Monroe County, Wisconsin - Chapter 10: Monroe County Newspapers, 1912

Monroe Citizen

The beginning of newspaper work in ]\Ionroe county dates from some time in the year 1854, when L. P. Rising l)egan the publication of a small paper called the ^Monroe Citizen. ]\lr. Rising came from Cattaragus County, New York, bringing Avith him a knowledge of the printer's trade and a small printing outfit. He settled near the western line of the county, about two miles from Sparta. Here he cultivated a small farm and also got out a paper about 8x12 inches in size, which he printed on a press of his own construction. Nominally it was issued at Sparta and the subscription price was $1.00 per year. It did not appear with regularity, but at intervals, according to the opportunities of the eccentric farmer-editor. The period of existence of the Citizen was limited to about two years.

Sparta Herald

This was the first regular newspaper in Monroe county ; was published under different names at ditt'erent periods in its history. The Sparta Watchman was established at Sparta in the spring of 1855 by Milton ^Montgomery and J. 1). Condit. This was prior to tlu^ entrance of any railroads into the county and the printing outfit obtained at Beaver Dam was brought to Sparta by wagon. After pid)lishing the paper one year IMontgomery and Condit sold it to Lucius ]\1. Rose, who had been connected with the Watertown Chronicle. ]\Ir. Rose changed the name of the paper to Monroe Freeman, and i)ublished it until the spring of 1858. Avhen it was purchased by David IMcBride, who had previously published the ]\Iauston Star. He changed tlie name to the Sparta Herald, which the paper has retained to the present time with the exception of the two years 1867-1 860. In the spring of 1867 the paper passed into Democratic control and was called the Sparta Democrat. It was edited by William Jay

So far as can he learned the first effort to establish a Democratic newspajx'r in ]\Ionroe connty was in 18.")!). when the Sparta Democrat was started by two men, Richard M. Copeland and George Babcock. The pnblication of tliis paper was discontinued after about six months.

Another attempt at a Democratic paper in Sparta was made in 1868 by two brothers, Henry and Harrison Hayden. who had been previously employed l)y the Herald. It was published only a few mouths, the Tlaydens having some disagreenu^it willi theii- Democratic backers, and was discontinued, the llaydens moving away.

Sparta Eagle

The Sparta Kagle was a second Republican paper started at Sparta in 18(i(). as the result of dissensions among Republieau politicians in the county. William H. Farnham and Luther B. Xoyes were the publishers one year, after which the latter retired and the paper was continued by .Mr. Fai'uham luitil 18ti8. lu that year he sold it to George Kedway. who came from Ohio, and sul)se(inentl>' his bi-otlnM'. R. E. Redway. had it for a time, .\flei' this the |)apei- freciueiitly changed hands. D. B. J'riest. Carson Graham and William Nelson, all of Viro(|ua. were connected with it between 18()!> and 1871. In the latter year it was owned for a time by W. li. Kiiieh. aftei-ward editor of the LaOrosse Republican-Leadei'. He sold it to R. ('. Bierce. of Vii-o(|na. and Henry Rising, a son of the editor of .Monroe county's tii-st paper. t!ie Citizen. In the fall of 1871 the paper was sold to D. W. C. Wilson and Theodore F. Hollister. The following year .Mr. Wilson withdi-ew and the Kagle soon after died.

County Republican, a Democratic paper. He published it until 1879, when it was consolidated with the Monroe County Democrat, a paper moved from Tomah by Brown and Foster. Mr. Wilson retired from the business and Messrs. Brown and Foster continued the paper under the name of the Monroe County Republican. In August. 1879, Mr. Foster's connection with the paper ceased and ^Ir. Brown changed the name to the ]Monroe County Democrat. In October, 1883, Guy Whitney, of Portage, took charge of the paper and the next February B. W. Perry became associated with him in it. About three months later Mr. Perry became proprietor and in January, 1885, he changed the name to Democrat-Enterprise.

After disposing of the Democrat F. A. Brown started a Republican paper, the Sparta News. He had been publishing it nearly a year when, on the 16th of August, 1885, the Sparta Democrat was burned out in the Ida House fire. The remnant of the outfit w^as bought by B. E. McCoy, of Sparta, who also bought the Sparta News, and combining the two began the publication of the Sparta Democrat, changing the name soon after to, ^lonroe County Democrat. ]\Ir. McCoy published the paper almost ten years, selling it in September, 1895, to D. C. Streeter, of Sparta. Later S. E. Streeter became associated with his brother in the business under the name of Streeter Brothers. In October, 1897, it was leased to D. W. Cheney and Clark S. McCoy; was run by them for a year. At the conclusion of the lease D. C. Streeter again became publisher and S. E. Streeter editor. These brothers became involved in some litigation, the paper going into the hands of a receiver for a time. D. C. Streeter being successful in the litigation again became proprietor, and published the paper with C. S. McCoy as editor until December 19, 1903, Avhen the plant was sold to G. S. Ellicott. The following fall he sold to el. P. Rice and W. C. Plawkins. October 1, 1905, IMr. Hawkins disposed of his interest to George Esch, who, with Mr. Rice, conducted the paper until November 15, 1907, when Esch disposed of his interest to W. N. Wells, and the Democrat has been conducted by Rice & Wells up to the present, Mr. Wells being editor and manager.

Wisconsin Greenback

Among the papers published in the county for a short time was the Wisconsin Greenback, which flourished during the Cooper campaign. It was started in June. 187(). by Lamborn and Needham. j\lr. Needham soon retired and the paper was con-

Sparta Tribune

The Sparla Trihiiue was a paper stalled in 1SS2 by II. E. Kelly and had a brief existenee. it was the organ of the so-called Independent Re])nblieans. who formed a coalition with the Democrats antl carried the county in the fall election. ^Ir. K(dly started another paper called tlie Tudej^endent in -July, 1M90. He sold it in January. 181)4. to L. S. lliiiii])lirey. of .Madison. The next July it was discontinuetl. the outfit beiii"; sold to ^IcBride Brothers.

Tomah Chief

The pioneer newspaper of Tonudi w;is 1lie Tonuili Chief. It was published as early as ]859 when Toiuali was only a small settlement, and there was not adequate sui)])()i-t for ;i news]iaper. It was a small sheet and was i)ublis!ied aliout a year.

Tomah Journal

The establishment of a permanent lU'wspaper in Tomah dates from the year 1867. In .July of that year the Tomah Journal Avas started, and from that time to the i)resent the name has not l)eeu changed. It has l)een ])ublished eontinuou.sly longer than any other paper in tlu^ county.

About the year 1867 a paper called the Toniah Democrat w'as started hy a ]Mr. Averill. but it Avas published only six months. The next attempt to establish a Democratic paper in Tomah was made by C. D. Wells in 1876, and has already been mentioned. In January, 1878, V. A. Brown and George A. Foster began the publication of the Monroe County Democrat at Tomah. About a year later they removed the office to Sparta and the paper w'as consolidated with the Monroe County Republican.

Tomah Monitor-Herald

The next Democratic paper in Tomah was called the Badger State Monitor, Avas started July 1. 1880. by Jay R. Hinckley. He published this paper for eight years, during part of which time he also published the Juneau County Argus at New Lisbon and the Herald at Portage. In 1888 he sold the Monitor to J. A. AVells, a former editor of the Tomah Journal ; later he took into partnership his son, C. J. AYells; they purchased the Tomah Herald in 11>U1, com])ining it with the ^Monitor under its present name.

The Tomah Herald was started in 1891 by Jay R. Hinckley and successively owned by Briggs Brothers, George F. Grassie and ]\Ir. Lee, by whom it was sold to J. A. and C. J. AVells.

The ^lonitor-Herald is a weekly newspaper of eight pages, seven columns to the page, published Fridays, is Republican in politics. The office is ecjuipped Avith a modern outfit, the largest tAVo revolution press in the county at the present time, a linotype, three job presses, using electric poAver.

Herald-Advertiser

In February, 1891, Mr. Hinckley having purdmscd the Portage Advertiser, combined it Avith his Portage Herald and again located in Tomah, i)ublishing his paper under the name Herald- Advertiser. In January, 1891, he moA^ed his paper to Sparta, Aviiere he published it for a fcAV years, then turned it into a daily, Avhieli Avas sold to a local company, Avhich conducted it for about a year, finally disposing of the plant to L. D. Merrill; he moved the outfit to the Teasdale building, discontinued the daily and resumed the Aveekly publication. Subsequently, the plant Avas sold to Dorrington and Ross, Dorrington retiring from the firm shortly after. The paper had a precarious existence

Tomah Enterprise

The Tomah Enterprise was started in the spring of 1885 by K. .\. Alderman and Son. and A\iis discontinued in -Inly. 1887. Later the i)lant was removed to .Montana. The Enterprise was Republican in politics.

Newspapers Of Cashton

In Decern biM', 18!);}. J. A. Haines canu' 1o Cashton from Hangor and founded the first newspaper, which he named The Star. Not having an outfit of liis own. he luid the sheet printed at Sparta. After continuing the publication for about a year, he sold Avhat he had to his son, Fraidx. who kept the paper running until the spring of 1895, when he sold to E. II. Briggs, Avho came here with an outfit from Shell Lake, AVis. Briggs changed the name of the paper from The Star to The p]nter])risc. Briggs sold the plant to E. II. Brown and d. AY. TTaughton in August, 1895. These gentlemen came iici'e Irom \'iro<|ua and conducted the business until the foUoAving July. 1896. when they moved the plant to Brooklyn, AVis. For a few weeks Cashton was without a paper, but the peoi)le induced Frank Haines to try auain and he. in company with Frank Rudoli)h, started the Record. Things went l)adly with tliem and they Avere forced to sell the following sunniier to .James ^McAIanamy. AlcAlanamy edited the paper until the winter of 1898, when a fire destroyed the building ami most of the outfit. .McAlanaiiiy then sold what was left to 0. G. Briggs oi' \'ii(i(|ua. IL conducted the i)usiness until the fall of 1!)05, when E. 11. Brown of A^'iroqua. the present owner, pur- (diased the i)lant and also that of the Independent, whicli was started by .1. R. Ilinkley in the summer of 190:?. Air. Iliid<ley sold his interest in the paper to d. A. .\ori"is and Xorris to E. II. Brown. During the year 1!)()(> Fraid< Haines started a paper here called the Sun. but its life was short. He afterward started a .jol) otlice. but that also soon gave up the ghost.

Norwalk Sentinel

This paper was started in January, 1888, and was discontinued six months later. The Norwalk Times was started just after the Sentinel ceased publication and was published for about six months by H. C. McGary; the paper being printed at Sparta.

Norwalk Star

Founded in October, 1903, by 0. AV. Sprecher, who conducted it until the summer of 1907, Avhen it was purchased by AY. J. Robinson, and the ensuing fall was purchased by E. G. Hesselgrave, the present owner and proprietor. This paper started under discouraging circumstances, but has steadily grown in circulation and advertising patronage until at the present time it stands second to any paper in tlie county in respect to legitimate home patronage. Independent in politics and stands for the best interests of Norwalk, Alonroe county, and state of AVisconsin.

Wilton Herald

The AA^'ilton Herald was started about the beginning of the year 189-4 by a man named Bugbee, who set the type in the A^^ilton office and printed the paper at Reedsburg. He was soon succeeded by Thompson & Brown, and later C. H. Brown became the sole owner, he in turn sold the paper to J. E. Gruber in February, 1900. who has been the proprietor and editor ever since.

Kendall Keystone

The first issue of the Kendall Keystone was published January 28, 1904, by Clarence S. Dodge, who came to the village from AYhite Rock, S. D. It was started as an eight page five column paper and its publication was continued by Mr. Dodge until July 29, 1905. when it was purchased by the present publisher, Alex R. McCleneghan. He soon enlarged the paper to a six column eight pages, the standard county paper size. In politics the Keystone is Independent Republican; the paper has prospered from the beginning and now has a subscription list of about eight hundred and good advertising patronage. The paper is ably edited and has succeeded in bringing Kendall to the attention of the outside world, which is appreciated by the people of that bustling village.

Warrens Index

The AVarrons Index was started at AVarrens, Wis., October 2, 1896, -with AY. G. p]vans, formerly of ^Missouri, as editoi-. Tlu' newspaper outfit "vvas added to a job printing office, which liad been doing business for a few years, owned by F. R. Barber. The paper was published by IMr. Evans until ^lay, 1908, when he disposed of his interest to I. S. Dunn, of Elroy. ^Ir. Dunn severed his eonneetioii with the })ai)er the following year, l)ut its publication was continued ))y the Index Printing Co. under different editors for several years. In September, 1910, the paper was discontinued, the subscription list and i)art of tin- i)lant being sold to the Tomah Jonnml.

Valley Advocate

The AViseonsin Yalley Advocate was started at Yalley Junction on JNIarch 3, 1898, by E. T. Hale, of Elroy. After l)eing run for a time as a local paper, it passed into the hands of the Twentieth Century Co., with AY. C. Brawley, of ]\Iauston, as editor. It was enlarged and became chiefly an agricultural paper, devoted to the development of the lands in that section of the county. Mr. Brawley Avas succeeded by AY. II. Price as editor, who conducted the paper until November, 1907. At that time it Avas discontinued, the subscription list being disposed of to the Toniah -lournal and the plant was sold to other parties.

Tomah Herald

The Tomah Ib-rakl was started as a daily newspaper in the year 1894 by J. R. Hinckley and Son, avIio were also publishing a daily paper in Sparta at that time. After a short time it was purchased ])y Briggs Bros., Avho changed it to a weekly paper. In about a year they sold it to George Grassie, of Alilwaukee, Avho afterward disposed of it to R. G. Lee. In 190-1 Air. Lee mo\ ed the press and part of the ])lant to Tomahawk, selling the subscription list and part of the material to AYells and Son of the Tomah Alonitor, who then chantred tlu^ name of tlicir paper to Alonitor-llerald.