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For several years after the arrival of the colonists no newspaper was published in Marion county, but in the latter part of 1854 Rev. H. P. Scholte and Edwin H. Grant started the first newspaper in Marion county.
This was but one of the many evidences of the public spirit and enterprise of Dr. Scholte, who, up to the day of his death, did not cease in his efforts to advance the well being of the community he had founded.
Not only was it necessary to purchase a press and other equipment, all of which had to be hauled by wagon from Keokuk, but first a suitable building had to be erected. This was done in the winter of 1854-55, when a two-story frame building was constructed on the corner of Main and Washington streets. The same building was known to succeeding generations as the Pella National Bank building. In the month of February the first issue of "The Pella Gazette" was published.
PELLA GAZETTE Vol. 1. Independent No. 1 H. P. Scholte and E. H. Grant, Proprietors Feb. 1, 1855.The above is the heading of the first newspaper published in Pella and in Marion county, and what is more, the farthest west of any paper between here and the Missouri river.
Pursuant to the notice in last week's Gazette, a number of citizens of this place met at the district school house on Monday night last. Mr. W. J. Ellis having called the meeting to order, Dr. B. F. Keables was appointed chairman, and Mr. J. Nollen secretary. Mr. H. P. Scholte thereupon stated that the object of the meeting was to appoint delegates to the railroad meeting to be held at Knoxville on Thursday, April 30, 1857, and to instruct said delegates as to the line of conduct to be pursued by them.
The motion, that the number of delegates from this place to the Knoxville meeting be five, having been adopted, the following named gentlemen were appointed by a unanimous vote: Rev. H. P. Scholte, Dr. B. F. Keables, P. Barendregt, Rev. I. C. Curtis, and C. D. Caldwell.
It was then resolved that the delegates be instructed to concur in petitioning our county judge to have a vote taken on the question of voting a county subscription to aid in extending the Muscatine and Oskaloosa and the Keokuk & Demoine Railroad, provided said subscriptions be equally divided between said roads, and the condition be made that both roads are to run through Marion county--and further, that the delegates report the result of their negotiations in a meeting to be held in this place, at the district school house, on Monday next, the 4th of May, at 7 o'clock p. m.
On motion the meeting was then adjourned.
B. F. Keables, Ch'n.
J. Nollen, Sec'y.