The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-07-29
Hollowell Gives. History Of
Several That Have
Gone to Graveyard
BY NOAH HOLLoWELL
Former Editor of The
Hendersonville News

not Dorm WIN Tie pIONeEuldl SllNSI
spoon in its mouth. The casualty
list with both the religious and
secular press has created an in
teresting newspaper graveyard.
I am indebted for the history of
journalism in its pioneering peri
cd to M. NJ. Bowen, who has the
distinction of having worked as a
printer with every publication in
Hendersonville except two since
the first was established here by
Billy Deadman as a weekly news
paper during the War Between
the States. This effort did not
last long and the plant was pur-
chased by Mr.. Bowen's father, the
Rev. Nelson Bowen, a Baptist
minister who established head
quarters at his residence on the
Haywood road. Mr.. Bowen ran
this as a Baptist publication un-
der the name of the Cottage Visi-
tor, which gave up the ghost dur
ing or about the year 1872. In la
ter years the Rev. Mr.. Bowen es-
tablished the Baptist Telescope
and was succeeded as publisher by
T. J. Hickman, a young lawyer
who was reared in the Mills River
section, former mayor of Hender-
sonville and for several years be-
fore his recent death a resident
of Asheville.
Mr.. Hickman was associated
with the Rev. Jos. E. Carter. They
changed the name of the publica-
ton to the Blue Ridge Baptist.
Only a short while elapsed before
it expired and obligations were
squared with its subscribers by
turning over its subscription list
to the Biblical Recorder, a Bap-
fist publication, published then as
we'll as now at Raleigh. This was
the concluding chapter in religious
journalism in Hendersonville.
Jim D. Davis, father of c. Win
fired Davis, Hendersonville
printer, and the formers brother,
F. Pierce Davis, established the
Hendersonville Times about the
year 1882. They conducted the
publication about six years when
J. D. Davis purchased the inter-
est of his brother. Mr.. Davis in
1895 sold the plant to Mr.. Ken
yon, who later sold to Mr.. Rob
inson, who was succeeded by the
Rev. Mr.. Wilson, a Presbyterian
minister.
Meanwhile the late H. G. Ewart
established an independent paper
in Hendersonville. He was follow
ed by a Mr.. Allison, who publish
ed a Democratic newspaper. Hen
derson county has always been
very finicky about it's brand of
politics and the persistent rumors
that Mr.. Allison was "Pennsyl-
vania radical dishing out Demo-
cratic doctrine is said to have
meant the death knell of this pub
lication.
The late Prof T. w. Valentine
succeeded the Rev. Mr.. Wilson as
editor of The Times about the
year 1901 and remained its editor
for several years until he resumed
his former profession in the school
room of the Hendersonville high
school something over II years
ago. Wiley C. Rector became the
principal owner of The Times. He
worked valiantly for the Repub
lican cause until i'll health, bitter
political defeats and disappoint-
ments are said to have overtaken
him and in disgust he sold to E.
w. Ewbank and Charlie Hobbs.
They converted it into Demo-
cratic publication. During their
ownership Leroy Sargent, real
estate owner and developer, APP
peared on the scene. Henderson
vile began to look upward for
greater things in the journalistic
field when Mr.. Sargent announc-
ed that he would convert the pub
LEGATION into a daily newspaper
with no less famous parsonage
than the late orator and publicist,
John Temple Graves, as editor.
These journalistic efforts were
launched on too large a scale and
ownership soon reve d to
Messrs. Ewbank and Hobbs with
the late John Ewbank as manager
of the publication.
The above facts record the high
spots in the history of early jour-
nalism, and the beginning and
some of the changes in the life of
The Hendersonville Times, known
once as the Western North Caro-
lima Times.
The history of The News, the
latter half of the present hyphen-
ated name of this publication,
dates back to the period made
famous in political history by the
late William Jennings Bryan.
M. l.. Shipman, now associate
owner of a commercial plant in
Raleigh, after publishing the
French Broad Hustler in Brevard
for a year or more, decided to
move the publication to Hender-
sonville during the Bryan cam
paign because of the greater OPP
portunities he saw here for his
publication. During his career as
publisher he was associated with
Cam B. Osborne. In la e r
years the late T. R. Barrows,
whose widow now resides on
South Main street, became man.
ager of the French Broad Hus-
tier while Mr.. Shipman, the prin-
cipal owner, was engaged in poll
tics as state commissioner of la
Dor and printing with his home in
Raleigh. Mr.. Barrows was in
oborora &c tho puhlicot ion of tho