EARLY NEWSPAPERS - CALCASIEU PARISH, LA Contributed by Margaret Rentrop Moore Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical & Historical by William Henry Perrin; published 1891 page 158 - 159. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ THE PRESS.-The newspaper is an important factor in the development of any country. It can do more for good, and even for evil, if it was to turn its great power in that direction, than any other one influence that can be exercised in a community. The first newspaper published in this parish was the Calcasieu Press, founded in June, 1855, by judge B. A. Martel and John A. Spence, of Opelousas. Mr.Spence was editor and publisher. It continued until about the close of the war, and at its discontinuance was in its sixth volume, which shows that from its commencement to its suspension it had been issued but little more than half of the time. Probably this was caused by the derangement of all business matters during the civil war. The Lake Charles Echo is the oldest paper in the parish, and one of the ablest in this portion of the State. It was established February 16, 1868, by Judge J. D. Reed and Louis Leveque. Both of its founders are now dead. The paper was not published regularly, and only completed two volumes in three years. After passing through some of the vicissitudes incident to country news- papers in country towns, and changing ownership a time or two, it was, in Feb- ruary, 1871, bought by Captain J. W. Bryan. He improved it in many respects and soon put it on a firm basis. He conducted it successfully until in March, 1890, when he sold it to a stock company, and it is still in successful operation, edited by W. F. Schwing. The New Orleans Picayune thus "boosted" Capt. Bryan at the time he sold the Echo: "Great credit and much is awarded him (J. W. Bryan) for the able manner in which he built it up and edited its columns. Lake Charles was at that time but a hamlet, the parish seat of the poorest parish in the State, now ranking among the very first in wealth and population." The American is a flourishing weekly paper of sixteen pages, well filled with news, miscellany and matters of interest to the parish. November 12, 1890, it entered upon its sixth volume. It was established in New York City, but in 1887, was removed to Lake Charles, and commenced its publication in this city in September of that year. It is devoted to the interests of Southwest Louisiana generally, and Lake Charles and Calcasieu parish particularly, and is a stanch supporter of the Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Railroad. It is published by the Lake Charles Publishing Company, and ably edited by Mr. Z. L. Everett, assisted by Rev. W. H. Kline, who attends to the gathering up of facts on the resources and development of the country. But for the well tilled columns of the American, the task of writing up Calcasieu parish for this work would have been a much greater labor than it has. The business department is under the management of Mr. -- Marshall, and the affable and courteous Miss Della Neal attends to the clerical work of the office. Once a month the American publishes forty thousand copies of its paper. devoted principally to the resources and advantages of this section, which are sent broadcast over the country, particularly through the Northwest; it also publishes a patent side for a number of country papers. The Lake Charles Commercial is midway in its tenth volume. John McCormick is its editor and publisher, and C. M. McCormick is its general manager. It is a live and enterprising paper of four pages, seven columns to a page,.and strongly anti-lottery. The Christian Visitor was established by Rev. G. B. Rogers, pastor of the Baptist Church, and conducted about a year and a half, when it was consolidated with the American.