The Cedar County News Letter was the first newspaper published in Cedar County. This Film is made from the only known existing file of the paper. (See:”The History of Cedar County” Published I 1877. Page 444.)

This only existing file became available in the following manner: When William John Mather (2nd Lieutenant Infantry) then 23 years of age received his honorable discharge from the Army in January 1919, he returned to his former position as administrative officer at the University of Chicago. Seeking a place to live he was directed to the apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Burton W. Stadden, who lived near the University and had an extra room available because their son had not yet returned from service. Lt. Mather took the room and on the first evening was visiting with Mr. Stadden who learned with interest that Lt. Mather had been born and raised at Springdale, Cedar County, Iowa – and in a few moments they were matching grandfathers. Mr. Stadden said his grandfather Nelson C. Swank, for Ohio, college graduate had gone to Rochester, Iowa in 1850, operated the ferry, established the first newspaper, owned the general store, died in 1855, and was buried in the Rochester cemetery. Mt. Mather said his grandfather Samuel Mather had migrated by covered wagon and with family of wife and thirteen children, the youngest of which was Charles Mather (then 6 months of age) arriving in Iowa Township of Cedar County in June 1851. The assumption that these two grandfathers Swank and Mather must have know each other was proved when Mr. Stadden got out the file of the Cedar County newsletter, in which items were found about Samuel Mather, and in the account book of Nelson Swank’s store in which was found the account of Samuel Mather.

Thus 68 years afterwards by chance came together the grandsons of two pioneers of the Rochester Springdale area, and thus was recovered for students of the history of Cedar County, documents which were recognized to be of rare value. William Mather eventually bought the file of the Cedar County News Letter and made it available to his Mother, Mrs. Charles Mather then still living in Springdale and various interested relatives. In the 1920’s he offered the Tipton Advertiser an opportunity to publish various interesting excerpts from it, but the Advertiser declined. With the perfection of microphotography by the University of Chicago Libraries, he saw thereby a chance to make available to other students of Cedar Countians this entrancing, living bit of a forgotten age and at his own expense has had this file prepared.