Vermilion County, Illinois - Chapter 34: The Vermilion County Press, 1911

The first paper published in Vermilion County was printed at Danville, in 1832. It was started by Mr. Williams and R. H. Bryant. It was a democratic organ. This paper was supported for a few years and then Mr. Williams sold to Bryant who took in Mr. Loveless as a partner. Later he sold to Mr. Delay. After a while Mr. Bryant bought it back and moved the paper to Milwaukee, Wis.

The Danville News was established in 1873, and in 1874 passed under the control of the Illinois Printing Company. It was issued as a weekly paper for two years when the daily edition was established. The daily News was in continuous existence until it was consolidated with the Commercial in June, 1893: Mr. W. R. Jewell was editor of the paper during these twenty years.

The Danville Weekly Post was established in Danville in 1878, by Jacobs & Thompson. It was the only democratic paper in the county for some time and had a large circulation. The Danville Commercial was established in 1879 by the banking and real estate firm of Short & Wright. The editor of this paper was P. D. Hammond. In 1867 Mr. J. G. Kingsbury became the editorial associate of Mr. Hammond. At that same date Mr. Wright retired from the firm and Abraham Sandushy and Andrew Gundy went into the firm thereafter to be known as John C. Short & Co. The Plaindealer was another paper previously established which the Commercial bought in 1867. In a short time the name of Plaindealer was dropped from the title of the paper it being merged into the Commercial.

In 1878 the Danville Times which had hitherto been a bright paper under the management of A. G. Smith was merged into the Commercial and from that time the Daily Danville Commercial was a paper of the county until in 1893 when it was consolidated with the Danville News and has since been known as the Commercial News.

The Danville Press was established in 1885 and was the organ of the democratic party in Vermilion County for years, or until the split in the ranks of that party made another paper expedient. The Danville Democrat was then established in 1898 and soon became the paper most popular because of its worth without regard to its political bias. In 1907 these two papers were consolidated and now the organ of the democratic party is the Press Democrat.

In 1873 the Rossville Observer was established by Mr. Moore. It was republican at first but in 1876 went with the Greenback cause. Mr. Moore continued its publication for three years and then went to Champaign. In 1876 Mr. Cromer commenced the publication of the "Enterprise," a republican paper, and continued it for nearly two years. He then went to Homer. The Marysville Independent was established in 1876 by Ben Biddlecome. It was a six column folio, independent in politics and religion, devoted to the news of the day and was well sustained by the business men. This paper was conducted in Vermilion County but a short time, however, when it was removed to Bement.

The Hoopeston Chronicle has been a force in all matters of Vermilion County. It was established by Dale Wallace before there was a business house finished in Hoopeston and by its spirit, pluck and literary merit did more to advance the interests of Hoopeston than ever can be estimated. The Hoopeston Chronicle was established by Mr. Wallace and G. W. Seaveyon, January i, 1872. They sold out to L. F. Watson on the first of January, 1877, and on July of the same year Mr. Wallace came into control of it again as sole owner. Mr. Wallace showed his courage while managing the Chronicle to edit a racy, newsy and pungent paper which never showed any halting support nor timid opposition to any measure. The Hoopeston Chronicle has been a power since it was first established. It has lost none of its popularity under the many recent years' management of Mr. Charles W. Warner. Mr. Warner bought the Hoopeston Chronicle July i, 1882. The list of papers published at present in Vermilion County is a long one but there is not one of these which outshines the Hoopeston Chronicle.

The "National Anti-Monopoly Journal" was established by J. M. Clark in 1880. It was succeeded by the "Journal," the "Sentinel," the "News," and finally by the "Herald," under different managements, and is now published by Mrs. Jennie R. Deatrich and her daughter, Miss Natalie Deatrich.

The Rossville "Enterprise" was established by John C. Cromer early in 1876 and was moved to Homer, Champaign County, about the first of October, 1877, where it is still published.

The Rossville "Press" was established by Frank J. ("Tony") Pasteur in 1879. It nas h'ved and has been consolidated with other papers in Rossville several times under several different managements, and is now published by Bert E. Pinkerton.

The publishers for Rossville are J. H. Moore, John C. Cromer, Frank J. Pasteur, George Stout, W. H. Soden, Will S. Dill, J. Gus Lane, William A. Hackman, Perry M. Warner, Ed White and Bert E. Pinkerton.

The Hoopeston publishers, aside from those connected with the Chronicle, are J. M. Clark, Billie Spence, Haven M. Haff, William Fleming, Charles P. Huey, William M. Mathis, George R. Deatrich, Cooper & Green, Lewis A. Smith, S. A. Barnes, E. Eugene Arter, J. J. Pittser, Mrs. Jennie R. Deatrich.

The papers published in Danville at this time are beside those already mentioned: Danville Banner (prohibition organ), Danville Record, Deutsche, Zeitung, and the Echo (colored people's organ).