The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-07-18

several Others, all high in the political
and financial world 1t was through
the influence OF such Iaen III aid OF
/ their aim to build a city here, that
/ grant to the state OF Wisconsin, six
sections OF land To the mile TO aid in
| building Il railroad from Madison or
/ Columbus 10 Hudson, and thence to
Superior and to Bayfield,, which was
! lnrreasei 10 ten sections per mile for
! the lines from hudson uorthward 10y
The act of May ., 1861. The roads tor
whlcn those lands were granted were
built many years ago, portion of
them long years before the roads were
opened to Lake Superior.
1t will no doubt he surprise to
many, especially TO the prosperous
people living along these lines, that
the development and success of
their sections are due in n large meas
ure To the iar-seeng men who laid the
foundations for the city OF Superior.
And the power OF these same gentle
men was often exercised in behalf Of
this country in other legislative and
! financial questions affecting its inter
est Therefore the state of Wiscon-
sin and the entire Northwest owes a
debt of no inConsiderable magnitude
to the fathers of Superior.
On January 80, 1864 Richard Relt
established the Superior Gazette ~ II
four column sheet, on April 2, 1864 in
Creasing il to five columns In the Is
sue OF June II lS64 Washington Ash
ton joined Mr.. Ref, and the nrm of
| Ashton x Relf continued the publica-
ton OF the Gazette part OF the time in
five columns and part Cf the time in
six columns till January Il, 1866, when
a break occurs in the flies. In the Is
sue OF FEBRUARY ., 1867 we hnd Wash
| ingtun Ashton again the sole prop
rietor, the last iiic undur his name
being dated August -, 1868.
Washington Ashton died of Bright's
disease in the fall of 1868, leaving Mrs,
| Ashton and several small ChilGren to
struggle with the world as best they
could Mr.. Ashton was Il capable
man, bat owing to the depresflOns of
| the years in which he lived in Super
Tor, he left nothing for the support of
his family except the small newspaper
Office. HIS widow, Mrs Ellen Ashton,
hcroiCally took charge of the paper
and conducted lts publication very
credltably for nearly II year, till the
plant was turned over to X. q. Mitch
oil, who continued it's publication TIL
the issue of January p, 1870, when the
paper was discontinued, and the plant
merged by Mr.. Mitchell with II news
paper, the superior Tribune the
iirst number Of which was issued ON
January %, 1870.
Mr. Mitchell published a very credit
able seven.c column paper for several
months, when perceiving that the city
Of Duluth, which WAS then being start
ed, promised to be better iiel than
Superior tor a newspaper, concluded
to suspend the Superior TrIbuno and
move his plant across the bay In the
summer of 1870 he established in Du-
luth the "Duuth Tribune" which hc
conducted with great force for mahy
years, till it's merger with the Nows.
Tribune, the present live daily of that
city. Mr. Mitchell stllI resides III Du
luth, an honorcd citizen, contcnting
himself with the publication Of the
vigorous bat modest weekly paper
the "Tribunal'
Mr. Richard Ref who was so long
identified with the Gazette has, for
many yeaIs past, resided in St Paul,
following the profession Of civil en-
gineer in the employ Of the Northern
Pacific Railway company.
Mrs Ashton resides in San Jose
California. Two OF her daughters and
"A son reside in Chicago and her old
est son Harry W Ashton, IL well
known and worthy citizen Of Superior
Superior was not long without a
newspaper. Edward ", Anderson, Jr., ,
prominent and pubIic-spiritel land
dealer, aided TO some extent by other
citizens, purchased new plant, and
in September 1870 commenced the
publication Of the superior Times,
six column four page paper. II was
on this paper we served our appreh.
/ ticeship ~ local editor Mr.. Andrr
/ son wrote most Of the editorials,
I though many Of the leaders we're from
the pen Of the Rev William i.
I Higgins, a presbyterian minister
! then residing here.
I IN 1875 the Times ulant wn- sold 10
/ Mcasrs Charles S Douglas ana y. II
| Pryor,a couple Of young men from The
southern part Of the state. and ia 1877
the paper was purchased from them
by Thomas Bardon, Of Ashland, and
for the next five years it was publish
ed and edited by your humble ser
want. II should say that during that
period the paper took leading pos
itIon among the metropolitan journals