SHEPHERD, Jesse M.: Died 1899

SHEPHERD

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 10/10/2016 at 15:08:45

**Handwritten: St. Line Dem. Thurs. 23 March 1899

JES. SEM. SHEPHERD.
Death of the Man who Started the First Paper in Van Buren County.

Mrs. Sarah Shepherd, widow of Rev. C.W. Shepherd, received a letter Saturday conveying the intelligence of the death of her late husband's oldest brother, Jesse M. Shepherd, of Baker City, Oregon.

Jesse M. Shepherd had the distinction of starting the first paper ever published in Van Buren county, and the sixth paper in Iowa. In July 1843, Col. James Shepherd left Springfield, Ill., for the west; and one the way met some one who recommended Keosauqua to him as a good place to start a newspaper. On arriving here Col. Shepherd called a meeting of the citizens, at which the project of starting a newspaper was discussed and agreed upon. Col. Shepherd then returned to Springfield and started his oldest son, Jesse M. Shepherd, and a man named J.L.T. Mitchell out here with a printing plant to establish a paper. The paper was issued under the name of the Iowa-Democrat and Des Moines River Intelligencer, and probably appeared in August or September, 1843. Col. Shepherd came here in the spring of 1844, and purchased Mitchell's interest in the paper, and it was published by him and Jesse M. until the Spring of 1850, and then sold to Ezra M. Jones.

April 30, 1850, almost 49 years ago, Jesse Shepherd went west and had not been east of Boise City, Idaho, since. He had been Baker City, Oregon, about 30 years, formerly publishing the Baker City Democrat. Also within the past three or four years he established another paper the name of which have forgotten. He was 78 years old the 5th of this month.

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book G, Page 234, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA