Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-01-02
EARLY IOWA PAPERS.

PIONEER JOURNALISM IN THE
HAWkEYE STATE.
First Paper Within Borders of the
Commonwealth Was Started at Du-
buque in 1886 Burlington Hawkeye
Wes the Second Old Guard.
The editor of the Journal has been ask
ed to publish some "reminiscences Of the
newspaper field in Iowa about the time
his name first appeared at the head Of
the Journal editorial page, which was
July IL, 1852, says John Mahin in the
Muscatine Journal. At that time COM
paratiyely few newspapers were printed
In the State, which now has about
thousand The only paper then printed
in Des Moines, which is now the largest
city in the State, was three years old.
Sioux City, now the third city In popula-
ton in the State, had no newspaper. In
fact, the interior and northwestern por-
ton of the State, where is now the bulk
Of Its population, was almost wilder
ness, the settlements being few and far
between. 1t is marvellous that SO great
n change and so great an increase in pop
ulation should come to pass in the busi-
ness lifetime of an Iowa editor.
With the exception of Iowa City, Des
Moines, Ottumwa, Fairfield and Keosau-
qua, no town in the State off the river
had newspaper fifty-two years ago.
The first paper in iowa was commenced
at DubuquesMay IL, 1886, by John King.
The paper was called the Miners Ex-
press. In 1887 one Of Mr.. Kings part
ners was John b. Russell, who sold out
later and in 1910 established the Bloom
ington Herald, of which the Muscatine
Journal is the lineal descendant. The
present editor of the Journal entered the
Herald Office us an apprentice in his thir-
tenth year in 1S47, and has therefore
been connected with ehis establishment
fifty-three years.
The next oldest newspaper In Iowa (if
we cOncede that the Dubuque Herald is
| the legitimate successor of the Miners
Express) is the Burlington Hawkeye. 1t
was first established in Fort Madison as
the Iowa Patriot and was removed in
1888 to Burlington by j. G. Edwards,
| who conceived the odd maine OF Hawk
eye," which afterwards became the nick
name for Iowa. The Hawkeye has sur
vived without change of name longer
than any other paper in the State.
In 1888 Andrew Logan started the Sun
at Davenport. In 1S41 Alfred Sanders
and Levi Davis started the Gazette, Of
which the Davenport Republican is I'M
derstood 70 be the successor. In 1874 the
| Democratic Banner was started in Dav-
export. Its name was afterwards chang
ed to the Democrat, and in 1855 1t be-
came the property of the Richardson
Bros, who attained n reputation as the
most successful newspaper men in the
State. D. N. Richardson, the senior
brother, djcd two years ago. His surviv-
ing partner, j. j. Richardson, still con-
trolls the Democrat.
The first paper at Iowa City was the
Iowa Standard, started by William
| Crum, June 10, 1871. DR.. s. NJ. Ballard
succeeded Mr.. Crum some years later
and changed the name to Republican,
which it still bears. The Iowa Capital
Reporter was started at Iowa City Dec.
4, 1871, by Van Antwerp 4 Hughes.
The fret paper Mt Keosnnqua, called
the Des aoines River inteihgehcer, was
started ID 1910 ny shepnerd y Mitcheli
II we mistake nor, IT'S name was changed
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