Barton County KS Archives History - Books .....Newspapers Of Barton County 1912
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Book Title: Biographical History Of Barton County

[photo] Judge C. P. Townsley, Founder of The Tribune


NEWSPAPERS OF BARTON COUNTY

THERE is no single institution that has more to do with the development of a new
county than the newspapers. People look to a newspaper for a true story of what
one may expect to find in a community or settlement where the paper is
published. Barton County has been fortunate in having had gentlemen in the
newspaper business who have done a great deal of work in helping to bring new
blood and energy to the county, as well as capital, essentials that are so
needful in a new country that is being developed from its virgin state. The
first newspaper published in the county was "The Arkansas Valley," edited by S.
J. McFarren. There were but a few issues of this paper, the first edition being
published in July, 1872. It was a seven-column paper, well filled with
interesting news reading matter, local news and advertisements. It was printed
at the office of the Tribune in Lawrence, Kan., and was owned by T. L. Morris
and others. The salutatory editorial in the paper consisted chiefly of an
apology for publishing a newspaper in the heart of the Great American Desert.
The principal articles were those under the following headings: "Kansas," from
the Pittsburg, Kan., Real Estate Register; "Enormous Cost of Fencing Land,"
"Stone Houses," "Tree Culture," "Swindling Immigrants," from the Kansas Farmer;
"Exemption Laws of Kansas," "Barton County—Soil, Climate, Rainfall, Health,"
"Information to Immigrants," "New Homestead Law," "Homesteads," "Tree Planting,"
"Bounty for Tree Planting," "Bounty for Hedges," "How to Come to Kansas," and
various miscellaneous articles and useful information. Its local columns made
mention of T. L. Stone's Great Western Hotel —the Southern; E. L. Morley,
hardware dealer; A. S. Allen, druggist; Dahm Brothers, bakery; Rice and
Brinkman, lumber merchants; Yoxall Sons and Company, lumber; Poole and Bell,
livery stables; John Typer, resaturant building, a 20x60 foot hotel; Markwort's
store to have a glass front; A. C. Moses and Sons running the store of W. D.
Hart and Company on the north side of the square; Harpham and Giddings,
blacksmiths; Samuel Maher, banker; John Cook, grocer; T. L. Morris, postmaster;
W. H. Odell, county clerk; A. A. Hurd, M. S. Ketch and others, many of whom have
long since passed away.

   The advertisements in the first newspaper consisted of a three-column ad from
the Western Homestead Co.—A. A. Hurd and T. L. Morris; a column of solid reading
matter for the Illinois and Kansas Colony association, and smaller ads from W.
D. Hart & Co., grocers; Hubbard and Heizer, groceries, lumber and real estate;
John Typer, restaurant; S. Amryne, boots and shoes; Dahm Brothers, bakers; Jacob
Collar and Co., millinery; Stone and Williams, dry goods; Great Western Hotel,
which was run by Stone and Hudson; John Cook, groceries; Pioneer Grocery, Edward
Markwort, Poole and Bell, livery stable; Mrs. J. Holland, news depot; James
Holland, furniture; M. S. Ketch, gents' furnishing goods; Ed Tyler, restaurant;
A. S. Allen, drugs; E. L. Morphy, hardware; Rice and Brinkman, lumber; Yoxall
Sons and Co., lumber, etc.; Samcox and Fry, bakers; A. A. Hurd, lawyer, and
Valley Printing office, and a number of smaller ads. The second number was
issued in 1873. The outside was printed by A. N. Kellogg of St. Louis and was
dated January 14, 1873, the inside—printed later—was dated January 27, 1873, and
the advertisements were nearly all dated in April, 1873. It contained a
directory of Barton county and Great Bend, articles on society in the country,
articles favoring the erection of a court house and the Arkansas river bridge,
forest trees, three election notices, an account of the farmers meeting for the
organization of the County Agricultural society and a number of local readers.
The new advertisers were: G. W. Nimocks, lawyer; D. N. Copeland, lawyer; J. C.
Martin, justice of the peace and police judge; J. H. Hubbard and Co., real
estate; Samuel Maher, banker; W. H. Odell, county clerk; Typer House; Wilcox,
Lehman and Gray, hardware; Benedict and Moffact, painters; A. Giddens,
horseshoeing; E. I. Dodge, blacksmith; J. H. Hubbard and Co., dry goods, and a
big advertisement telling about the job office of the paper.

   The price of the paper was $2.00 per year and since it was published only
twice a year, the paper cost the subscribers $1.00 a copy. Mr. McFarren did not
remain in the business very long, his place being taken in the publication of
the paper by Samuel Maher, who continued the paper under McFarren's name until
March, 1873, when McFarren's name was dropped.

   In April, 1873, the name of the paper was changed to the "Barton County
Progress." Mr. Maher moved the office to the Dubois building on the east, side
of the square. In May, Mr. Maher discontinued the publication of the paper on
account of his inability to secure competent help. No paper was published until
the following June, when H. Perrine Stults purchased the office for $1,000 and
continued publishing the Progress until the fall of 1873 when he grew weary and
sold out the paper to J. P. Cummins of Topeka. Cummins paid $1,100.00 and
assumed a debt of $750.00 against the plant which was held by Samuel Maher. At
first Cummings improved the paper and at the fall election was elected to
represent this county in the legislature. During Mr. Cummings' absence the paper
was in charge of D. M. Sells.

   After Cummings returned from Topeka he did not give the paper the attention
necessary to make it a success, and it was but a short time until G. L. Brinkman
bought the mortgage against the plant, held by Samuel Maher and took possession.
The plant was moved to the old Holland building which had just been moved to the
north side of the square. A company was organized for the purpose of publishing
a newspaper and conducting a job printing shop. The company was composed of G.
L. Brinkman, G. W. Nimocks, D. N. Heizer, W. H. Odell, Joseph Howard and A. S.
Prescott.

[photo] S. J. McFarren, First Editor


   Cummings, the former editor of the paper, is said to have died of yellow
fever at Memphis in 1878.

   In 1873, Frank Sheldon started a monthly publication under the name of the
Farmers' Friend. It was made up mainly of reprint matter from the Progress and
had but a short existence.

   The next paper to be published in Great Bend was the Register, which was
built upon the ruins of the Progress, which in 1874, had ceased publication. It
was first edited by W. H. Odell with A. J. Hoisington as business manager. In
June, 1874, Mr. Hoisington was placed in full charge as editor and manager. He
got out a good paper and made it a powerful influence for good in the community. 

   In August, 1876, the 12th, to be exact, the first number of the Inland
Tribune made Us appearance as a weekly paper. It was edited and published by C.
P. Townsley who had been circuit judge of the Fifth judicial district of the
state of Missouri. For several weeks it was composed of all home print, but
finally the "patent inside" was adopted. This paper was the beginning of the
present publications known as the Great Bend Daily Tribune and the Great Bend
Weekly Tribune published by Will Townsley, a son of C. P. Townsley, and Warren
Baker.

   In May, 1877, a stock company was formed under the name of the Great Bend
Publishing Company, which had for its purpose the publication of a Democratic
weekly newspaper, under the name of the Arkansas Valley Democrat. Isaac T. Flint
of Ottumwa, Ia., was chosen editor and manager.

  The first number of the paper appeared July 21, 1877. After four weeks, Jos.
B. Fugate, of Ottumwa, Ia., was taken in as a partner and five weeks later Mr.
Flint sold his remaining interest to B. B. Smyth of Ellinwood, who had been an
employee of the office since it began business.

   Election was approaching and it was discovered that a successful campaign
would depend on Smyth's being ousted from the office. Accordingly possession was
demanded by the company and the demand was refused by Smyth. Then a replevin was
issued from the circuit court and a re-delivery bond of $2,000 was given by
Smyth. Later the company became fearful of losing their interest in the concern
and they made a deal whereby they bought Smyth's interest. He was succeeded by
J. B. Fugate.

   In 1878 the Kansas Volksfreund, a German Democratic weekly newspaper, was
started in Great Bend. It was edited by Phillip Schmitz. This office introduced
the first power press in the county, a handsome Cottrell and Babcock. In 1879
this paper was consolidated with the Stern des Westens, (Star of the West), of
Wichita and the two plants were consolidated and moved to Topeka where the new
publication was issued under the name of the Staats Anzieger.

   The Ellinwood Express was started in 1878 by Sheperd and Sterling, and for
some time it was printed in the office of the Sterling Bulletin. During the same
year Thomas L. Powers of Sterling took possession of the paper and established a
printing office at Ellinwood. The Ellinwood paper now is called the Leader and
is published by John McMullin.

   The above gives an idea of the early newspapers in the county and since those
days there have been a number of papers started that met with indifferent
success and were finally either discontinued or absorbed by other publications.

   Among those may be mentioned: The Item, Graphic, Evening News, Rustler und
Morning News.

   The Register, after A. J. Hoisington severed his connection with it the first
time, was owned by E. L. Chapman, Morgan Caraway, J. H. Borders, A. J.
Hoisington and Ira Clark. Warren Baker and Ed Vollmer bought the Register and
Daily Item and consolidated with the Tribune August 1, 1908. In 1909 Vollmer
sold his interests to Townsley & Baker, the present owners.

   In the fall of 1880 Tracy and Adams started the Barton County Democrat. This
firm sold to A. Wolf, who in turn sold to W. H. Bright of McPherson. He sold to
D. Langford in March, 1886. Will Stoke bought a half interest in the paper and
later bought the remaining half from Langford. Mr. Stoke sold a half interest to
W. P. Feder in 1904. In 1905 this firm bought the Beacon which was started by D.
T. Armstrong in 1895. Stoke sold his interest in the plant to Mr. Feder in 1906.
Later Mr. Feder organized the Feder Printing Co., which has since owned and
published the Barton County Democrat.

   In January, 1910, the Morning News was started in Great Bend by the firm of
Gunn & Wattson. This paper was consolidated with the Great Bend Tribune in
September of the same year.

   The newspapers now published in the county are the Great Bend Tribune, daily
and weekly, by Townsley & Baker; the Hoisington Dispatch by Roy Cornelius, the
Ellinwood Leader by John McMullin, Pawnee Rock Herald by Grant Lippincott and
the Claflin Clarion by Bert Fancher. All these papers except the Tribune are
weekly publications.


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