DeSoto Parish, Louisiana; History of the Newspapers and Journals --------------------------------- Submitted by Gaytha Carver Thompson Typed by Trudy Marlow ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** --------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890; Pg. 243-44 --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWSPAPERS & JOURNALS: The Logansport Advertiser was the pioneer journal of De Soto Parish. It was issued some years prior to 1849 by Peter Shearer. The Mansfield Advertiser was established in April, 1849. Volume I, No.6, is dated May 19, that year, and bears the signatures of W. I. Ham- ilton and J. W. Parsons, editors. The Columbian was subsequent]y published by W. F. T. Bennett, at Mansfield, as stated in the history of Bossier. In 1858 W. B. Abington was editor, aud J. F. Smith, of Sabine, who died in 1890, agent for that parish and Natchitoches. The Pelican was published here in 1861, and in April, 1861, the estimate of Parish expenses for the year ending in 1862 ($9,150) was published therein. Peter Clarkson, the publisher, agreed to do the parish printing for $200 per annum. The Mansfield Times was issued by Clarkson & Duke, in 1865. They continued its publication until 1870, when the Reporter was founded. The Mansfield Times of October 30, 1869, then conducted by Clarkson & Duke, noticing the death of a colored man at the hands of Dick Defee, and in the presence of four or five young white men, asked the good citizens of the place to break the necks of the young ragamuffins. The De Soto News was established by Twitchell, at the Starlight plantation, in 1868-69, twenty-five miles from a post-office. It was issued in a stable and was the official journal of the parish until J. E. Hewitt employed J. B. Elam to proceed against the News, as it was not a newspaper in the legal sense. Mr. Elam succeeded in the suit and the contract was given to the Reporter. The Mansfield Reporter was established Janu- ary 1, 1870, by J. B. Hewitt and J. T. McClana- ban. The former sold to the latter in 1871, but McClanahan sold his interest to Mr. Hewitt in 1872, and he was sole proprietor until 1875, when the office was sold to Dr. S. M. Potts. Early in 1878 the Reporter returned to Mr. Hewitt and was consolidated with the Democrat. In 1875 the Re- porter was a semi-weekly journal. The Tribune was established in the fall of 1871 by J. B. Hewitt, who purchased the Times office from Clarkson & Duke (Mr. Clarkson moved to Coushatta and purchased the Citizen there). On the completion of the deal, which brought the Re- porter into the hands of its junior founder, the Tribune was consolidated with it and this name disappeared. The De Soto Democrat was founded in 1877, by J. B. Hewitt. The first press was purchased from the Republican Journal, at Natchitoches, the editor of which, Coley Pierson, was killed during the riots of 1876. A small quantity of the type was also purchased there. Mr. Hewitt conducted the Democrat up to January, 1890, when the office was leased to A. M. Hewitt, the present editor. The circulation is about 1,500. The Mansfield Herald was established in the fall of 1882, by J. L. Williams, owner, J. T. McClanahan, editor, and Dick Cotey, publisher. After a few months the editorship was conferred on George E. Head, who held that position until its suspension, in 1885. J. E. Hewitt purchased the office, and later sold the material to Mang- ham, for his new venture at Gibsland. The Pelican Banner was issued in 1890, by Don B. Sorelle, Vol. I, No.17, bearing date Au- gust 22,1890. The News was issued at Logansport, in 1890, by J. H. Chatham. Vol. I, No.83, is dated Sep- tember 4, 1890. At Grand Cane, the Item was issued some years ago, by J. J. McClanahan, and in 1889 he estab- lished the Post there.