Sierra County CA Archives History - Books .....The Press Of Sierra County 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 22, 2006, 12:50 am Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties THE PRESS OF SIERRA COUNTY. It has been well said that the press of a country echoes the spirit and sentiment of its people, and is a reflection of the age in which it lives; not generally creating public opinion, but being led by it. This being true of metropolitan journalism, in which the nation's and world's affairs are canvassed, how much more forcibly may it be said of the country press, so closely allied with narrow local interests! Sierra county has seen the rise and decline of a goodly number of papers, several of them in their day having been conducted with great ability. On the nineteenth of June, 1852, the first number of the Mountain Echo appeared in Downieville, with William T. Giles as editor and proprietor. The paper was a small affair, a five-column folio, and under the management of Giles created but little stir in the busy settlement. The pioneer sheet of the county was sold out that fall or winter to Dr. Ball and his son Oscar, who carried it somewhat into politics, advocating democratic principles. George Barton frequently contributed editorial matter for its pages. About the first of February, 1854, Calvin B. McDonald, now of Oakland, began the publication of the Sierra Citizen, and in the summer of 1854, purchased the material of the Mountain Echo. The Citizen became a paying institution, and flourished for nearly ten years afterwards. It was owned in 1855-56 by H. D. Hickok, J. F. Whittaker, and E. R. Campbell, having passed through several different hands! Campbell officiated in the capacity of editor, the office being located in Fraternity hall building, Jersey flat. Subsequently Judge R. Galloway became editor and proprietor, but sold the paper in March, 1862, to George E. Tallmadge, who conducted it until its dissolution a short time after. A temperance sheet, called the Old Oaken Bucket, was published a few months at Downieville, in the year 1854, but soon perished for want of patronage, its principles obtaining but little recognition or indorsement from the mining population. The Gibsonville Herald first made its appearance at Gibsonville in the winter of 1853-54, the exact date being impossible to obtain because of the destruction by fire of the earliest files. Heade, the editor and proprietor, was succeeded by Alfred Helm in 1854, who issued a supplementary edition, calling it the Gibsonville Herald and St. Louis News, which was delivered by special messenger in St. Louis. In the fall of 1855 the paper was sold and taken to La Porte, where the title of Mountain Messenger was given it. In 1858 A. T. Dewey became the proprietor, and the year following William S. Byrnes became associated with him in its publication. Prior to 1860 the Messenger was a-strong whig organ, consistently adopting, republican principles at that time, which it has advocated ever since. In the La Porte fire of 1861 the office was totally destroyed, but revived immediately. Dewey purchased Byrnes' interest in 1862, continuing the business alone until November, 1863, when J. A. Vaughn bought a half-interest. In January, 1864, E. M. Dewey purchased the remaining half of A. T. Dewey, who retired from the paper, and in February it was removed to Downieville, and published there by Dewey & Vaughn for four years. In 1868 Mr. Dewey sold his interest to E. K. Downer and D. Whitney. Whitney soon severed his connection, and from that time to the present the Messenger has been under the control of Vaughn & Downer. It is a newsy, enterprising sheet, thoroughly devoted to the interests of the county, and enjoys a large patronage. The Messenger office occupies the three floors of a building on Durgan flat owned by the editors, and is well supplied with material for doing all kinds of country work. The ground on which the building stands is very rich in gold, which gives the Messenger an advantage not often had by newspapers, of having a solid basis upon which to do business. John Piatt, Jr., inaugurated the Sierra Democrat at Forest City, June 21, 1856, with William Campbell as editor. It was strongly democratic in its views, and unquestionably an able exponent of the party tenets. In one year it was removed to Downieville, and in September, 1857, Campbell gave up his literary labors for the law, W. J. Forbes taking his place, at the same time becoming a partner of Piatt. In June, 1863, John B. Reed became associated with Piatt in the management, and in October of that year J. O'Sullivan took the editorial chair. The paper became a semi-weekly in January, 1864, and was burned in the fire of February 21, 1864, the small amount of material saved being purchased by Dewey & Vaughn. The Weekly Standard, a five-column folio, was moved from Quincy to Downieville, April 6, 1864, by Mat Lynch, and labored in the democratic ranks. April 27,1864, it became a semi-weekly, resumed the weekly form in August, and ended in October, Lynch leaving the country. The Sierra Age was started at Downieville, May 10, 1871, by Samuel R. Stephenson, as a democratic semi-weekly, to support James A. Johnson for governor. The principal member of the institution was Samuel J. Garrison. In the latter part of the year the office and material were disposed of on a forced sale by Judge Van Clief, under an order of the court, to Vaughn & Co., proprietors of the Messenger. W. F. Edwards began the issue of the Sierra Free Press at Forest City, August 6, 1880. The paper was republican, and after a brief existence ended in December, 1880. The Sierra County Tribune was instituted at Forest City, December 8, 1881, by H. M. and T. D. Calkins. The paper is independent in politics, with a leaning towards republicanism, and is a neatly printed, attractive sheet, alive to the interests of the county, and is receiving an excellent support. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sierra/history/1882/illustra/pressofs160nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb