Ashtabula County, Ohio - Chapter 15: The Press, 1878

Chapter 15: The Press

In the spring of 1823, Asa W. W. Hickox and John A. Hickox commenced the publication of the Ashtabula Recorder , the first newspaper published in this county. It was printed in the second story of a small brown building which stood near where Weiblen's saloon now is, a little north of T. N. Booth's brick store, on Main street. They published it until November 8, 1823, when John S. Hickox retired, and Ozias Bowen, a practical printer, took his place in the firm, and the publication was continued by the new firm of Hickox & Bowen until September 8. 1824, when Bowen withdrew. From that time to the close of the second volume the paper was published by Asa W. W. Hickox & A. S. Park, when the establishment appears to have passed into the hands of Hugh Lowry, who published it to the close of the third volume, - in the summer of 1826, - when its publication was discontinued. Only a few scattered numbers of it are now in existence, and, like its projectors and most of its patrons, it appears already almost to have passed into oblivion.

It was a small folio sheet, its pages measuring twelve by eighteen inches. It was not a sensational paper. It had no special local editor or reporter, and contained, so far at least as I have had an opportunity to examine it, but little that would be of present interest. The following extracts, however, giving an account of the dedication of the first " meeting-house" in the village, the wounded feelings of the editors at being obliged to suspend the publication of their paper for twenty-one days to make some repairs of their press, which now could be done in as many hours, and an advertisement which is illustrative of the humor of one of the leading citizens of that day, are perhaps worthy of a reprint :

" On Thursday last [August 12, 1S20], the Baptist meeting-house, recently erected in the village, was dedicated to Almighty God as a place of religious worship. The day being pleasant, a large and respectable concourse of people gave their attendance. The dedication sermon was preached by Elder Elisha Tucker, from Psalms xxv. 8: 'Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy house dwelleth.'

"The meeting-house, which is very respectable for size and appearance, has been erected solely at the expense of one individual. It was commenced the last season, and is now entirely completed."

" J^"Circumstances render it very necessary that we should procure a new stone for our press, and make some other repairs, in order that we may be enabled to do our work more satisfactorily to our own feelings, as also to render it more intelligible to our readers ; we shall therefore, however at variance with our feelings, be under the necessity of suspending the publication of the Recorder until the twenty-fifth instant, which we trust will afford us sufficient time to accomplish the desired object." - (February 4, 1825.)

" A jug containing whisky, and lying exposed in the middle of the road called the North ridge, leading west from this village, was picked up by the subscriber. The owner is desired to prove property, and take it from the printing-office at Ashtabula, where it is lodged for safe keeping.

Asa W. W. Hickox, the principal founder of the Recorder , was a mild, inoffensive man, without much mental or physical energy. He lived to an advanced age, occasionally holding some small office, and working a portion of the time as he had opportunity as a journeyman printer, always on the verge of poverty, as he never succeeded in accumulating property. By his familiar title of Deacon Hickox, he is still remembered by many of our citizens. He died a few years ago in Conneaut, where he resided during the latter part of his life. John A., his nephew, left Ashtabula many years ago, and I know not what became of him. Bowen, soon after he closed his connection with the Recorder , removed to Elyria, studied law, and was, I think, for some time a judge of the supreme court of this State. Park and Lowry were afterwards connected with the Journal, and both died many years since.

Its successor, the Western Journal, was commenced in August, 1826, by R. W. Griswold, and was published by him about fifteen months, when it passed into the hands of Park & Terril, November 8, 1827 (Vol. II., No. 13), who continued its publication until November 8, 1838, when they sold the establishment to Hugh Lowry.

In the fall of 1828 the proprietors of the Western Journal, as stated before, sold the press, type, and good-will of the paper to Hugh Lowry, a practical printer, who continued the publication under the same title, and with but little change in its general appearance. Though a great improvement upon the Recorder, it was a small affair compared with the village papers at the present time. It was published in a building now composing a part of the dwelling of Mrs. Sawtell, which then stood back of the brown dwelling-house now owned by 0. H. Fitch, near the Baptist church, and fronting eastward on the public square.

Great changes and improvements have been made since that time. The little Ramage press used by Lowry was made chiefly of wood, and the pressure upon the type was made by an iron screw, and it required a strong pull to make the necessary impression upon each page of the paper. It was substantially the same kind of press as was used by Franklin when working as a journeyman printer in Philadelphia. The iron presses now in use, with their complex machinery of cylinders and levers, were then unknown, and instead of the composition rollers in use, the ink was distributed upon the types by beating them with large leather balls stuffed with wool.

The labor in the oflice was performed by Lowry and his two brothers, Robert and Samuel. Robert had served an apprenticeship in the trade, and was a fair workman. He was intelligent, shrewd, kind-hearted, and fond of a joke, but unfortunately more fond of whisky, which not unfrequently sadly interfered with his type-setting. Samuel was merely an apprentice. They all died many years since.

Lowry was a bachelor when he purchased the press, but some time after married Miss Paddock. He was a close, shrewd manager, with a very limited education, but with a determined purpose to make money. To accomplish this purpose it required the most rigid economy, and he and his brother for some months kept bachelors' hall, - cooking, eating, sleeping, and working in the same room. His defective education, however, forced him to employ an editor, who for two years wrote all the editorial matter and corrected most of the proof-sheets. Yet, strange as it may seem, there was but one person, outside of the office, who knew or even suspected the writer. And who he was would probably ever have remained unknown, had he not been forced to resort to a suit at law to recover the very moderate sum he claimed for his editorial labor. The name and the facts were thus spread upon the records of the court, and became known to the public.

The-first number of the journal under its new management was issued November 15, 1828, and announced that it would support what was then termed the

In a statement of votes given at the presidential election that year, it appears that this county gave for Adams 1961, and for Jackson 183, and that the vote of this township, then comprising Plymouth, was for Adams 235, and for Jackson 18. In looking over the columns of this old paper, the eye now and then rests upon some item which brings vividly before the mind the great changes which have taken place since it was written. Thus, in the paper of January 1, 1829, we notice that a petition has been presented to the legislature, from Cleveland, for a lottery, " for the purpose of raising funds to protect that town from the encroachments of the lake, which has for several years past been making sad inroads upon the village plat." Cleveland was but a village then, less than onethird of the present size of Ashtabula.

On the 31st of the same month, the public are informed that " a new postoffice has been established on the North ridge, in the town of Geneva, in this county, and E. Mills, Esq., appointed postmaster." This was the first post-office in the locality of the present and thriving village of Geneva.

The anti-Masonie excitement caused by the alleged abduction of Morgan had reached this county some time before Lowry's connection with the Journal, and had spread so rapidly among the people, that in the fall of 1828 a strong political party had been formed, and in November its friends established an anti-Masonic newspaper in Jefferson, under the somewhat pretentious title of The Ohio Luminary. It was, however, but a small light, and the Journal for some time did not notice it, or admit the subject of political anti-Masonry into its columns.

The reason for this course was probably that Lowry, who was a Mason, did not wish to offend his subscribers who were not Masons, and who composed a large portion of his patrons. The editor, being unknown to the public, could gain no laurels by it, and was not anxious to enter upon what he knew would be a long and bitter controversy, increasing the excitement and very probably doing no good. But there was 'so much feeling on the subject among the people that it was impracticable long to remain neutral, and on the 4th of April, 1829, the Journal came out with an editorial article, from which the following is an extract :

" Violent party excitements, from whatever cause they may originate, are ever found to be productive of great evils to the communities in which they exist. It is, however, frequently necessary to take a firm and decided stand in opposition to principles or measures which are supposed to be erroneous. It is a right which belongs to every citizen, of the temperate use of which he ought not to be deprived. But when opposition degenerates into party excitement ; when the honest desire of correcting evils is perverted into a desire of gaining proselytes to a party ; and when calm reasoning and sound arguments are converted into personal abuse and bitter invective, we believe it the duty of every good citizen to endeavor to suppress its progress." This, with the announcement that the columns of the Journal would thereafter be open to candid and well-written communications on the subject of the anti-Masonic excitement, drew out an abusive attack from the editor of the Luminary, and a bitter warfare between the two papers continued until the Luminary expired, on the 12th of June, 1830. The anti-Masonic party, however, lived for seven years thereafter, and for a time was the ruling political power of the county.

On the 13th of June, 1829, the Journal was enlarged and printed on white paper ; its appearance was much improved, and its name was changed to the Ashtabula Journal. In the winter or early spring of 1831 its printing-office was removed to the second story of a building on the north side of Church square, and in a few months afterwards, on account of the poor health of Lowry, its publication was discontinued, and the press and printing materials sold to a party in Conneaut (then Salem), and was used in printing the Salem Advertiser, the first newspaper published in that town.

The Ashtabula Sentinel traces its birth back to January 21, 1832. Its founders were Matthew Hubbard, Wm. W. and Jas. L. Reed, Henry Hubbard, Amos C. Hubbard, Stephen II. Farrington, Epeneteres W. Lockwood, Clark & Lee, Philo Booth, H. J. Rees, Wm. A. Field, and 0. H. Fitch. The first volume was edited by the last-named gentleman. The second volume was published by James Graham. The third, fourth, and fifth were edited and published by 0. H. Fitch. January 14, 1837, Messrs. Parkman and Fassett purchased the paper. They published it until the next March, when the latter gentleman withdrew, leaving Mr. Parkman proprietor. October 21, 1837, Mr. Parkman sold out to his former partner, Henry Fassett, Esq. Mr. Fassett continued the editor and proprietor until June 15, 1839, when Mr. 0. H. Fitch edited the paper for one year, Mr. Fassett remaining the proprietor, and after the expiration of one year resumed the editorial charge.

Henry Fassett continued the publication up to volume ten, number thirty-four. At this date S. S. & H. Fassett became the publishers, with the latter as editor. From October 28, 1843, up to May 11, 1844, Messrs. Fassett & Nellis were publishers, with the former as editor. From May 11, 1844, to November 30, 1844, S. S. Fassett & Hendry were the proprietors. From the last-named date to March 20, 1848, A. & S. Hendry were the publishers, with S. Hendry as editor, and J. Burton printer. Then H. Fassett & Company obtained control, with J. A. Giddings as editor. From volume seventeen, number forty, to October 19, 1850, Giddings & Burton were publishers, with J. A. Giddings editor. May 10, 1851, Henry Fassett again assumed control, and July 10, 1852, sold a half-interest to W. C. Howells.

The Ashtabula Telegraph was started in the fall of 1852, N. W. Thayer being the publisher, and a man by the name of W. E. Scarsdale the editor. In 1853 the office became the property of John Booth, Esq. The paper was not a paying venture, and during the time of the management of Thayer and of Booth prominent citizens had advanced means to keep the sheet alive, and in the fall of 1855 a consultation of these patrons was held, which resulted in the purchase of the office by the Messrs. Willard, Hendry & Morrison. These three citizens were among those who held claims against the office, and the other creditors offered to surrender to Messrs. Willard, Hendry & Morrison their claims, if these gentlemen would agree to publish the paper. The offer was accepted. During the proprietorship of Willard, Hendry & Morrison, R. W. Hanford was the editorin-cliarge. April 12, 1856, the Telegraph passed into the hands of James Reed, Esq., the present senior proprietor. In the first ten years of his connection with journalism in Ashtabula, Mr. Reed maintained a severe struggle in behalf of measures whose leading element was the anti-slavery question. He has lived to see the principles which he so openly and fearlessly advocated firmly and permanently established. Mr. Reed has but one senior in journalism in the county. When he took charge of the Telegraph it was a seven-column folio. January 25, 1873, his son became his partner, and James Reed & Son the proprietors of the paper. In January, 1874, the paper was enlarged to an eight-column folio, its present size. The Telegraph is published on the Acme cylinder-press, propelled by steam, and the entire edition is printed in about one hour and a half. The Telegraph is one of the most complete printing-offices in this part of the country. The paper has a large and growing circulation, and a future prosperous career is assured.

The Ashtabula Jeffersonian commenced an existence October 8, 1870, J. B. Brown, proprietor and editor. It advocated the principles of the Democratic party ; but, owing to lack of patronage, ceased to exist in about one year from the date of its first issue.

The Conneaut Citizen, C. G. Griffey, editor and proprietor, was started at Conneaut, in June of 1871, continued to be published at that place for about two years, and was then removed to Ashtabula, January 1, 1873. After an issue of twenty-six numbers the office was sold to Mr. A. F. Sperry. This was an eightcolumn folio.

In June of 1873, Mr. Sperry began the publication of the Ashtabula News. Its first number appeared June 7 of that year. It was begun as an eightcolumn folio, but in September, 1877, was enlarged to a mammoth seven-column quarto. In August, 1874, Mr. Sperry sold a half-interest in the paper to N. C. Hawley, who, by reason of failing health, soon sold his interest to Mr. E. J. Griffin and A. F. Sperry, the latter becoming proprietor of a two-thirds interest in the office. The firm is now known as Sperry & Griffin. The News is the largest paper in the county, and has a weekly circulation of nine hundred copies. In politics it is independent, but not neutral. It is ably edited, and its patronage is constantly increasing.

The Democratic Standard , under the able management of Sherman, Rote & Fardon, with Henry Apthorp as associate editor, has been published in Ashtabula since November 14, 1877.

Journalism In Jefferson

The Luminary was the first paper established in Jefferson. It was started in 1828. A man by the name of Morehead was the publisher, and Jonathan Warner its chief patron. It was an anti-Masonic sheet. It was not of long duration.

In March, 1852, the Western Reserve Farmer and Dairyman made its appearance, - G. B. Miller, publisher, and N. E. French, editor. The form of this paper was a sixteen-page octavo, and was issued monthly. The paper was soon merged into the Ohio Farmer.

The publication of the Ashtabula Democrat was begun in the same year, 1852, its editor being B. J. Loomis. It was removed to Geneva the subsequent fall, and was soon after discontinued.

Jefferson was left without a printing-office. The necessity of having a paper at the county-seat was constantly felt, and the pressure was finally so strongly brought to bear upon the Sentinel office, that Mr. Fassett, its publisher, was induced to sell out. A partnership was then formed between W. C. Howells and J. L. Oliver, under the firm-name of J. L. Oliver & Co. The Sentinel office was, on January 1, 1853, moved to Jefferson. The paper was enlarged and changed to an eight-page paper, one of the first, if not the first, to have that form iu the State. A steam-press was bought, which was also a great advance, it being the first country paper in the State to have a steam-press.

Under the new arrangement the paper prospered. In October, 1854, Mr. Oliver sold his interest to J. A. Howells, and there has been no change in its management since. The firm of J. A. Howells & Co. is familiarly known throughout the county as a household word.

The Sentinel was at an early day identified with the anti-slavery cause. Its editor, W. C. Howells, having met with severe pecuniary losses in southern Ohio on account of his abolition sentiments, felt the luxury of freedom of speech which the air of Ashtabula County gave him, and he never lost an opportunity to give the monster sin slavery the full force of his pen. Mr. Giddings acted as corresponding editor while he remained in Congress. The Sentinel, before the war, was an outspoken Free-Soil sheet. In 1852 supported Hale and Julian on the presidential ticket, and in 1856 Fremont and Dayton. When the Republican party was organized, it being about as radical as could be hoped for at that day, the Sentinel entered fully into the spirit of the party, and has always stood by the principles of the Republican party.

It was enlarged in 1853, 1866, and 1874, and is now the largest home-printed country paper in Ohio, if not in the United States. It devotes a large amount of space to local county news, and has done a great deal towards perpetuating the history of the county by publishing many sketches relating to the early settlement of the county, and in some cases giving complete history of townships.

Mr. W. C. Howells, the editor, has been in Quebec since June, 1874, and contributed a letter each week to the Sentinel, giving much valuable information relative to that place.

The Sentinel building, a fine three-story building, south of the court-house, Chestnut street, Jefferson, is entirely occupied with the printing-office and bookstore in connection therewith. In 1853 the Sentinel was printed on a hand-press. Now it is printed on one of the largest steam-presses in the State, and the office is fully equipped with steam-presses for job work.

The Jefferson Gazette was first issued November 3, 1876, by D. Lee & Son, who had previously published The Madison Gazette, at Madison, Lake county, Ohio. The Jefferson Gazette is a thirty-two-column folio weekly, independent in politics. Its publishers aim to make it a first-class county paper, devoting from seven to eight columns each week to the publication of county and local news. The establishment has an excellent outfit of presses and machinery for the trade. The paper has the largest corps of correspondents of any paper published in Ashtabula County. It has attained a position that places it in the first rank of country newspapers. It circulates largely among the farmers of Ashtabula County. Its weekly edition is nine hundred copies.

Journalism In Conneaut

The first attempt to establish a newspaper in Conneaut was made by O. H. Knapp, February, 1832, while the town was yet known by the appellation of Salem. The material used consisted of a second-hand Ramage press, and a small quantity of type which had been previously employed by A. W. W. Hickox in the publication of the Ashtabula Recorder, the first paper published in the county. Mr. Knapp's paper was known as the Salem Advertiser. It was Whig in politics, and was published for the space of two years, when it was succeeded by the Conneaut Gazette. Mr. Knapp retained the editorship, and continued therein until about August, 1835, when Mr. S. F. Taylor became identified with Mr. Knapp, and the paper was published by Knapp & Taylor until April, 1836, when Mr. Knapp withdrew, and the proprietorship passed into the hands of Mr. Jacoby, Mr. S. F. Taylor remaining as editor. Under this management the paper seems to have been indifferently published until October 28, 1836, when C. A. Randall & Co. succeeded to the ownership, and carried on the business until the spring of 1838, when the name of W. W. Ainger appears as publishing agent. Mr. Ainger's administration seems to have been rather short, as the name of S. F. Taylor appears at the head of the paper the following October as editor and proprietor. Mr. Taylor published the paper for the space of nearly three years, or until May 29, 1841, at which date we find the following under the editorial head, which seems indicative of rather poor success :

" To Printers. - The press and materials in the office of the Gazette are offered for sale. If any one wishes to go on here he may try the experiment. The circulation falls but little short of six hundred, and the advertising and job work is fair. A printer can make money if he can get his pay from those who are abundantly able to pay. Unless the establishment is disposed of before that time (which is not very probable) the publication of the Gazette will be suspended, or, to use a stronger term, discontinued, on the 12th day of June. There is one condition, however, on which it may go on. If my patrons, who owe me at least twelve hundred dollars, will pay one-third in cash they may protract its existence. I am not going to work longer without pay, nor am I going to do much longer without pay for what I have done."

True to the promise, Mr. Taylor closed his administration of the Gazette with a valedictory of bitter lamentation. From this time until the 11th of September there seems to have been no paper, at which time the publication of the Gazette was resumed by D. C. Allen & William J. Tait. The firm of Allen & Tait published the paper for one year, bringing it to September, 1842, when Mr. Allen retired from the firm, and Mr. S. F. Taylor again became identified with the concern in the capacity of editor. Mr. Tait published the paper until the 6th of April, 1843, at which time he published his valedictory, and finally closed the unprofitable career of the Gazette for want of pecuniary assistance. In the course of a few months the material of the office was sold and taken away, leaving the town destitute of an organ. The inconvenience of not having a newspaper being soon realized, in the winter of 1843-44, D. C. Allen, Esq., raised a small amount of money and purchased material, all of which he transported from Buffalo in one wagon-load, and in January, 1844, issued the first number of the Reporter. Although the auspices were favorable, the new enterprise did not escape the grievances and annoyances of its predecessors. The early years of its existence amounted to a business hardship, which required great perseverance, economy, and unremitting toil to overcome.

Fortunately, Mr. Allen possessed these qualities, and finally vanquished the obstacles that lay in the path of a successful newspaper in Conneaut. A Mr. Rollo was associated with Mr. Allen for a short time in its early publication, but to Mr. Allen is due the credit of founding the Reporter. Under his management the business of the office was brought to an approximation seldom equaled in the history of country journalism, and which finally gave him a pecuniary reward for the long years of oppressive labor which he had undergone. January 18, 1861, the Reporter passed from Mr. Allen into the hands of J. P. Rieg, who had associated with himself Sidney Kelsey as assistant editor. In May, 1863, Mr. Rieg sold the office to Mr. Kelsey, and he being unable to meet his obligations, the property relapsed to Mr. Rieg's hands October 12, 1864, and it has since been under his control up to the present date, with the following list of partners : A. Harwood, C. G. Griffey, and C. D. Stoner ; and is at present published by J. P. Reig & Co., Mr. S. C. Brooks, his father-in-law, being the company.

The Reporter , during the past fifteen years, has attained as large a circulation as any paper in the county, and is at present in a prosperous condition. From the Reporter office have graduated a number of typos who have attained considerable prominence in the profession ; notably among them are Charles Hunt, who has been for a number of years prominently connected with the New York Tribune ; Marshall Preston, president Scranton Printing Company, Scranton, Pennsylvania ; and James W. Hart, editor Dickinson County Chronicle , Abilene, Kansas.

In June, 1871, the Conneaut Citizen was established by C. G. Griffey, ostensibly as a Republican paper, and out of spite to Mr. Reig. When Greeley was nominated it became Liberal, and died with Mr. Greeley. Mr. Reig bought the press, and the balance of the material was moved to Ashtabula and became the nucleus of the News.

In 1838, during the Patriot war, a small daily paper called the Budget was published for several months by Allen & Finch, at the Gazette office. Mr. Allen would go to the Harbor each evening and interview the officers of the steamers for news, and returning put it in type and print the paper for circulation early the succeeding morning.

The Young American, a small paper published monthly during the years 1859-60, was started by 0. M. Hall and Y. P. Kline, lads of but fourteen or fifteen years of age. Owing to a division of sentiment on politics the young firm soon dissolved partnership, Mr. Kline retiring, when the paper was published for some time by Mr. Hall. This paper received a fair support in subscription-list and advertising. It was published at the Reporter office, and its editorial articles are such as would have been creditable to older heads. Mr. Hall was honored with a free pass as editor to attend the editorial excursion to Baltimore and Washington in the summer of 1860, and went with Mr. Allen to the same. Hall and Kline are now prominent young attorneys, the former residing at Red Wing, Minnesota, and the latter at Cleveland, Ohio.

Of the old editors of the Gazette , Mr. Knapp is dead ; Mr. Taylor has for several years occupied a position as judge of common pleas in the southern part of this State ; Mr. Tait for many years held the position of librarian of the public library at Cleveland, Ohio.

Mr. Ilickox, who started the first paper in the county, the Ashtabula Recorder, the material of which was bought for the Gazette, died in the county infirmary, at Kingsville, in 1874. He was an honest man and a good printer, but lacked financial ability.

The Geneva Times was established at Geneva, in 1866, in the building first door north of Talcott's jewelry-store, II. H. Thorp, proprietor; Warren P. Spencer, editor. First number issued on the 20th of December of that year ; size, twenty by thirty inches. Enlarged in 1867, and continued under the proprietorship of Mr. Thorp till June 12, 1868, when it was sold and transferred to its editor, Warren P. Spencer, and Carey A. Vaughan, who again enlarged it, and published it under the firm-name of Spencer & Vaughan till July, 1863, when the firm procured a power-press and put the paper in new type, removing the office during that month from Pancoast block, North Broadway, west side, to the present " Times Building," West Main street, opposite the Allen House. On the 1st day of October, 1873, Mr. Vaughan sold and transferred his one-half interest in the office to Henry W. Lindergreen, and the firm-name became Spencer & Lindergreen , the present proprietors. Mr. Spencer has been the editor of the Times since its first issue, and still acts in such capacity. The paper is now twenty-eight by thirty-nine inches in size, and is published on Thursday morning of each week. It is Republican in its political preferences, and mainly devoted to county news and general local interests.

The Plea for the Oppressed was a paper published at Austinburg by the ladies of that place in the latter part of the year 1846. It issued but a few numbers. It was devoted to the cause of anti-slavery, and Miss Betsey M. Cowles was the editor.