had been founded in 1833, and consolidated it under the present heading, "Democrat-Sentinel." Among the editors and publishers of this newspaper are recalled A. N. McCombs, W. H. Host and the present editor and publisher, Samuel F. Dickerson. In size and form it is a six-column quarto, circulating mostly within the borders of Harrison County. Its day of publication is Wednesday (afternoons). Its subscription rate is $2.00 per year in advance. The proprietor owns his own plant. The general equipment includes engine power and all suitable material for conducting a first class newspaper in a place the size of Cadiz. Politically, this journal is Democratic, as its name indicates. In conjunction with the publishing of this weekly paper, the plant also has a first class job department wherein is neatly executed all kinds of commercial and fancy printing, including catalog work. The Sentinel and the Cadiz Republican rank as the oldest papers in Harrison County. THE FREEPORT PRESS This local journal was established at Freeport, this county, in August, 1880, by John J. Asherhurst, who sold to McMath & Johnson; then the firm became McMath & Williams. L. B. Williams was the owner for about twenty-five years. L. B. Williams & Son are the present owners. L. B. Williams retired from active service in March, 1917. H. C. Williams, present manager, a son of L. B. Williams, has been connected with the paper for thirty years. The Press is a six-column eight page local paper published every Thursday. The subscription rate is two dollars per year. The office is conducted in the Wiliams Building, and includes in its equipment a model eight, three magazine linotype, a Fairbanks engine, a complete job outfit, also has a folder, cylinder presses, etc. Politically, this paper is independent. The office was slightly damaged three years ago by the explosion of the gasoline being used. The Press is all that could be expected in so small a place and contains the weekly lot of local news greatly appreciated by the patrons. THE SCIO HERALD This local newspaper had a brief history and as the contents of the office were burned and its proprietor is deceased, but few facts can be obtained concerning the founding of the office or its end. It 282 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES has not been published for several months ; the proprietor's widow had charge of the publication at the last. (See village history of Scio.) THE PHRENOLOGICAL ERA This is the only phrenological publication found in this country, at this date, the New York publication on this science having long since been discontinued. The Era was established at Bowerston, Ohio, January, 1905, by M. Tope, present owner and editor. It is issued about the twentieth of each month and is held in subscription price at one dollar per year in the United States and one dollar and a quarter in all foreign lands. While it circulates mostly in Ohio, yet it finds its way to practically every state in the Union, also in England, India, Mexico and Japan. In form and size this publication is a booklet style of .magazine, six by nine inches. It treats in a readable style, and easy to grasp, the wonderful, yet little understood, science of phrenology. From 1894 to September, 1903, the proprietor of this journal issued the Bowerston Patriot, but since that date the editor has been fully engaged in conducting the Phrenological Era. While Mr. Tope is a Republican in party politics, his paper is independent, or rather neutral. Since 1900 the Era has been published in a building owned by Mr. Tope. |