Crawford County, Illinois - Chapter 11: The Press, 1909

The Present Day

AT HUTSONVILLE - NUMEROUS CHANGES AND BRIEF CAREERS OF ITS SUCCESSORS - THE BURALIST AND CRAWFORD BANNER HAVE A BRIEF EXISTENCE - THE ROBINSON GAZETTE AND PALESTINE YELLOW JACKET EARLY DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN ORGANS - OTHER JOURNALS OF AN EARLY PERIOD - CRAWFORD COUNTY PAPERS OF THE PRESENT DAY.

The following quotation from an anonymous Source furnishes a fitting introduction to a brief history of the early newspaper press of Crawford County: "The local paper is not only a business guide, but it is a pulpit of morals; it is a kind of public rostrum where the affairs of state are considered; it is a supervisor of streets and roads; it is a rewarder of merit; it is a social friend, a promoter of friendship and good will Even the so-called small matters of a village or incorporate town are only small to those whose hearts are too full of personal pomposity." We venture also to quote in this connection the following from the pen of George W. Harper, one of the early editors of the town of Palestine: 'It is very important if some schoolboy or schoolgirl reads a good essay, or speaks well a piece, or sings well a song, or stands high in the classroom, that kind mention should be made publicly of such success, for more young minds are injured for want of cheering words, than are made vain by an excess of such praise. In the local papers, the marriage bell tolls more solemnly than in the great city dailies. The rush and noise of the metropolis take away the joy from items about marriages, and detract from the solemnity of the recorded death; but when the local paper records a marriage between two favorites of society, all the readers see the happiness of the event; and equally, when the columns of such a home paper tells us that some great or humble person has gone from the world. we read with tears, for he was our neighbor or friend."

The first newspaper published in Crawford was independent in politics, and was styled the Wabash Sentinel. Hutsonville was the place of its issue in 1852 by George W. Cutler, formerly of Evansville, Ind., whence he brought the equipment for the new office. About a year later, the plant became the property of Ethelbert Callahan, at that time a teacher in Hutsonville, but subsequently one of the most prominent lawyers in his section of the State. The name of the paper was changed to the Journal, and in the course of a year, it was sold and moved to Clark County. The next newspaper enterprise was the Ruralist, founded in Palestine by Samuel R. Jones, in 1856. Mr. Jones came from the Old Dominion and had been a religious pupil of the famous Alexander Campbell, and was himself a lawyer, preacher, doctor and editor. Under his management, the Ruralist was non-political, but devoted to the idea of "reform" in connection with all issues needing reform according to the editor's views. George W. Harper was employed to attend to the printing of the Ruralist, early in the winter of 1856, and soon afterward the conduct of the paper devolved upon him, and its field was changed to that of literature and local news. The enterprise was abandoned in the fall of 1857.

The Crawford Banner, an independent paper of Hutsonville. was published by W. F. Rubottom from July 1, 1857, to October 1858, when it was discontinued.

The earliest newspaper in Robinson and the first political organ in Crawford County, was the Gazette which was issued December 12, 1857, by G. W. Harper from the plant of the Ruralist which he had moved from Palestine to Robinson. It continued until 1858, strongly advocating the interests of the Douglas Democracy.

"Yellow Jacket," under the management of Dr. A. Malone and E. Logan was launched at Palestine in December, 1859, and made a local sensation in the campaign of 1860, suspending about two years later. _ The Crawford County Bulletin, a Democratic paper owned by Hon. John C. Allen of Palestime. was started at Robinson in July, 1860, under the direction of Horace P. Mumford, and was published until the fall of 1862. Mumford had entered the army in September, 1861, becoming a dashing cavalry officer, and rising to the rank of Major.

The Monitor and the Bulletin, were two shortlived enterprises, each of which had an existence of about six months at Robinson. In 1863, John Talbot bought the equipment of the Bulletin; and started the Constitution at Robinson. an able Democratic paper, which he published about three years, then relinquishing the control to his son Henry. The latter soon died, and the father again took charge in January. 1868, final- ly yielding the management to his son Richard, who sold his interest in 1879 to Thomas S. Price, then County Clerk. In 1880, the Constitution again passed into the control of Richard Talbot.

The initial issue of the Robinson Argus, under the management of George W. Harper, occurred December 10, 1863, and finally developed into one of the most influential and valuable newspapera in Southeastern Illinois. The town had. less than 800 population at the time of the establishment of this paper, which was printed in a small .room, containing but one window, measuring 10 by 12 inches.

The Real-Estate Advertiser, an interesting . monthly publication, under the management of Andrew E. Bristol, was started in October, 1871, at Palestine, but was discontinued after its second issue by reason of Mr. Bristol's death.

In 1874, a small paper called the Palestine News was started and, in the course of six months, was removed by its publisher, N. M. P. Spurgeon, to Hutsonville, where it was given up in a short time.

In July, 1880, W. E. Caruthers, formerly connected with the Argus, issued a vivacious little paper under the name of the Palestine Saturday Call, also printing an edition for circulation in Hutsonville. called the Herald. These were "set up" in the Argus office and they lasted three months.

The Craacford County Republican, established in 1897 and conducted for some years by Maxwell & Baker, seems to have ceased publication between 1905 and 1907.

Palestine Reporter, established in 1897, H. K. Alexander, editor and publisher, came under the management of C. F. Burridge & Co., with Cecil F. Burridge as editor previous to 1908.