Idaho County free press., 1924-07-17
PARKER GIVES HISTORY OF
EARLY IDAHO NEWSPAPERDOM

Following address on "PioneeI
Journalism in Idaho," was delivered
at the session of the Idaho State
Editorial association, in Grangeville
last Wednesday, by the Hon. A f
Parker, of this city, one of the early
day newspaper men of Idaho:
At the time of my arrival in Idaho
March 16, 1877, there We're only -four
newspapers in Idaho Territory. These
were:
The Statesman, published semi
weekly at Boise City, by Milton Kelly
The World, published at Idaho City
Boise county, weekly, by r. j. Jones.
The Avalanche, Owyhee county
weekly, published by j. S. Hill.
The Teller, published weekly at
Lewiston, Nez Perce county, by A. Le-
land.
The fifth paper was the Idaho Dem
ocrat, published at Boise by Jud Boy
akin, a hard-boiled Missouri Democrat,
about 1879.
The sixth paper to be published in
Idaho was the Nez Perce News, pub
lished weekly at Lewiston, Nez Perce
COuutNs Ill IOOp, ny Stil.
In the files of this paper, May 8,
1881, find that the Wood River Miner
was the first newspaper published in
Alturas county. A little later another
Alturas county paper called the Wood
River News was established.
With the completion of the Oregon
Short line railroad in 1888, so many
newspapers were started that l kept
no tally on them.
Situation At Lewiston
Before my arrival in Idaho there
were real pioneer newspapers, such as
the Golden Age, at Lewiston, followed
later by the Signal, which was later
replaced by the Lewiston Teller, which
continued publication until about 1900
when the Lewiston field was invaded
by Afford brothers, who have since
held their Lewiston Tribune in the
front rank of Idaho journalism
The first Idaho Press association
was organized at Shoshone Falls,
August 10, 1886. The officers elected
were:
President, John w. Jones, of the
Idaho News.
First vice president, Jud Boyakin
of the Idaho Democrat.
Second vice-president, Aaron f
Parker, of the Grangeville Free Press
Secretary, W. G. b. Allen, of the
ShoshOne Journal.
Treasurer, e. r. Richards, of the
HALEY News Miner.
II oil Of he
Lewiston Teller.
Perhaps some of you gentlemen may
know how many of those brother pen
pushers are now in business, and
where they now reside, or whether
they have passed on to their last rest
ing place. / remember them all, but
do not know whether they are among
the quick or the dead. In any event
Peace to their ashes.
OF the members of the press gang
who were members of the cOnstitu'
tiOnal convention of 1889, 1 have dis
tinct recollections of w. G. B. Allen,
of Logan county; of J. w. Lamoreaux,
of Cassia county; my old friend
Bacon, the sage of Nampa, then run
ming q paper called the Progress. As
for myself I was placed on the COM
mittee of printing and binding. Also
| remember that my old friend, j. ID.
Flenner, was nominated for dOOrkeep-
er by w. ]. Mcconnell, of Latah, and
it my pleasure to second the nomina-
ton. Mr.. Flenner is the father of the
president of this association, and
knew his family when they resided
here in the dark and bloody days of
1877, when Chief Joseph and his war
riors ran amuck among our people
here on Camas Prairie, and left be-
hind them seventy five victims of their
barbarity.
Friends Among Editors
My knowledge of the real pioneer
editors, mentioned above, was confined
almost exclusively to correspondence
which / wrote for all of them, as my
home was in the mountains far from
the madding crowd. Judge Milton
Kelly, and his associate editor, W. A.
Goulder of the Statesman, and j. ;.
Hill, of the Silver City Avalanche
were my personal friends. In later
years 1 contracted the habit of at
tending the Democratic territorial and
state conventions from Nez Perce
and Idaho counties, and as it is in
New York City today, so it was then.
The steam roller was not permitted
in any Democratic convention which
] ever attended, and if got too tame
we made il business to start some
thing.