The Mena weekly star., 1918-01-17
SOME POLK COUNTY
 NEWSPAPER HISTORY

| ttblduts 4Ath,i WlitOlA 10 q tCttCi run Hamp Williams of Hot Springs, also a former Polk county resident, and now Federal. Food Administrator for ! Arkansas.
 Mir. Williams letter is to J. NJ Raines. editor of the Tribune, and says, "and I can remember very well when you published a good paper 30 years ago back in Polk county where we had many very pleasant associations"
 This reference was responsible for some backward glances and dig ging into the past records of news paper publishing in Polk county, and here are some of the results:
 In March, 1881, l. M. Raines, above mentioned, associated with w. M. Armour, established The DaI- las Pioneer at Dallas. A copy of this identical paper, Volume 1, Number ! 1, the first issue of any paper print cd in Polk county, has been pre- served by Minor pipkin and by his kindness is at this time in the pos session of the writer, and contains historical matter of interest that may be given to readers of The Star at an early day
 The Pioneer plant was taken over about year from it's installation by Greenhaw X Marr, who moved it to Bethesda Springs and started The Bethesda Springs Herald, Sometime afterward The Herald suspended publication and the plant became the property of T. M. Car- der, who began the publication of The Mountain Signal. For a time W. T. McCauley, who was a printer and married Carder's daughter, con- ducted the paper, and this same Me- Cauley, The Star is informed, is now an officer of the State Court at Fort Smith.
 The Signal was, inthe fall of 1885 bought by W. NJ. Matheny, and in the summer of 1886 was rechristen- ed as The Dallas Courier, at which time Minor Pipkin entered the office, and after 1 months apprenticeship had full charge of the mechanical department, soon after which some exchange complimented the paper on it's improved appearance. (This is a bright spot in Mir. Pipkin's memory.
 In 1888 Mir. Matheny went back to his old home in Baxter Springs. kas. and Mr. pipkin took full charge, and remained in charge un- til the fall of 1889, when Matheny returned.
 In 1890 Mir. pipkin and Alec Griz~ gard bought the paper, and in the same fall sold it to Col. P. H. Rice and J. E. Lane.
 About 1891 s. L. Lindsay started a competitive paper, The Referendum which is said to be the first paper in the United States using that name. Mir. Lindsay later bought the Courier, consolidating the two pa- pers, but standing by the name of his first choice. Tn 1896 he sold his paper to Minor Pipkin and James s. Compere, who revived the original name, The Dallas Courier.
 Just before the Kansas City, Pitts burg X Gulf railroad, now the K. c. S, reached Mena and Polk county, Mir. Pipkin moved the plant to Mena and opened business where the Planters State Bank now stands. and here it was named The New Era. in eonformance to the changed con- sitions brought about. by the com- ing of the steel rail and the iron horse. A copy of the first issue of The New Era, dated August $, 1896, and printed on manila wrapping paper, because a shipment of regu- lar stock failed to arrive, has been preserved by MT. Pipkin. and also. IS before the writer.
 < little later the New Era plant was moved te little frame building now standing north Of Hotel Mena, and here NJ. W. Lindsay became d partner and later sole owner. who shortly sold the plant, stock. paper and good will to The Star, which took on all the New Era subscribers and, it is pretty certain, some of these have been and yet are con- stant and faithful Star readers.
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 Most any regular reader of The