THE PRESS OF WALDO COUNTY, Maine. BY HON. JOSEPH WILLIAMSON. BELFAST. HANCOCK GAZETTE. Within the limits of what is now Waldo county no newspaper enterprise was undertaken until 1820. On the sixth day of July in that year, Messrs. Ephraim Fellows and W. R. Simpson publish- ed at Belfast the first number of a weekly paper called the Han- cock Gazette. It was well printed in bourgeois and brevier type, each page being about eighteen inches by twelve, and containing four columns. About one page was devoted to advertisements. William Biglow,* Preceptor of Belfast Academy, a graduate of Harvard College, class of 1794, and a man "of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy," was its first editor. Judge Alfred Johnson, Wm. G. Crosby, Esq., and others were occasional contributors. After twenty-one numbers of the Gazette had been published, .it assumed the additional title Of PENOBSCOT PATRIOT. The reason of this change is stated to be "the discontinuance of the Bangor Weekly Register," (a paper established at Bangor in 1815), "and a wish to secure patronage in Penobscot county." The new name was not long continued, and with the seventh volume, June 28, 1826, that of BELFAST GAZETTE was substituted. Its exist- ence was brief, and terminated with number thirty-seven of the .,eighth volume. * Mr. Biglow died in 1844, aged 70 years. For several years he was proofreader In large printing houses in Boston and Cambridge. JUVENILE MAGAZINE. In April, 1823, Messrs. Fellows and Simpson advertised the prospectus of a monthly publication, entitled the Juvenile Maga- zinc, "for the amusement and instruction of young persons, and the use of schools and families" to be edited by William Biglow. Each number was to contain thirty-six pages, duodecimo. The annual subscription price was one dollar, to, be paid in advance.. But one number appeared. CHRISTIAN VISITANT. The Christian Visitant, a monthly publication of religious ar- ticles, was established in September, 1825, and continued two years. It was in duodecimo form, each number having twelve pages. It was published by Rev. William A. Drew, now of Au- gusta, under the auspices of the Eastern Association of Univer- salists. There were, on an average, about two thousand copies subscribed for. Ephraim Fellows printed both volumes. WALDO DEMOCRAT. A week after the suspension of the Belfast Gazette, the first number of the Waldo Democrat appeared. It was a revival of the former under a new name, and was designated as " vol. IX, new series." Mr. Fellows, the proprietor of the Gazette, became its publisher. Its size was considerably larger than its predecessors In politics it advocated the re-election of President Adams. The- first leading editorial gives the following reasons for a change of name - "We this day present the public with No. 1 of a new series of our paper; or to speak more correctly, with a new paper, under a new name and auspices, in an enlarged and improved form, with new hopes and prospects. * * From the want of an editor on whom might rest the responsibility, the publishers of the Belfast Gazette have been aware that their paper has heretofore wanted that strong and decided political character which is re- quired to gain the confidence of the community, and to give a proper tone to public sentiment. * * The political character of this paper is to be, as its name purports, Democratic, heartily and entirely Democratic." The Democrat continued lessthan a year, and with the forty-fourth number its unannounced termination took place. 160 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. REPUBLICAN JOURNAL. Mr. Fellows transferred his press and other printing materials to Messrs. Robert White and Cyrus Rowe, of Belfast, who, under the style of White and Rowe, on the sixth day of Feb., 1829, established the Republican Journal. In politics, the new sheet supported Democratic principles as represented by Jackson, whose election over Adams in the previous November probably induced the discontinuance of its predecessor. Its size and typography were similar to those of the Democrat. The partnership of White and Rowe existed until 184-, when Mr. White * retired, and was succeeded by Benjamin Griffin, of Boston, who became the editor. The new firm was dissolved Oct. 7,1843, when Mr. Griffin asso- ciated himself with his brother, under the name of George E. and B. Griffin. In June, 1845, the Journal was much enlarged and improved. During the following year, Mr. Rowe purchased the interest of George E. Griffin, and the old firm of Rowe and Griffin was resumed, which continued until January, 1849. At that date, George B. Moore and Levi R. Wing, young men who had served their apprenticeships in the office, became proprietors. Mr. Griffin soon afterwards left for California. He has since edited the Provi- dence Daily Post, and now conducts the Syracuse (N. Y.) Demo- crat. His editorials in the Journal were distinguished by vigor of thought and simplicity of style. Mr. Rowe also went to Califor- nia, and subsequently to Nevada City, where he died Dec. 12,1858. Under the style of George B. Moore and Co., and Wing and Moore (Mr. Moore being editor), the Journal continued until 18- when J. G. Dickerson, Esq., now one of the Justices of the Su- preme Court, purchased the interest of Wing, and a new partner- ship was formed, called Moore and Dickerson. In May, 1858, the establishment was sold to William H. Simpson, Esq., the pres- ent editor and proprietor. Mr. Moore continued the editorial management until 1861, when he was appointed Inspector of the Customs at Camden. He was afterwards editor of the Portland Daily Advertiser, which position he occupied at the time of his * Mr. White was subsequently a merchant in Belfast, and was Register of Deeds and County Treasurer of' Waldo county. He died suddenly, Dec. 31, 1866. WALDO COUNTY. 161 death, March, 1862. With the exception of a short period of sus- pension in 1866, the Journal has existed for over forty years. It has always been published weekly. THE MAINE FARMER AND POLITICAL REGISTER. In chronological order this was the next paper to the Journal established in Waldo county. It was also published in Belfast. It was a weekly sheet, about 20 X 14 inches on each page, well printed, and conducted with considerable ability, The first num- ber appeared April 8, 1829, and the last Oct., 1830. Edward Palmer, afterward a Unitarian minister at Natick, Mass., was its editor. WORKINGMEN'S ADVOCATE. From the dissolution of the Farmer arose The Maine Work- ingmen's Advocate, another weekly paper, which commenced November 3, 1830. The proprietor was John Dorr, to whom the subscription list of the Farmer had been transferred, and probably its printing materials, as the size and typography are identical. Its political character was decidedly Federal or Whig. Samuel Upton, Esq., a prominent politician, was editor. With the com- mencement of the sixth volume, its name was changed to Ameri- can Advocate. On the 22d of January, 1834, the offices of the Advocate and of the Journal were destroyed by fire. Their con- tents were saved in a damaged condition, the presses were broken in the haste of removal, and the types badly knocked into pi. The Advocate was discontinued April 28, 1836. Mr. Upton re- moved to Bangor, and afterward to Washington, where his death occurred in 1840. BELFAST INTELLIGENCER. In 1836, serious dissensions having occurred among the Dem- ocrats of Waldo county relative to a Congressional nomination, the Belfast Intelligencer, a rival of the Journal, was established Nov. 17th by Frederick P. Ingalls. Joseph Williamson, Esq., was its editor and principal proprietor. At the expiration of a In ninth line of Preceding page, after 184 , insert 1. In second line of second paragraph, after 18 , insert 55. 21 162 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. year it was moved to Frankfort village (now Winterport), where- it was maintained until.Jan. 12, 1839. Mr. Ingalls is now a con- stable in Boston. Mr. Williamson died in 1854, aged 65 years.* WALDO PATRIOT. The removal of the Intelligencer was soon followed by the publication at Belfast of a Whig paper called the Waldo Patriot. John Dorr was its publisher, and Hon. Solyman Heath, now of Waterville, editor. Its size was that of the Journal, which it ex- celled in mechanical execution. The first number appeared Jan. 1, 1838. Pecuniarily, the paper is believed to have been unre- munerative, and at the close of the first volume it was united with the Kennebec Journal, at Augusta, of which Mr. Dorr became a proprietor. He still resides in that city. WALDO SIGNAL. An enthusiastic political campaign in 1840 induced the estab- lishment of another Whig newspaper in Belfast, and in October, Chas. Giles, a practical printer (who a few months previously had made an ineffectual attempt to institute the Democratic Standard), gave to the public the Waldo Signal,(t) a weekly paper of medium size. On the 26th of June, 1846, it was enlarged, and the name of State Signal substituted for the old one. Isaac N. Felch, Esq.,. afterwards Deputy Collector, edited it until the termination of the seventh volume, Oct. 27, 1847, when Messrs. Giles and Felch re- tired, and a change of name and proprietors took place. William L. Avery, Esq. of Belfast, and Horace K. Kimball of New York, I Joseph Williamson, father of the author of this well prepared sketch of the Press in Waldo County, was a graduate of Vermont University in the class of 1812,-a lawyer in Belfast for nearly forty years,-County Attorney,-President of the Senate of Maine, etc. -Ed. (t) In the valuable history of Newspapers in Knox County, prepared by Edwin Sprague, Esq., and published with the proceedings of the Third Editors and Publish- ers' Convention, no mention is made of a Democratic weekly paper called the Ameri- can Citizen, which was issued at Camden from May 13th to September 25th, 1840, by John R. Shaw, editor and proprietor. Mr. Shaw came from Winthrop, Me., and was a hatter by trade. The paper was discontinued for want of patronage. It was of small size,and poorly printed. Mr.Shaw now resides in California. As Camden belonged to Waldo county, during the existence of the Citizen, a notice of the omis- sion seems proper in this article. WALDO COUNTY. 163 who a few weeks previously had started The New Planet, now became owners of the Signal establishment and united both pa- pers under the title of Signal and Planet. Mr. Felch subsequent- ly removed to Gorham, where he died in 1870. For a short time he was editor of the Portland Evening Star. Mr. Giles engaged in mercantile pursuits, and was Postmaster of Belfast from 1849 to 1853. At an early period of the rebellion, he enlisted in the Four- teenth Maine Regiment and was killed at the battle of Baton Rouge, Aug. 5, 1862. On the 10th of January, 1849, the firm of Avery and Kimball was dissolved. The former continued as editor and proprietor. His connection with the paper ceased March 3, 1853, by a sale to D. H. Prime of Vermont, who changed its name to Belfast Signal. Mr. Avery afterwards edited the Daily Times, at Troy, N. Y. He now resides in Washington. Mr. Kimball has been for several years, foreman of one of the New York dailies. Under the new ownership, prosperity did not attend the Signal, and in Novem- ber, 1853, it was sold to Messrs. J. R. Stephens and Co., who pub lished a few numbers and then discontinued it. NEW PLANET. The New Planet, of which mention has been made, was a weekly folio sheet, with seven large columns on each page. It was independent in its character, and according to the prospectus, "differed in many respects from any journal in the State." After sixteen numbers had appeared, on the 27th of October, 1847, its union with the Signal took place, as stated above. PEOPLES' ADVOCATE. In March, 1844, another rival of the Journal appeared, called the Peoples' Advocate and Independent Democrat, printed week- ly by Lewis Richardson, "for the proprietors." It contained twenty-four columns, and the annual subscription price was $1.50 in advance. It gave a cordial support to the regular National and State Democratic candidates, but opposed the local nomina- tions. N. Abbott, Esq. of the Waldo Bar, afterwards a member of the Legislature, and a Representative in Congress, was the edi- tor. The paper did not reach the close of a second volume. 164 THE NEWS PRESS OF MAINE. Mr. Richardson has since published a paper at Rockland, where he died in 1867. A small weekly campaign paper was issued from the office of the Republican Journal, for a few months previous to the Presi- dential election of 1848. COMMON SCHOOL ADVOCATE. In May, 1848, Messrs. Rowe and Griffin commenced publish- ing at Belfast the Common School Advocate, a semi-monthly sheet of a quarto form. The editorial department was conducted by William G. Crosby, Secretary of the Board of Education. The second volume was increased in size, each number containing eight pages. It was discontinued Aug. 1, 1849. PROGRESSIVE AGE. The Progressive Age, a weekly paper, which advocated the principles of the then new Republican party, was established at Belfast, July 1, 1854. It was of small dimensions at first, but with the increase of the political organization which it represented, its size was extended, and it is now a large sheet. William M. Rust, Esq. has been editor and proprietor from its commencement. MAINE FREE PRESS. After a quiet of ten years, local dissensions again disturbed the harmony of the Democratic party of Waldo county, and on June 15, 1854, the Maine Free Press, a large and well printed weekly paper, was established at Belfast by Hon. E. K. Smart, Collector of the Customs, who edited it. The name of Levi M Wing appears as first publisher. For a few months in 1855 John Abbot conducted it. M. V. Stetson then became publisher, and Col. Smart resumed the editorial charge. In 1857, it was re- moved to Rockland, and merged in the United States Democrat, under the name of Democrat and Free Press, which it now bears. Col. Smart continues to reside at Camden. Mr. Wing and Mr. Stetson live in Boston. PROGRESSIVE AGE EVENING BULLETIN. The only daily paper ever attempted in Waldo county, was the Progressive Age Evening Bulletin, a sheet 12 X 8 inches, which issued from the office of the Age in Belfast, every afternoon WALDO COUNTY. 165 from April 24, to June 29, 1861, and contained all the evening despatches concerning the war. It was revived March 10th of the following year, by Messrs. Pillsbury and Burgess, under the name of the Evening Bulletin. But twenty-six numbers of the new series appeared. UNION BANNER. The Union Banner was started in Belfast, January, 1870, by L. H. Murch, (a native of Unity) who was editor, publisher, and proprietor. It was printed by Geo. W. Burgess. It was a monthly royal quarto of 8 pp., published but one year; circulation 1000 copies. BELFAST ADVERTISER. The last newspaper established in Waldo county was the, Belfast Advertiser, a monthly quarto of eight pages, published by George E. Brackett and George W. Burgess. Its first issue ap- peared in July, 1871, and it is still published, with a circulation of twenty-five hundred copies. As indicated by its name, the columns are principally devoted to advertisements. *********************************************** Source for the above: "The Press of Maine" by Joseph Griffin 1872 Brunswick, Maine *********************************************** Courtesy of the New England Old Newspaper Index Project of Maine (R) and the Androscoggin Historical Society ] PO Box 152 Danville, Maine 04223 ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. 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