Nevada County CA Archives History - Books .....The Press 1867
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Book Title: Bean’s History And Directory Of Nevada County, California

THE PRESS

  The Nevada Journal, the first paper published in the county, and one of the
first ever published in the mountains of the State, made its appearance at
Nevada in April, 1851, under the auspices of W. B. Ewer & Co, It was always
controlled by Whigs, or men of Whig antecedents, down to its suspension in the
Fall of 1861. Perhaps, I may say no paper ever published in the mountains had a
better support or more influence during the ten and a half years of its existence.

   Ewer did not long remain in the concern, being succeeded as editor by A. A.
Sargent, who, except at short intervals, furnished its editorials till July,
1855, when he was succeeded by E. G. Waite as editor, who generally directed the
course of the paper down to October, 1861. 

  In September, 1853, appeared at Nevada, the Young America, a Democratic organ,
under the control of R. A. Davidge. It soon changed its name and proprietors,
becoming the Nevada Democrat—a name retained under various changes of ownership
and editors down to its decease in the Spring of 1863. After Davidge, Niles
Searls was editor for a time being succeeded in June, 1864, by T. H. Rolfe, he
in turn by Henry Shipley in 1855, who was soon succeeded by W. F. Anderson. T.
H. Rolfe again, in January, 1857, became editor and remained as such till the
suspension of the paper.

  The Journal was published the first year semi-weekly, and afterward as a
weekly. The Democrat was published weekly until the Fall of 1860, when it was
changed to a tri-weekly, continuing such till the end.

   About simultaneously with the appearance of the Young America at Nevada,
Oliver & Moore started a paper called the Telegraph, at Grass Valley. W. B. Ewer
and Henry Shipley succeeded in 1854. It was published as a weekly till it
changed its Dame to The National in 1861, when it became a tri-weekly, appearing
as a daily in 1864 and ever since. W. S. Byrne became editor upon the change of
name, and was succeeded by John R. Ridge, both being associated for a time in
the editorial department of the paper. The office was totally destroyed by fire
in June, 1862.

  In 1857 J. P. Olmstead began the publication of a paper at North San Juan,
called the Star. The concern was purchased and a paper called the Hydraulic
Press succeeded, edited by B. P. Avery, afterward State Printer. Avery was
succeeded by Wm. Bausman, who edited it till near the time of its suspension in
1864.

  The daily Nevada Transcript was started in September, 1860, by N. P. Brown &
Co., and is still flourishing. It was the first daily ever published in the
mountains. Gen. James Allen, once State Printer, edited the paper till October,
1861, when he was succeeded by E. G. Waite, who ceased his connection with the
paper in January, 1864, and was succeded by M. S. Peal.

  The material of the old Journal was purchased in the Spring of 1862, by B.
Brierly & Co., and a tri-weekly paper started, called by the old name. It
maintained an existence till the fire in November of the next year destroyed the
office entire. Like disasters befel the Journal and Democrat offices in the fire
of 1856. The tri-weekly Journal was edited by Rev. B. Brierly.

  The Nevada Daily Gazette began its career under the auspices of O. P. Stidger
& Co., in the Spring of 1864. Stidger is understood to have done most of the
writing for the paper. W. H. Sears was the editor the year after. T. H. Rolfe
was writing its articles down to November, 1866, when E. F. Bean purchased the
concern and hoisted his name as editor and proprietor. 

  In October, 1864, Blumenthal & Townsend started the Daily Grass Valley Union.
It was edited by H. C. Bennett for a time, and followed by W. H. Miller.
Latterly it fell into the hands of Democrats and is conducted in an enlarged
form by W. S. Byrne.

  In June, 1866, a paper was started at Meadow Lake, by William B. Lyon & Co.,
called the Sun. It was published at first as a daily, but as the excitement over
the new discoveries of quartz in that region subsided, it became a weekly, and
so continues to this moment.

  In the above account we have not given all the changes of proprietorship and
temporary editors, our space not allowing all the minutiae. The curious will
find more details in the newspaper history of the State published in the
Sacramento Union, on Christmas, 1859. Down to that date the changes in the
various papers of the county are set forth with precision in that paper.

  In the political contests of the times, some of the above papers took
important parts. The Journal, though conducted by Whigs, took no decided
partisan ground till the appearance of the Democratic organ, the Young America.
It was thereafter regarded as Whig, till the appearance of the American party,
in 1855, when it became the county organ of that party, remaining so till the
party, in State Convention, indorsed the Kansas Nebraska Bill, when it
measurably became neutral, espousing, however, somewhat the cause of Douglas and
Broderick, when the issue with the administration of Buchanan was made. But it
was always opposed to the Democratic party per se or its principles, only
supporting some of its-members as a matter of policy or for personal reasons
when it had no party of its own to uphold. As the Douglas wing of the Democratic
party grew strong, the Journal opposed it, and finally took up the Republican
cause, defending it with earnestness to success. When the war of rebellion was
about to begin, the Journal took its stand by the Government, and during the
entire contest, till the suspension of the paper and transfer of its editor to
the Daily Transcript, the Journal was foremost in the advocacy of all the
measures that the administration of Lincoln was forced ultimately to adopt. Its
radicalism on the questions of confiscation, emancipation, the draft and more
vigorous prosecution of the war, was prominent and fearless.

  The Democrat, after it passed from the hands of its founder, was generally in
the hands of Northern men and not sectional. While edited by Shipley, in 1855,
its articles were characterized, at times, by subserviency to Southern
sentiment, but less so under his successor, though a Southern man. Afterward it
became conservative, but always Democratic. While conducted by Rolfe it was the
devoted champion of Broderick, took sides with Douglas, and against Buchanan,
and finally when the war had begun, it supported the administration of Lincoln
in a moderate way, till the suspension of the paper.

  The course of the Transcript under its first editor was neutral or
conservative. But in October, 1861, a change took place and the Transcript
became vigorous for the war and all the advance measures of the times. It was
the first newspaper on the coast to declare its want of confidence in McClellan,
and at first received the anathemas of many of its cotemporaries for demanding
the removal of that General from the command of the army of the Potomac. It has
remained under its present management the same organ of progress, supporting
with zeal the cause of Congress to the present moment.

  The revived Journal affected conservatism, vacillated considerably, and was
soon left without influence in the cause of the Union it had avowedly espoused.

  The Gazette was started as the organ of a faction of the Union party, and
distinguished itself by bolting the regular nominees of the party in 1865, and
denouncing the men of the county who were first and most efficient in the
support of the war for the maintenance of the Government, making an onslaught on
impartial suffrage, arid affiliating with Copperheads, and at a later period
supported Johnson and his policy. In November, 1866, it changed hands and
promises to be an efficient ally in the cause of Congress.

  The Grass Valley Telegraph was neutral, or not a very forcible exponent of
political opinions. The National, its successor, was for a time a supporter of
Buchanan's administration, but changing hands, it supported Douglas as the
regular nominee of the Democratic party, yet it went with the opposers of
Lincoln's administration, and has remained on the same tack to this day.

  The Union, as its name denotes, was started as a Union paper, and until it
passed into its present hands was not supposed to be tinctured with Democracy.
The paper was enlarged in December, 1866, and seems to be in a prosperous state.

  The papers published at North San Juan took little part in politics till the
rebellion broke out, when Bausman, the editor of the Press, became a vigorous
and out-spoken friend of the administration of Lincoln. The paper remained so
till its suspension.

  The Meadow Lake Sun has been always a radical Union sheet. Its editor at
present is understood to be Judge Tilford, to whom the public is indebted for
the interesting sketch of Meadow Lake township which forms a part of this history.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Bean’s History and Directory of Nevada County, California

CONTAINING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY, WITH
SKETCHES OF THE VARIOUS TOWNS AND MINING
CAMPS, THE NAMES AND OCCUPATION OF
RESIDENTS; ALSO, FULL STATISTICS
OF MINING AND ALL OTHER
INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES.

COMPILED BY EDWIN F. BEAN.

PRINTED AT THE DAILY GAZETTE BOOK AND JOB OFFICE,
1867.


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