Langlade County, Wisconsin - Chapter 26, 1922

Chapter 26

New County Republican of 1879 - First Publication - Langlade Republican - Woodland Homes - The Weekly News Item - Langlade County Special - The Pioneer - The Antigo Forward - The Antigo Herold - Antigo Republican - The Antigo Journal - Antigo Daily Journal - Farmers Journal - The Antigo Banner - Antigo Herald - Newspaper Changes - Press Associations - School Publications - Directories.

The first attempt to publish a newspaper of the present type was made in 1615. Seven years later The Weekly News was started in England. The first American newspaper was issued in Massachusetts in 1690 and was called "Publick Occurrences." It displeased the government and was supressed. The first Wisconsin newspaper, "The Intelligencer" was issued from Green Bay in 1833.

The first newspaper established in Langlade (New) County was in 1879 and was called the New County Republican. The first issue appeared January 3, 1880. George Ratcliffe, owner and editor, came to Antigo from Clintonville, where he had edited The Clintonville Herald.

When the legislature changed the name of New County to Langlade County the paper became The Langlade Republican. In 1884, The Langlade Republican was changed to The Forward with the issue of August 14th. George Ratcliffe was then editor, Gus Lind was the publisher and Ira C. Edwards was business manager. In 1886, The Forward was taken over by C. A. Martin, a brother of Attorney J. E. Martin of Antigo. The same year John A. Ogden purchased The Forward from C. A. Martin and changed the name to

The Antigo Republican

John A. Ogden edited The Antigo Republican until August, 1899, when he sold the plant and paper to C. 0. Marsh. Mr. Marsh published and edited the Antigo Republican until 1906, when it was sold to a corporation called the Republican Publishing Company. During that time it was managed by Messrs. Hopkins and Loper, C. A. Stedman and John T. Brown. In 1912, The Republican Publishing Company sold the paper to Berner Brothers Publishing Company, owners of the Antigo Daily Journal. The Antigo Republican was then discontinued. Thus ended the career of the first newspaper that sought the home of the pioneer by path, trail and blazed guide lines, telling them of the great strides of the future.

The Antigo Pioneer

The Antigo Pioneer, established May 8, 1884, was published every Thursday. The Pioneer was published by Henry Berner, Sr., and edited by Hugo Grosser, who came here from Manitowoc. The Pioneer was a German language weekly, five column quarto, half patent. It was moved to Shawano before the end of 1884 and continued to be published there under a new name. The Pioneer was Democrat in politics.

The Weekly News Item

The Weekly News Item was established by Arthur B. and Paul J. Millard, August 12, 1882. They came to Antigo from Wausau. The paper was located originally on Fifth Avenue near the railroad track (M. L. S. & W.) in a small building, previously used by Peter Dolan, saloonkeeper. The News Item later moved into the Spencer House building, the present site of the Hill building, intersection of Fifth Avenue and Edison Street. It was next located in the second story of the structure now occupied by the H. A. Kohl Hardware Company on Superior Street.

In 1884, The Millard Brothers moved to their own building erected on Superior street (now the Mrs. A. R. Winter buildirg). The paper occupied that location until 1898, when it was then sold jointly to John A. Ogden, owner of The Antigo Republican and W. H. Dawley, then proprietor of The Langlade County Special. The Special assumed the good will of The News Item. A division of the material and machinery was made by the two papers. Paul J. Millard severed his connections with the News Item when he was appointed Postmaster in 1893.

When the News Item was taken over by Mr. Dawley it was published from the Fidelity Bank Building (then known as Dawley Building) and for many years up to 1918 it was issued from that place. It was then moved to 521 Clermont Street, where it is still issued. W. H. Dawley is sole proprietor and editor.

In September, 1898, J. H. Fitzgibbons moved to Antigo from Neenah and started publishing a weekly Democratic paper, called The Journal, in the basement of the First National Bank building. It was not successful and was taken over by George W. Hill. Fitzgibbons moved to Mattoon, Wis. It was purchased in 1901 by Berner Brothers who returned to Antigo from Columbia County, where they operated a newspaper plant, and moved from the First National Bank building to the Journal building on Superior street. It was edited weekly until Sept. 18, 1904, when the first issue of The Antigo Daily Journal, Langlade County's first and only permanent daily newspaper, appeared.

Fred L. Berner is Editor, Earl S. Holman, City Editor, Henry Berner is Business Manager and Otto F. Berner is Advertising Manager of the Antigo Daily Journal. Berner Brothers also publish two weekly papers, The Farmers Journal and The Antigo Journal. The Journal is Republican in politics.

First Daily Issued

The first daily newspaper issued in Langlade County was during the 14th Wisconsin Regiment re-union at Antigo in June, 1902. The Berner Brothers Publishing Company issued the Journal daily for three days in recognition of the event.

March 1, 1887, a Catholic Journal, eight pages, all home print, was inaugurated at Phlox, Norwood township by Rev. Father Philip St. Louis. It was named "Our Parochial Schools." Its service to the community was such that it soon ceased to be a school paper and became instead a community newspaper. It was originally published monthly, then semi-monthly. Father St. Louis changed the name in 1890, after its growth from the denomination to the broader nonsectarian field to The Langlade County Special.

The Langlade County Special was originally owned by Father Philip St. Louis of Phlox, who had as an associate John Menting. In 1891, John Menting, Thomas W. Hogan, Sam Leslie and Thomas Ward purchased the Special and its good will from Father St. Louis. In the year previous, 1890, The Special was moved to Antigo from Phlox, locating on the site of the Neff-Roberts building. It was later moved to the Lynch building, now the site of Nolte's Shoe Store. In 1892, W. H. Dawley, purchased Thomas Hogan's interest and he forwith published The Special until August 13, 1898, when it was merged with The Weekly News Item.

The Antigo Herold

The Antigo Herold, a German language publication, was published first in October, 1888, by Edward Goebel. Mr. Goebel came to Antigo from Appleton, where he had edited the Appleton Weiker. The Herold was published continually by Mr. Goebel until December 5, 1919, when the name and good will of The Herold together with the mailing list was sold to the Langlade Printing Company. Mr. Goebel then began editing The Antigo Banner, serving the same subscribers as did The Herold. The Antigo Banner is still edited weekly in the German language. Both The Herold and The Banner are Democratic.

The Antigo Herald

Herold, German language weklyv was purchased by W. F. Kasson and Will C. Brawley, proprietors of The Langlade Printing Company. The Herald is a six column well edited paper published every Friday. Will C. Brawley is editor. It is located in the Langlade Bank building. The Herald i^ Democratic in politics. A job department is operated in connection with the paper.

Antigo High School Papers

Three Antigo High School papers have been known to exist. The first, "The Antigo High School Mercury" was published in 1896 and continued until 1898. It was a monthly publication.

The Scrap Heap was first edited by the class of 1915, during the year 1914. It continued to be published by the Junior Class each year until 1918, when it was abandoned. It started out as a monthly but was afterwards published twice a month.

"The Graduate," annual published review of high school activities, is the product of the Senior Cass. The first Graduate was published in 1909.

The City of Antigo has been advertised frequently in well edited pamphlets and folders, the last of which was published in 1922. County progress was featured also.

Other Publications

Antigo is the publishing location of The Beaver, official organ of the Beavers Reserve Fund Fraternity, The Clippings, house organ of the Langlade Lumber Company land department, the Langlade County Normal bulletin and the Outlook, Episcopalian pamphlet. The Antigo Publishing Company, for years managed by the late Rev. A. Grimm, publish booklets and pamphlets in German.

First City Directory

The first City Directory was published in Antigo by the Inter-state Directory Company. The directory contained approximately fourteen hundred names. It appeared in 1898. Fred L. Berner and Frank Doner were the canvassers who gathered the data. The last

A Newspaper Outrage

On January 19, 1899, the mechanical departments of the Antigo Republican, The Harold and the News Item were broken into and type was piled up in a promiscuous and chaotic state. Forms, jobs and advertisements were "pi heaped." The Herold, where the current edition was ready for mailing, was thrown into Springbrook. The motive or the culprits were never apprehended. The papers charged the Journal, rival publication, then owned by J. H. Fitzgibbons, and some of The Journal's "close friends" as the instigators of the deed.

German Press Association

The Wisconsin German Press Association convened in Antigo Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 19, 20 and 21, 1892. The following is a brief outline of the program: Reception at the trains; meetings at Marmes' Hall ; Address of Welcome by Mayor C. F. Smith; Response by President A. Wittman of the Association. This was followed by a social meeting. Saturday, the German editors inspected the mills and business districts, journeyed to the Eau Claire River (not in automobiles) and on Sunday, the day was spent at Sylvian Lake, now known as Mueller's Lake.

The Wisconsin Press Association

The Wisconsin Press Association visited Antigo and Langlade County, first in 1885, also in 1888, and again in 1921. They gathered here on Aug. 13, 1835. Many of the editors present then were either at that time well known figures in Wisconsin and the nation or became prominent afterward. Chase S. Osborn, then editor of the Florence Mining News, was in Antigo. He later became Governor of Michigan. Wm. "Bill" Nye, W. C. Hoard, one time Wisconsin Governor, Col. J. A. Watrous, of the old Iron Brigade, Hon. Frank Leland, Sam Ryan, Hon. E. Hurlbut, J. C. Bartholf and others were present. Mayor Thomas W. Lynch welcomed the editors to the little city. J. C. Lewis, George Ratcliffe, Millard Brothers, were Antigo leaders, who took part in the entertainment.

Thirty six years later the Wisconsin Press Association again visited Antigo, July 26, 1921. The party arrived here from Laona, Wis., July 25, 1921. The following day a program was given at Elcho, Wis., and at the Antigo Armory. Charles W. Fish, Elcho lumberman feted the editors at Muskie Inn, E'.cho, Wis. A wonderful opportunity to view the developed and raw resources of the county was given the visitors. A program presided over by Judge Arthur Goodrick was given in the Antigo Armory in the evening. J. R. McQuillan and L. A. Maier were General Chairman and Secretary of the reception committee. John A. Kuyper, President of the Association, responded to the address of welcome by Mayor Charles J. Hanzel. Toasts were given by: Walter Gallon, President of the Association of Commerce; Will C. Brawley, of The Antigo Herald; Bert E. Walters of the Reedsburg Times; D. C. Menefee of the Vilas County Review; Louis H. Zimmerman, Secretary of the Wisconsin Press; Fred L. Berner of the Antigo Daily Journal; Robert M. Dessureau of The Antigo Herald; Merlin Hull, ex-Secretary of State; Henry C. Campbell, of the Milwaukee Journal; Dr. I. D. Steffen, ex-Mayor of Antigo. Louis A. Maier introduced the "Antigo Mushroom" typical oldtime weekly newspaper, copy for which was "set up" on the Armory rostrum during the banquet. The meeting at Antigo ended a week motor excursion through northern Wisconsin.