Carroll County IAGenWeb History Journal

     With advancing civilization, the professions afford an ever broadening field for the brightest minds to enter, in quest not only of living, but also of honor. With the exception of the public schools, there is no agency so educational as the local press. Journalism itself has passed through several stages of development, and has but recently found its true position. A paper of the style of those published thirty years ago would have but few admirers. Local news was then not thought worthy of printing, and the country papers were filled with learned disquisitions on national politics and foreign wars. Now these things are wisely left to the more widely circulated city papers, which by fast mail trains are distributed throughout the West within twenty-four hours of publication. Carroll County takes several thousand papers each week from Chicago, Des Moines, Omaha and other cities, and also supports seven local papers. These are all edited with more than average ability, and all have a good circulation.

CARROLL HERALD

      O. H. Manning began printing at Jefferson a paper called the Carroll Enterprise, in 1808. Some of the citizens of Carroll clubbed together, bought a press, and employed J. P. H. Sugg to publish the Western Herald, which rendered useless the further existence of the Enterprise. In a year or two the outfit of the Herald was sold to O. H. Manning. E. E. Hastings became editor and publisher September 28, 1870, and March 29, 1871, the name was changed by dropping " Western." In 1874 O. R. Gray became a partner in the enterprise, the two purchasing the office from Mr. Manning. The firm of Hastings & Gray continued until April 4, 1877, when Mr. Hastings bought O. R. Gray's interest and became sole proprietor. At the beginning of 1882 Mr. Hastings leased a half interest to E. A. Adams, and the paper was published under the firm name of Hastings & Adams until August 15, 1883. On the 1st of January following Paul M. MacLean purchased the entire concern, at the same time leasing a half interest back to Mr. Hastings. The firm of Hastings & MacLean continued two and a half years. The first named retired at the end of June, 1886, and died in the autumn following. John B, Hungerford bought a half interest of Mr. MacLean at the time of Mr. Hastings' retirement. Under the management of MacLean & Hungerford the Herald is increasing in popularity and influence. It has always been devoted to the interests of the Republican party. It is in size a seven-column quarto. Previous to 1876 it was a folio, or four-page paper. It is issued on Wednesdays, at $2 a year, and has a circulation of 1,300.

CARROLL SENTINEL

      The Sentinel was established at Glidden in the spring of 1877, by Ed. Tabor, of Lake City, now city editor of the Sioux City Journal. He was succeeded in the ownership of the Sentinel by Russell & "Wattles, and they by I. S. Russell. The latter moved the office to Carroll in 1880, and published it here with not strict regularity for about a year. Then H. C. Ford brought some material from West Side, bought out Mr. Russell, and began to build up a prosperous paper. In April, 1884, the establishment passed into the hands of Michael Miller, its present editor and proprietor. The paper was originally a six-column folio, independent in politics, but is now a seven-column quarto, and since Mr. Miller took charge, it has been Democratic. In the middle of July, 1886, the office was moved into its present location, in a brick building owned by Mr. Miller. It is 22 x 100 feet, the front twenty feet being cut off for the post office, which has been recently moved in. The remainder is in one large room, exceedingly convenient for newspaper work. Steam power, the only one used by a paper in the county, was introduced in the autumn of 1886.

CARROLL DEMOCRAT

      The Carroll Democrat was established in 1874, in the interests of the Democratic party, by H. L. McMann, A. L. Bowman, J. C. Kelly and one other. Mr. McMann was editor. They published a very good paper for perhaps a year, but the owners could not agree on some very important matters, and the office was closed. The material was sold at sheriff's sale, and passed into the hands of the Herald and Der Demokrat. The latter, although having a similar name, had no connection with the English Democrat.

CARROLL DEMOKRAT

      This is a German weekly, with politics indicated by its name. Its first number appeared May 22, 1874. Its size was then a six-column folio. Two years later it was made a quarto, its present size. The first proprietors were Bowman & Burkhardt. F. F. Florencourt bought Mr. Bowman's interest in June, 1874, and the firm was then for six months Burkhardt & Florencourt. Then the paper passed into the hands of a new firm, Burkhardt & Schirk. H. W. Hagemann purchased Schirk's interest in 1876, and two years later that of Mr. Burkhardt, becoming sole proprietor. In March 1879, the paper and material passed under the control of the Demokrat Printing Association, which the Demokrat has been since regularly published. The present officers of the association are: P. M. Guthrie, President and Treasurer; B. J. Kniest, Secretary and Manager; F. F. Florencourt is editor. The Demokrat is exclusively a German paper, and in 1880 three columns were printed in English, an experiment which was discontinued after one year. It is published on Fridays, at $2 a year, and is read by nearly all of the large German population of Carroll County.

CARROLL NEWS

      This was the name of a five-column folio Democratic paper, published for about six months in 1880 and 1881 by B. J. Kniest.

MANNING MONITOR

      The first paper at Manning, the Monitor, was established by S. L. Wilson, November 16, 1881, and by him published for over two years. Seth Smith bought it in March, 1884, and two months later sold to C. S. Lawrence. It is an eight-column folio, Republican in politics, and is published at $1 a year.

MANNING NEWS

      The News was first brought before the waiting world in January, 1882, by The. Palmer, of Irving. May 20, 1886, the paper and material were bought by W. J. Morrow, who is now editor and proprietor. It is a seven-column folio, Democratic in politics, and is issued on Thursdays, at $1 a year. About 400 papers are mailed at home, and the total circulation in Carroll, Crawford, Shelby and Audubon counties is 850.

GLIDDEN PAPERS

      As stated before, the Carroll Sentinel was established at Glidden. About a year before the Sentinel was removed, J. C. Holmes started the Newsboy, a six-column folio, neutral as to politics. This ran perhaps two years. In November, 1885, G. "W. Baer began the publication of the Success, which belied its name, for it was forced to suspend July 9, 1886. It was a six-column quarto, Republican in politics, and published at the rate of $1.50 per year. Glidden is now without a local paper.

COON RAPIDS ENTERPRISE

      The Enterprise was founded in January, 1882, by Ed. Stowell, who sold to Henry Brothers, May 25, 1883. In February, 1885, S. D. Henry became sole proprietor. The Enterprise is appropriately named, and has a large list of satisfied subscribers. It is Republican in politics, and is published on Fridays, at $1.50 a year. It is in size a six-column quarto.