Mead, William Robbins 1824 – 1905

MEAD

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:24

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 24, 1905, FP, C2

Microfilm missing but the index indicates the name as William Robbins Mead.

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Jan. 31, 1905, LP, C4,5

Was Held in High Esteem
Letters and Extracts from the Press Eulogistic of the Late W. R. Mead.
[From the Decorah Republican.]
W. R. Mead, of the PLAIN DEALER, Cresco, closed his long and eventful career on Sunday morning last. We are not in possession of the data for a complete obituary, and can write of him only in a cotemporary{sic} relation that has existed for a little over forty-five years.
It was in the fall of 1859 that began the publication of the PLAIN DEALER at New Oregon, then the county seat of Howard, and on the very border of civilization The earlier issues would now be a valuable curiosity; it was “set” in “small pica,” (a size of type three sizes larger than the common type of today), and betrayed conspicuously that its editor had not been an apprentice to the printer’s trade. When the railway came and Cresco re-wrote local history, the PLAIN DEALER, with all else save the cellars, moved to the new county seat. The wonder then was, and for many years after, how Mr. Mead held his ground and won support out of the meagre business afforded by the sparse population, the little revenue to be had from advertising and the driblets job printing afforded.
From the very first Mr. Mead was an aggressive, outspoken democrat in a community that sharply disagreed with his political sentiments. Politics were hot in those days, for it was just prior to the political battle of 1860 that resulted in the election of the first republican president in the person of Abraham Lincoln. An intense feeling of bitterness in the south was leading to the War of the Rebellion and all its subsequent events. In all these heats Mr. Mead abated not a jot or tittle of his democracy. How he was able to hold such a field against all competition was a problem never solved, save one recognized his possession of personal traits that won him friendships, and held them, despite the rancor of the bitterest personal politics. Mead never truckled a particle; he seemed to know no such thing as fear, and yielded not a sentence or modified not a word in any debate or position to which he was led in his zeal for his political affiliations. But he had warm friends; he kept in close personal touch with his readers and held his own surprisingly.
The personal features of Mr. Mead’s life — birth, education, marriage, etc, - we are unable to give at this time. After all, these matter but little at the end; the life he lived was the thing that tells. Looking back upon it, with the heat and the rancor all gone, we must pay him the tribute due a man of industry, marked ability and no small success. Although he raked together only a small heap of the stuff by which the world measures success, it must be admitted that he earned the record by what he attained in so small a field. Had he been on the winning side in the great political struggles of the last half of the nineteenth century he might have won recognition in state and national affairs. Opportunity has waited upon and given honors to many men of lesser brain-power, smaller capacity and fewer attainments. It was his lot to be of those who
“Along the cool, sequestered ale of life
Kept the noiseless tenor of their way.”
It is our hope that after life’s fitful fever he sleeps well.
- - - -
In one respect W. R. Mead was the senior editor in Iowa, and had been such since the death of W. W. Junkin, of the Fairfield Ledger. In another method of reckoning Joseph Eiboeck is the senior. He began his editorial work at Garnavillo, before Mr. Mead started his PLAIN DEALER, and moved the office to Elkader. Early in the sixties he sold out, visited his home country in Europe, and when he resumed editorial work, it was at Des Moines. Mr. Mead’s service was continuous and on the one newspaper. In this respect the senior editor of this paper is Mr. Mead’s successor as the elder by continuous service without a break. George D Perkins, of the Sioux City Journal, is an intervenor by reason of starting in business at Cedar Falls in February, 1860. But he also lost his grade by selling out that venture, living a year in Chicago, and resuming at Sioux City.

[From the Charles City Daily Press.]
W. R. Mead, editor of the Cresco PLAIN DEALER, died at his home in Cresco, Howard county, Monday, at the great age of 81 years. Mr. Mead is one of the very earliest settlers of Howard county. He settled Oregon, in that county, we believe, in 1858, and began the publication of the PLAIN DEALER in that most pioneer place in the fall of 1859. When the railroad reached Cresco, Mr. Mead moved his paper to that place and has continuously published it until his death. Mr. Mead’s paper was the second paper that was started after Mr. Hildreth established the Intelligencer at Charles City, and these veteran editors are veteran contemporaries of each other. We know of no two men quite so unlike as Mr. Hildreth and Mr. Mead. They were both natural born newspaper men, and yet their conceptions of newspaper work and what a newspaper should be were just as different as two unlike things could be. After forty-six years of editorial labor our editorial brother has laid down his pen forever.
He has impressed himself in many ways upon the life and development of the people of Howard county. He was somewhat eccentric, but always held his ear close to the wants and aspirations, demands and requirements of the people of Howard county. He was a man, an editor who exalted the man, and was not a mammon worshipper or server. He was a clear, forcible and vigorous writer; he never shunned or hesitated to enter into a controversy in defense of any cause that he espoused. We knew Brother Mead well, have met him a good many times in public affairs, and we always esteemed and respected him, not for his mistakes, but for his meritorious aim always to be right and to move his pen in harmony with his conscience.
- - - -
The passing of W. R. Mead, the veteran editor of the PLAIN DEALER, removed from a wide field of usefulness a strong, positive, helpful character, which the community can ill afford to lose A man of firm will and well established purposes he ever had the courage of his convictions.
His sphere of influence was large. For almost two generations the paper to which he gave his personality has been a regular and welcome visitor to thousands of homes. That paper has been an able, aggressive and uncompromising champion of right, and of human rights; fearless in its condemnation of the wrong, it has been faithful in its commendation of the right. Its motto, “Pluck, Progress and Perseverance,” was but a reflection of its management.
Though a lifelong democrat Mr. Mead was not a partisan in the narrow sense. His democracy was the democracy of of {sic} humanity. He saw the burdens of others and he endeavored manfully to lighten them For more than half a century his powerful intellect did valient service for his fellow man. Who can say that the cause was not a glorious one or that the battle was not nobly fought?
With hundreds of others the writer mourns the loss of a true and sincere friend, one whose deep and kindly interest was ever felt and whose counsel were ever an inspiration. He leaves a legacy more precious than gold and silver; a legacy of kind thoughts, kind words, kind deeds—the memory of a noble life.
How well may it all be summed by saying—He was a Man.
A. R. McCOOK.

[From the Riceville Recorder.]
The death of W. R. Mead, the veteran editor of the PLAIN DEALER< at Cresco, occurred Sunday morning, January 22, and the funeral was held Tuesday. Mr. Mead was the pioneer editor of this section of Iowa. For years he has made regular annual visits to his large list of subscribers in Howard county, and perhaps no man in the county enjoyed a larger or warmer personal acquaintance and friendship. This writer never had the pleasure of personally knowing Editor Mead, but has felt acquainted for several years through an exchange of papers. In his death Cresco and Howard county has lost a pioneer citizen who was sincere and devoted to what he believed to be right. His pen has recorded more of the county’s history than that of any other man, and his writings will be missed by a large number of people. Mr. Mead was well along in years and had been in poor heath for some time. To the mourning family the Recorder tenders its sincerest sympathy.

[from A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co., Minneapolis, Miss.]
It is not pleasant to contemplate the loss of a business friend extending over a quarter of a century, and beyond that the fact becomes more painful for the reason that for many years our relationship has been more of a personal nature than otherwise. The writer knew him many years ago when he began his newspaper with his brother on the Decorah Republican, and from early youth has always looked up to him as a man whose personal traits and characteristics were worthy of emulation.
A. N. KELLOGG NEWSPAPER CO.
A. S. BAILEY,
FRANK J. MEYST.

[From the Postville Review.]
W. R. Mead, the veteran editor of the Cresco PLAIN DEALER, died at his home in Cresco Sunday, well advanced in years, and after a lingering illness. Few men in the editorial ranks were more widely known than he, and his death will bring a pang of sorrow into the hearts of the fraternity wherever he was known.

Transcriber's Note: His gravestone in Oak Lawn Cemetery indicates he is buried there and was born in 1824.

Added by Joy Moore April 10, 2019

Source: Decorah Republican Jan. 26, 1905 P2 C3

DEATH OF VETERAN EDITOR.
The Senior Editor of N. E. Iowa if not the Entire State, Passes Away.
W. R. Mead, of the Plain Dealer, Cresco, closed his long and eventful career on Monday morning last. We are not in possession of the data for a complete obituary, and can write of him only in the cotemporary{sic} relation that has existed for a little over forty-five years.
It was in the fall of 1859 that he began the publication of the Plain Dealer at New Oregon, then the county seat of Howard, and on the very border of civilization. The earlier issues would now be a valuable curiosity; it was “set” in “small pics,” (a size of type three sizes larger than the common type of to-day,) and betrayed conspicuously that its editor had not been an apprentice to the printer’s trade. When the railway came and Cresco re-wrote local history, the Plain Dealer, with all else save the cellars, moved to the new county seat. The wonder then was, and for many years after, how Mr. Mead held his ground and won support out of the meagre business afforded by the sparse population, the little revenue to be had from advertising, and the driblets job printing afforded.
From the very first Mr. Mead was an outspoken, aggressive democrat in a community that sharply disagreed with his political sentiments. Politics were hot in those days, for it was just prior to the political battle of 1860 that resulted in the election of the first republican president in the person of Abraham Lincoln. An intense feeling of bitterness in the south was leading to the Warr{sic} of the Rebellion and all its subsequent events. In all these heats Mr. Mead abated not a jot or title of his democracy. How he was able to hold such a field against all competition was a problem never solved, save as one recognized his possession of personal traits that won him friendships, and held them despite the rancor of the bitterest personal politics. Mead never truckled a particle; he seemed to know no such thing as fear, and yielded not a sentence or modified a word in any debate or position to which he was led in his zeal for his political affilliations. But he had warm friends; he kept in close personal touch with his readers and held his own surprisingly.
The personal features of Mr. Mead’s life—birth, education, marriage, &c.,--we are unable to give at this time. After all, these matter but little at the end; the life he lived was the thing, that tells. Looking back upon it, with the heat and the rancor all gone, we must pay him the tribute due a man of industry, marked ability, and no small success. Although he probably raked together only a small heap of the stuff by which the world measures success it must be admitted that he honestly earned the record by what he attained in so small a field. Had he been on the winning side in the great political struggles of the last half of the nineteenth century he might have won recognition in state and national affairs. Opportunity has waited upon and given honors to many men of lesser brain-power, smaller capacity and fewer attainments, it was his lot to be of those who “Along the cool, sequestered vale of life kept the noiseless tenor of their way.”
It is our hope that after life’s fitful fever he sleeps well.

Oak Lawn Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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