Statewide County OhArchives News.....Tid-Bits -- Part 110B: Newspapers Read by the Ohio Pioneers (con't) May 10, 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ohfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 11, 2008, 1:14 am Historical Collections Of Ohio, And Then They Went West, Know Your Ohio May 10, 2008 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 10, 2008 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio Tid-Bits - Part 110 B Newspapers Read by The Ohio Pioneers ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 110 B. Newspapers Read by the Ohio Pioneers ( Con't ) In continuation of the previous artcle we now go to Zanesville. It was there that the " Muskingun Messenger " was published in 1809 by Ezekiel T. Cox, father of the brilliantly and nationally known Samuel Cox, author, editor, congressman and foreign ambassador. In 1812 the title was changed to the " Express and Advertiser " and in 1823 it became the " Ohio Republican. " Various other changes took place till 1845 when its name became the " Courier. The time honored burg of Worthington, abiding in undisturbed quietude, just north of Columbus, was the birthplace in 1811, of the " Western Intelligencer," the first newspaper of Central Ohio. Its protagonist, also the founder of the village, was Col. James Kilbourne, of New England Revolutionary stock. Sometime in 1813, the paper was removed to Columbus, then recently established as the Capital of the State. Is name was changed to the " Western Intelligencer and Columbus Gazette, It then ran the gauntlet of several proprietors until 1837, when John M. Gallagher secured possession and consolidated it with his paper, " The Ohio Political Register." The combination was entitled the " Ohio State Journal and Register." It became a daily and the later half of the name was dropped and the paper became known as " The Ohio State Journal." in 1839. It had a conspicious career, having had upon its editorial staff a remarkable list of distinquished Ohioans; William B. Thrall, Orian Follett, John Greimer, William Dean Howells, William T. Coggshall, John James Piatt, James M. Comly, A.W. Francisco, Samuel J. Flickinger, Samuel G. McClure, and Col E.S. Wilson. The first newsaper in the Western Reserve district, the New Connecticut of Ohio, founded at Warren, Trumbull county.was the " Trump of Fame, " edited by Thomas D. Webb. Its appearance was on June 16, 1812, the date of the declaration of the war against England. It was an enterprising and patriotic paper. Each of its four pages was set in large type. The paper went through the usual changing of hands, and in 1816 was enlarged and the title was made , " The Western Reserve Chronicle." It remained as such to later days. Probably the most distinquished and brilliant journalist of the period was Charles Hammond. He was declared by Daniel Webster to be " the greatest genius who ever welded the political pen." It was a federal pen in the " Ohio Federalist," started in St. Clairsville, Belmont County, in 1811, by Mr.Hammond and continued till 1818, when the publication became the " Belmont Chronicle." He was also instrumental in the establishment in 1806, of the " Cincinnati Gazette," which, under his direction and editorial management, acquired a wide circulation and reputation. It was originally a weekly and became an influetial party newspaper. The " Gazette" was merged with the " Cincinnati Commercial, " later known as the " Commercial - Tribune. " Mr. Hammond , from 1813 to 1822, was a member of the Ohio Legislature, and potent agent in state affairs. In 1821 he was appointed the first reporter of the Ohio Supreme Court, which office he filled till his death in 1840, in Cincinnati, to which city he had moved in 1822. The " St Clairsville Gazette " dates its beginning in 1812 though until 1825 it did not adopt this title. On June 22, 1814, the "Hamilton Intelligencer " was first issue in that city. There were frequent changes of ownership which is true of nearly all early newspapers of Ohio, but the " Butler County Democrat was its successor. John Saxton, whose granddaghter, Ida Saxton who became the wife of President McKinley, established in 1815, the " Ohio Repository, " of Canton. A noteable fact regarding Mr.Saxton's editorials was that from 1815 to 1871, the year of his death, he composed his editorials and put them to type by hand, instead of writing them and handing them to another compositor, long since the universal custom. Upon the death of Mr. Saxton, his son, ThomasW. Saxton, succeeded him in the management of the paper, and continued to do so until his death in 1885. This paper was the administrative mouthpiece of Mr.McKinley in his presidential campaigns of 1896 and 1900, and came into national prominence thereby. The " Union Hearld, of Circleville, was first established in August, 1817, by James Foster, a bookbinder, under the name of " The Olive Branch." Several changes in name were effected, and at the end of te Civil War and then became the " Circleville Union " and was finally changed to be called " The Union Herald." Messrs. Hughes and Drake, ministers of the Gospel, in 1818, inaugurated the "Delaware Gazette," which has borne that title many years. In 1834, Abram Thompson aquired the interest in the paper and continued the editorial control for sixty two years, excepting during the period 1869-71, when Captain Alfred E. Lee acted as editor. The latter, a talented and facile writer, became private secretary to Governor R.B. Hayes, and later when the Governor was elevated to the Presidentcy, was appointed Consul General to Germany. The " Springfield Republican," wose daily edition was called the "Press-Republican" dates from 1817, when " The Farmer " was started as the first paper in that city and county. After many changes in names and proprietors, it became known in 1849 as "The Republic " and then as the " Springfield News, " owned by James M. Cox. He was also proprietor of the " Dayton News." Both of these papers he has raised to the first rank of success and influence. Indeed, the Governor Cox, displayed the same energetic talent as a journalist that he had as an eminent executive of the State, which he had been three times elected to the highest office of Ohio. These few pages just represents a few of Ohio's Newpapers that were bourne within the New Connecticut. The fortitude and preserverence of these pioneers, offered the newest of settlers, a view of the world and local news. Politics, offered a growth of a new country and kept the pioneers in a vast array of intellect. It is thus seen Ohio was fertile soil for the planting and growth of that " lever of public opinion " known as the newspaper. In 1813, the whole number of newspapers in the United States was 159, of these 14 was published in Ohio.In 1819, there were 40 issued in Ohio, representing almost as many small and young, but enterprising and news-reading towns. Ohi was a forest state, with a large Indian population and the prevalence of pioneer conditions. In 1824, there were 500 newspapers in the United States, 50, one-tenth, of which were being published in Ohio, evidencing the rapid social and intellectual progress made in its early years by the people of the first State carved out of the Northwest Territory. The Marquis de Lafayette, on his visit to Ohio in 1825, was received by Governor Marrow and staff, at Cincinnati, in the presence of thousands of people. The welcome songs of hundreds of school children and the evidences of cultured society on a site which at this time of his services in the American Revolution was a wildrness of waste, inhabited solely by savages and wild beasts, so impressed Lafayette that he exclaimed, " Ohio is the eighth wonder of the world." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid Bits con't in Part 111. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/statewide/newspapers/tidbitsp107nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ohfiles/ File size: 8.4 Kb