EARLY NEWSPAPERS OF LYON COUNTY
The newspaper goes hand in
hand with civilization and advancement and Lyon County has never
been lacking for well-edited local and political organs. The
first newspaper launched forth its printed pages of pioneer news
with plenty of "legals," and was called the Rock Rapids
Journal, edited by C.E.
Bristol, in 1871. The first papers in Lyon County were pressless,
and depended upon the LeMars Sentinel,
forty miles distant, to do their printing, but this was soon
remedied.
Concerning the establishing of the first newspaper in the county
it may be recorded that Rev. C.E. Bristol took a homestead on
section 24, in Grant Township, and preached the gospel during the
summer of 1871, delivering the Fourth of July oration and was in
every respect a fine and truly noble gentleman. He founded the
Rock Rapids Journal,
July 25, 1871. The paper was at first printed in LeMars at the
Sentinel
office, by J.C. Buchanan. In the first issue of his paper Rev.
Bristol discoursed thus: We have just been out over our forty
acres broken last season and in such a soil and such a season and
such a genial climate, cannot help but return bountiful harvests,
and we propose to "hold the plow or drive." We cannot
give our friends all of our time in the sanctum, or palpit, for
we came out here to make a home, and we are, under the blessing
of heaven, going to do it, and do it ourselves, too."
In the several numbers of his paper he said: "Thanks to the
genial editor of the Le Mars Sentinel,
for his kindly words concerning us in his columns last week,
before we were born (literally). We cannot be insensible to
kindly welcome to the editorial ring."
The next issue of the Journal,
Rev. Bristol, the editor, remarked: "We have to apologize to
our eastern friends for so frequently saying, "so we are
told." We beg them to remember that we only came here a
month ago and don't know it all yet! Bear with us, then, if we
don't know all there is. We move softly at first-til we get the
Lyon County step!"
The Journal did not
live long. Bristol had serious troubles of his own, with old
"Buck" of the Le Mars Sentinel,
and somebody jumped his claim in Lyon County and the
Journal
was no more.
There are now eight newspapers in the county. Several others
survived for a time, but have long since been numbered on the
defunct list. Among these were the Beloit
Times,
Lester News, Rock
Rapids Tribune, Lyon
County Press, and the
West,
by L.C. Rene, of Beloit.
The following weekly papers supply the people of Lyon County with
news today: The Rock Rapids Review,
E.L. Partsch, proprietor; the Rock Rapids
Reporter,
Junkin & Smith, proprietors; Inwood
Herald,
Miss Jennie Skewis, editor; Doon Press,
Hazlett Bros., proprietors; the George
Courier,
T. Isebrand, proprietor; Alvord Register,
P.H. McCarty, proprietor; Larchwood
Leader,
L.C. McGilvra, proprietor; Little Rock
Free
Lance, C.E. Davison, proprietor.
Some of the earlier papers had spicy, suggestive sub-head mottoes.
The Rock Rapids Journal
had
"With malice toward none, with charity toward all,"
from Lincoln's famous speech. Ira C. Edwards, who had the same
paper in 1876 had for a motto "Invincible, though not
infallible." The Rock Rapids Review,
in 1877, had under J.M. Webb's management, "The people's
interest must and shall be preserved."