The Press of St. Clair County, Missouri
History of St. Clair County, MO 1883

The Press of St. Clair County.

To give a history of the press of St. Clair County would fill a volume, for it has been a sort of graveyard for many years for the fourth estate. A record of the rise and fall from year to year will be sufficient to show that the newspaper has not flourished in St. Clair County.
The first paper published in the county was at Osceola, the county seat, in 1853. William H. Mayo was the publisher, and an able, but erratic genius, named Edward C. Davis was the editor. He became state superintendent of schools, a forger, jail bird and drunkard, but was undeniably the ablest writer that ever graced the tripod in St. Clair County.
In 1854 Mayo & Lamkin were publishers. This paper was called the Osceola Independent. Later Richard (Dick) Divens was publisher up to as late as 1860. This was the only paper which flourished in ante-bellum days.
The first paper after the war was the Osceola Herald, by the Graham Bros., started in 1866 and died June 4, 1874. November 29, 1872, the Graham Bros. sold the paper to Thomas D. Hicks and Louis M. Reese.
They continued until July 24, 1873, when Hicks stopped and the Graham Bros. with Reese, entered upon its publication. It continued until January 27, 1874, when it suspended for six weeks and then started up again with the old proprietors, Robert S. and William D. Graham, and continued until June 4, 1874, as above stated, and died. Politically it was Republican.
There was a Missouri Democrat in 1866, but who run it was not stated. The first paper that came under the name of a Democratic paper was the Osage Valley, J. Wade Gardner, publisher. It changed its name to Democrat, and this is probably the paper referred to above, and the Osage Valley was the first started, the same year as the Herald. The change from the above name to Osceola Democrat, occurred July 1, 1871, Mr. Gardner's valeditory and Mr. T.C. Davis' salutatory appearing in the paper of that date, John W. Dooley, publisher. This was a ten day arrangement, for on July 10, 1871, Thad M. Gardner became publisher, Mr. Davis retaining the editorship. Mr. Davis continued until May 25, 1872, when he retired from the editorial position, and Mr. Gardner tried it alone until July 20, 1872, when he sold out and A.C. Appler assumed control at that date. June 13, 1873, the Democrat suspended. However, it started up again and A.C. Appler & Co. continued until June 25, 1874, when A.C. Appler quit, and on July 2 the paper came out under the auspices of H.P. Appler & Co. as publishers. Then July 23 A.C. Appler and Charles H. Lucas assumed control of the paper, the former as publisher and the latter as editor. This was the situation for the political campaign, after which, November 24, 1874, the paper again suspended, and Messrs. Appler & Lucas retired.
After a two weeks' rest, a brave citizen of the county purchased the office. His name was John R. Hopkins, and the paper was still called the Democrat, with John R. Hopkins & Co. publishers. This occurred December 10, 1874, and an editorial head was added February 18, 1875, in the person of F.M. Woodbury. After three months of labor, Mr. Woodbury said:
FAREWELL. - With this issue our connection as editor of the Democrat ceases. To all we bid adieu. F.H. Woodbury.
May 27, 1875, the above was published, and the next issue, June 3, 1875, A.C. Appler serenely came to the front and announced that he would be, henceforth, editor. This continued up to August 12, 1875, when that horror of horrors, an opposition Democratic paper, sounded its note of defiance, and claiming to be the only original "simon pure," placed at once that original legend at the head of its editorial columns, double-leaded and in black-faced type: "We have come to stay."
Before going on with the recital of this interesting drama, it may be well to remark that from the ashes of the dead Herald arose a blooming flower, and as the Grange business at that time assumed considerable importance, the flower was christened the

FARMER'S FRIEND.

Wade W. Shaffner assumed the paternity of this exotic, while the Graham Brothers, manfully backed by their party, stood sponsors for the innocent. However, it blossomed out more like a sunflower than a lily, and as Mr. Shaffner was pretty well stocked with brains it made a gallant fight. It started April 4, 1874, with its first issue, but it blossomed a little ahead of time, and to recuperate waited until May 9th for its next issue. Then it continued until June 4th, when it accomplished the unparalleled feat of swallowing the Herald. As a business transaction this was a grand success, but when it was required of the genial Shaffner that he was, on general principles, to also swallow the entire Republican part of St. Clair County, the melancholly fact is here recorded that his stomach rebelled, and - but in saying farewell let us drop a tear. The golden stairs were reached in November, 1874.

How Long It Stayed.

The advent of the Osceola Sentinel seemed to impress Mr. Hopkins that perhaps the rising commercial metropolis of the county would support a Democratic paper, and he therefore removed the Democrat office to Appleton City and issued his first number November 2, 1875, T.C. Davis, editor. He had suspended his paper a few weeks preparing for his removal from Osceola. The Sentinel had started out with T.C. Davis as editor, but he withdrew and went to Appleton City with the Democrat. He only remained two months on that paper, when F.H. Woodbury took charge, January 5, 1876.
Dr. H.C. Kibber took the helm of the Sentinel after Mr. Davis, in August, 1876, and held the position some months. Dr. Kibber brought his journalistic experience from Roscoe.
Time passed on and time generally brings changes, and there was no exception in the year 1876. Mr. John Hopkins had got enough of the newspaper business in Appleton City, from a Democratic standpoint, and promptly came to the front and Osceola, by purchasing in May, 1876, the Osceola Sentinel and consolidated it with the Appleton City, formerly Osceola Democrat, and removed his material from Appleton City to Osceola. His last issue of the Democrat in the former city was June 1, 1876.

Sentinel-Democrat.

The first issue of the consolidated paper called the Sentinel-Democrat was on June 15, 1876, F.H. Woodbury, editor, and John R. Hopkins, publisher. For two years and six months this paper was the organ of the Democratic party, or until January 1, 1878.

The Osceola Sun.

January 3, 1878, the Sentinel-Democrat was sold, the purchaser being Thad. M. Gardner, who changed the name to the Osceola Sun. Mr. Gardner and Thomas C. Davis being the editors. Mr. Gardner retained control until September 12, 1878, when F.H. Woodbury became publisher, and Mr. Davis continuing its editor. This continued for two months, when on November 1, 1878, Davis retires and Rufus P. Woodbury was made editor.
March 6, 1879, R.P. Woodbury says farewell, and Lewis M. Reese takes charge as editor and proprietor. This was to continue but a short time, for Thad. M. Gardner took the helm again, April, 1880. Ill health caused Mr. Gardner to retire from journalism in 1881, and Charles H. Lucas & Co. became proprietors, C.H. Lucas, editor. It is still owned by them and is the acknowledged organ of the Democratic party of St. Clair County. It is well and ably edited and is in a sound financial condition. The present spring has been added a power press, new type, etc.

The Voice,

a greenback paper in sentiment, was first established in Appleton City, but as that was known to be the graveyard of any paper not strictly Republican in sentiment, the Voice, having been purchased by Mr. Llewellen, or a controlling interest, was removed to Osceola before death could claim it as its own. The paper was removed in March, 1881. Mr. F. Chamberlain first started it, but on removal to Osceola was in the editorial charge of T.S. Smith. The latter person is still editor and the owners are Marquis & Smith. It is also provided with a power press, and has been successful since its advent into Osceola.

The Platonist

was a venture of T.M. Johnson. The Banner of Truth, by W.M. Love, January 1, 1882, and the Prohibition Call, started August 1, 1882, by J.F. Watkins, the latter edited with somewhat more zeal than discretion, are now, with the exception of the former, still issued occasionally.

Roscoe Gazette

was published in Roscoe Village in 1870, and ceased to exist in 1871, its material being removed to Osceola. Dr. Kibber had been its editor.

Temperance Standard

was the work of F.H. Woodbury, and was started in 1878 or 1879, and was published at Lowry City. These were the only papers published outside of the cities of Osceola and Appleton City in the county.

Press of Appleton City.

Like Osceola, the press of this city have met with sorrow, disappointment and changes in the past; but like the latter city, its solitary press is now on a pretty solid foundation. Appleton City, with its population of 1,500 is not a reading or a paper sustaining community. It has but one paper, while Osceola, with only one-third its population, fairly supports two. This may not be altogether the fault of the people. They were deluged with an article scarcely to be called mediocre, but they did have a few good papers started, which they gave no better support than those which proved more of a curse than a blessing.

The News

was the first paper published in Appleton City, and its first issue was May 4, 1871. Bancroft & Coston, editors and publishers. It was a five column folio, and devoted to real estate as its principal feature.

Gazette.

This was the next venture, and came out March 15, 1873; Cobb & Emmons, proprietors, and the latter, R.S. Emmons, editor. D.C. Meyers became publisher.
It then changed to Meyers & Stone. It was published about one and a half years, and the office was then unfortunately burned out. It was also the property of J.B. Egger and H.C. Donohue, with John Henderson as business manager, which was after the fire. These gentlemen sold the Gazette to T.W. Cobb & Bro. July 22, 1875. Dr. T.C. Murray, their editor, retiring April 22, 1875. On August 16, 1875, the Cobbs changed the name to the Appleton City

Pilot.

The paper continued until July 12, 1877, as T.W. Cobb & Bro. proprietors, but at this last mentioned date, Dell Cobb assumed control until July 26, just two weeks, when he sold out to C.F. Meyer & Co. as editors and publishers, the firm being C.F. Meyers and D.C. Meyers. In the meantime the Appleton City Democrat had come and gone, as will be seen in the article "Osceola Press".
The Messrs. Meyers employed, October 13, 1877, Will D. Graham and that winter or following spring changed its name to the Voice of the People, and as will be seen by the Osceola article, it was removed to Osceola and is still living, and successfully, too.

The Leader.

The next venture was the Leader, by Reese & Cobb, in the spring of 1878. This continued until August 1, same year, when Mr. Reese retired and the Cobb Bros. took charge. On November 6, 1879, the Cobb Bros. sold out to Mr. E. Krom, who proved a competent journalist, and changing the name to Courier, made it one of the brightest papers issued in Southwest Missouri. This continued until January 1, 1881, when Mr. Krom closed his journalist career, and entered into another business. He is now assistant postmaster of Appleton City, has charge of the office and is an esteemed resident of that city.

Pantagraph.

The irrepressible Cobb Bros. again came to the front and brought the next week, January 8, 1881, the Pantagraph, a successor to the Courier, or the firm was Dell Cobb & Co.
The following August a company calling themselves the Journal Company, bought out the Pantagraph, and the first issue of the Appleton City Journal was on August 18, 1881. All of these papers flew the Republican banner. March 16, 1882, Mr. B.F. Terry was editor and proprietor of the Journal, and in November, 1882, Charles Hilton succeeded to the establishment, as editor and publisher. He is a hard working journalist, and is on the high road to success, and his paper is the pride of the city.

 

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