The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-07-11
HERALD HISTORY
Development and Growth of the
Paper in Fifty years,

Newspapers, like people, are born.
Both have periods OF growth and being.
They become a part of their day and
age, assist in the making of the> times
and pass on to meet the requirements Of
circumstance and environment. Acts
and deeds performed go toward making.
the life story aid ii lis passing OF Ely Is
years, half century, there have been
written many chapters that will go to-
ward the completed volume.
The Iowa Herald" was born on FRI
day July 2, 1880. Back in the days
when Oskaloosa herself was but child
and was clad in the swaddling garments
Of pioneer times, The birtlEaa, .se pa
per had been anticipated. There had
been plans and preparations and the
coming of the infant was hailed with
delight by almost the entire population
of the county. The appearance of the
first copy of the first newspaper of the
city and the county was the signal for
general rejoicing and serniexCitemcnt
that took on the form OF celebration,
which is remembered and recalled to
this day by those who were a part OF
the city and community at that time.
The little paper grew and prospered
with the city and the county. 1t gath
cred strength and influence during the
passing years, became closely identified
with the interests of the people in their
time and exists today, a healthful and
sturdy product Of the past half CEN
tury
Back in the early part of the year
1880, a young man, Hugh McNeely,
came TO Iowa from St Gainesville,
Ohio. He came on visit to see the
new West and to locate in some bust
ness il opportunity and an opening were
offered. Mir McNcely was struck with
the promise of the little city OF Oska-
loosa and decided 10 locate in the place
He looked around for a chance to en-
ter some line OF business and acting on
John II. Needham's suggestion that a
newspaper woald prosper in the town
ne began planning for the laying OF the
foundation of the paper that is today
the OsKALoosA Herald OskalooSa at
that time was a mere village of perhaps
FIVE hundred inhabitants, but it gave ev-
cry promise of prominence and rapid
g.owth. Mr.. Nee dham's Judgment was
that newspaper would grow with the
wealth OF the county and city was de-
veloped He determined to make the
start, and he enlisted his enterprise
and strong personality with the tireless
effort of McNeely whom he had known
in Ohio. The financial basis of the en-
tcrprise was arranged. Mr.. Needham
was TO have editorial charge of the pa
per and Mr.. McNrely was to be put at
the mechanical lead of the work Nc
Neel ywas L practical printer and he
vas sent &c s.. ouiS to purchase ad-
ditional material with which to dress
up the printing establishment brought
here bodily from Cambridge, Ohio 1t
had been used in the publication of the
Cambridge Times. 1t was loaded on a
boat in Ohio and sent down the Ohio
river and up the Mississippi to Keoliuk,
then overland by wagon He made the
purchases aid the necessary materials
were also brought to Keokuk by boat
and thence to this city overland by
wagon. There was type and strange
machinery and unheard of material that
.onud its way into the irst printing Of
fee in the city The result of this
was ansiiously awaited by the citizens,
who had already began to feel that the
new paper was 10 be a part OF them
selves.
The first HERAlr office was located on
the second floor of a two-story frame
building that stood at the southeast
corner Of the park, on the site of the
Win Neagle store. From this place on
the second day of july. 1850, fifty years
ago. was sent the first paper. 1t was
great day in the little town OF Oska-
loosa. Copies Of the paper were eager
~ sought AMI were carried to the homes
in all parts of the town and to the cor
ners of the county. 1t was felt that the
town and the community had made a
wonderful stride in the direction of civ
ilization and that the dawning of new
era for the city had been marked by
the birth OF the paper.
The people focked to the support OF
the paper. Merchants gave freely OF
their advertising, subscriptions rolled in
from all directions and the success OF
the enterprise was assured. The paper
was published weekly, and was ive7 TO
the public on Fridays from small hand |
press. The forms were mixed by hand |
and the labor connected with the pub !
fishing OF the sheet was very great. |
The enormity of the undertaking for |
that early day can hardly be understood |
today by those who have not been con- |
necteG with a similar venture.
The infant grew rapidly. 1t was
by popular enthusiasm md
thriyed quite rapidly. To such an eo-
tent had the paper grown that new
order of things was demanded few
r1onths after the first paper had been
taken from the press. Eighteen weeks
after the establishment of the paper. the
child was taken from the clothes of its
infancy. Ii was given new dress and
improved in many respects. The nov
city OF paper had worn away, system
had been installed in the office OF the
editor and the business Of news gather
ing had been reduced to a science. Sug-
gested improvements and changes were
made and on Friday, Novemb-r :, 1870
the paper went TO its friends All sub
scribers as the "OsKALoosA HERALD"
New type had been purchased, more
news, matter both local and foreign were
given place and advertising patronage
was larger and better than ever before.
The paper at this time was a six-column
folio. The pages measured 22xI6 inch
IS. the same size as at the start. This
Size Of the paper was maintained to the
md of the second volume which was IS
sued Friday, August 70, 1889. There
lad been a number of issues OF the
weekly missed during the two years and
he missed numbers Of the paper were
made up 10 the subscribers. The issue
4 Friday August 20, 1852, marked an
,ther era in the history of the paper. In