HISTORY OF EARLY NEWSPAPERS IN BIG SANDY VALLEY Copied with permission from The Kentucky Explorer Magazine, April 2000 Edition Volume 14, Number10, Page 19-20 Charles Hayes, Jr Editor & Publisher ****************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative pf the submitter and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ****************************************************************************** First Newspapers In Big Sandy River Valley Established In 1852 Brief History of A Few Early Newspapers in Eastern Kentucky By William Ely 1887 In 1852,a printer by the name of Smith came to Catlettsburg and started the first newspaper ever published in the Sandy Valley. The editor was no less a personage than Rev. E. C. Thornton. The paper was neutral in politics, although Mr. Thornton was an unflinching democrat. It was called the BIG SANDY NEWS. It was published less than two years, and suspended for lack of patronage. The SANDY VALLEY ADVOCATE was the next venture in the newspaper business on Sandy. .James J. Miller, who came to the Sandy country under the auspices of Governor Floyd, established the SANDY VALLEY ADVOCATE at Catlettsburg in 1859. Mr. Miller was a bright man and a spicy writer and made the ADVOCATE a very readable paper. It was the pioneer, in the line of newspapers in the valley, in advocating the development of the hidden wealth of minerals, known to exit in the Sandy country. The paper had a good circulation and the largest advertising patronage ever held by any paper in the valley. It was said to be neutral in politics, but as the editor was a Whig politician the paper leaned considerably that way. Mr. Miller was employed by the government soon after the Civil War commenced and gave up the paper. The HERALD was the next paper to occupy the field.. Charles D. Corey, a very amiable and brilliant young man, a New Yorker, bought the outfit used by the ADVOCATE, and ventured on the HERALD in 1863.Mr. Corey was a Democrat, and made his paper at first mildly Democratic; but as it grew in age, it also grew to be a stalwart Democratic organ, even in time of the war. Mr. Corey was a genius; he was a photographer, printer, poet, painter, and a good prose writer. He made a good paper. He married a beautiful young lady of Grayson, Miss Lucy Lewis, the daughter of Hon. Nelums Lewis. But the married life of the handsome pair was cut short by the death of the husband, whose physical nature was almost ethereal, so delicate was he.The young, loving wife would not be comfored after her"Charley's" death, and she soon joined him in the "land of pure delight."The connubial love of this beautiful couple for each other was more than human. The HEARLD, after the death of its gifted founder, was continued by H.M. Bond. Soon after, the Rev. Z. Meek, who had meanwhile started the CHRISTIAN OBSERVER, which was several years later changed to the CENTRAL METHODIST, joined him in the printing business under the name of the Herald Printing Company. The combination, thus formed by Meek and Bond, ran on successfully until 1872, when the junior partner bought the entire outfit, abandoned the HEARLD, and gave all of his energy and talents to building up the CENTRAL METHODIST, a religious paper; second to none of its class in the state in circulation, and the ability with which it is edited. Colonel Rees M. Thomas, in the latter part of the year 1865, commenced the publication of the Catlettsburg Tribune, an eight-column, four-page weekly. It was ably edited, and a bright, newsy sheet. It was intensely Republican in politics, but dignified in its utterances. It supended in less than three years, after it was launched on the sea of pollitical journalism, The editor married Adie, daughter of Rev.E.C. Thronton, who started into life the first paper ever published in Catlettsburg colonel Thomas moved to Texas some time after the paper suspended, where he now is, engaged in the newspaper business. His wife has been dead several years. After the HEARLD and TRIBUNE ceased to live, several other papers were started none, however, of more than ephemeral existence. Judge Lewis started one, and george Swap, another; but as neither bloomed out into full life and usefulness, we pass them by, not forgetting the ENQUIRER, published for about six months in 1874, by Colonel Samuel Pike, the veteran newspaper man, who had founded, and for a time successfully edited and published over 30 Democratic papers, alternating between four states. He advocated in the columns of the EQUIRER the claims of George N. Brown against W.C. Ireland for judge. the ENQUIRER was the grand old veteran's last newspaper venture. Like a wagon long in use, he went down, all at once. He returned to his home in Ohio to engage in mercantile pursuits; but instead, the messenger of death suddenly summoned him from earth, and he ceased to work and live at once. He was a strong and bitter partisan writer, but politics aside, no man had a kindier heart or more lovable nature than Samuel Pike. R.C. Burns, some time in the 1870's, published the INDEX, a monthly, devoted to the sale of real estate. it was a bright little sheet of its class, but soon retired from the field. In 1881, the MONTHLY PROGRESS appeared. Its purpose was to advocate the development of the great material wealth of the valley. the circulation ran up to three thousand copies monthly. the paper was owned and edited by the author, William Ely. The WEEKLY PROGRESS took the place of the monthly in 1882, and disappeared in 1884, under the same management until latter six months of its existence, when R.C. Burns owned and conducted it. Having a large law practice, he gave up its publication, greatly to the regret of the Republican party, of whose principles it was a strong advocate. We have overleaped ourself in not noticing the KENTUCKY DEMOCRAT, which was established by Captain T. D. Marcum in 1878. This paper at once took a high rank in Kentucky journalism, and soon attained to the largest subscription list ever carried by any political newspaper in the Sandy Valley, and perhaps few outside the valley surpass it in these particulars. It continues to grow in influence and is still edited by its founder, who has shown great ability in conducting a weekly paper. The ADVANCE was founded by Howes and Borders at Paintsville in 1880, and after nine months, was moved to Louisa; Howes dropping out as partner, and Borders, in 1881, established the CHATTERAWHA NEWS, a very bright and newsy sheet.Both papers were nonpolitical. In about 1882 or 1883, Messrs, C.M.Parsons and W.M.Conley founded the PIKEVILLE ENTERPRISE, and conducted it with ability for serveral years. It was a very decided Democratic paper.Mr.Pherigo succeeded them, and perhaps someone else had a hand in its publication. About 1886, J.Lee Ferguson, a bright young lawyer, bought out the material, and is now publishing the TIMES, a Republican paper there. In 1883, R.M.Weddington and J.K.Leslie, two able lawyers, started the BANNER at Prestonburg, a Democratic paper of great ability. It did not exist two years, however. About a year after, Joe H.Borders' CHATTERAWHA NEWS suspended at Louisa. Professor Lyttleton founded the LAWERNCE INDEX, a Democratic sheet, which he edited with ability until about 1885. He sold out to Ferguson and Conley, who changed the name, first to the TIMES, and afterwards to the NEWS, still, however, continuing it as a Democratic organ. Mr. Ferguson is a gifted son of Hon.M.J.Ferguson, and his patner is the son of Asa Conley, a representative of an oldtime Sandy house. On his mother's side was a Leslie, a family as noted as any in the valley.