HISTORIES:  "Journalism" in Barron, Barron County, WI

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                            Journalism

The first newspaper published in Barron was the Barron County Gazette. The 
first issue came out in 1874 and the publishers were C.W. Carpenter and 
W.L. Abbott. In 1875 this paper was moved to Rice Lake and the name was 
changed to the Rice Lake Chronotype. On November 1, 1876 A. Dewey started 
publishing the Barron County Shield here. On November 1, 1879 Walter speed 
and Company purchased this paper. From this date until 1905 there were only 
three men who gained destiny of this newspaper; Walter Speed, Charles S. 
Taylor and Thomas Dovery.

The Barron County News was first published in 1900. Its first name was the 
Weekly Call. The first editor was Fred W. Haislet. In 1903 the paper was 
sold to C.W. Andrews and the name was changed to the Barron County News. 
In June 1904 N.S. Gordon purchased this paper.

Other owners of the Shield from 1905-1918 were W.R. Hotchkiss, F.B. Gessler 
and Durnell and Dretzke. August F. Ender purchased the paper in 1914. On 
November 1, 1918 N.S. Gordon brought the Shield and consolidated the two 
papers under the name of the Barron County News-Shield. In 1920 Mr. Gordon 
bought the subscription list of the Prairie Farm Breeze and these 
subscribers from then on received the Barron County News-Shield.

In 1926 Ray C. Peck and J.W. Grant purchased the News-Shield. In 1935 Grant 
sold his interest to Roy Holman. Peck and Holman continued publication 
until 1940 when they sold the paper to E.H. Stern. In 1943 he formed a 
partnership with his brother, Julius stern, and Clarence Seidl.

Since 1940 the plant has been much enlarged and modern up-to-date presses 
have been installed. The circulation has been increased from 2,000 to 
2,700. The publishers do a big business in the field of job printing and 
have customers not only in Wisconsin but from points in Minnesota, Illinois 
and Indiana.

The Barron County Republican was published here from 1884 to 1904. During 
these years the publishers were: J.H. Williams and Son, J.J. Smith & Jay 
Williams, Barrage & Hudson and W.A. Coe. In 1904 the paper was moved to 
Dallas.

L.A. Goodrich came here in 1926 and published the Barron Tribune for 2 
years. This paper was consolidated with the Barron County News-Shield.

--From the Souvenir Historical Album of the Barron Centennial-1960
(used by permission)