Museum Corner July2022

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By Becky Buher, published in the Times-Mail newspaper July 9, 2022

When I was in journalism school in the 1980s, professors at Indiana University forecasted the future of how we might someday receive our news and predicted news would be available online and the daily printed newspaper page was likely to be phased out.  

It was the early days of an information-sharing process which would eventually become the world-wide web. Small laptop computers and the computer capabilities of smart phones were not yet widely available.

The freedom of the press is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The way we receive our news today has indeed changed, and news is now at our fingertips at any time of the day or night. Let’s take a moment to recall the early days of the Lawrence County press.

In 1968, the Times-Mail newspaper editor, Ray Snap wrote about the history of local newspapers. “For the first century or so, Lawrence County had new newspapers formed at the rate of one every three or four years. Being the county seat, Bedford had the largest number of newspapers, but many smaller communities of the county also boasted newspapers at one time or another. Mitchell has had about eight or nine newspapers through the years. There also have been newspapers at Heltonville, Oolitic and Leesville.”

Many newspapers were started to support political views. Few survived very long financially.

The following lists the name of newspapers, their founder, and their beginning date:

Community’s earliest was The Western Spy—R. W. Thompson and C. H. Allen, circa 1831; Bedford Transcript—J. F. Walker, 1836; Bedford Review—Isaac Smith, 1841; Bedford Sun—Jacob Marts, 1845; Bedford Herald—J. V. S. Maxwell, 1848; White River Standard—Leonard Green, E. D. Pearson, 1849; People Advocate—J. C. Carlton, 1850s; Bedford Independent—Mathes and Berry, 1858; Lawrence Democrat—W. R. Johns and N. F. Malott, 1856; Bedford Presage—1858; Bedford Enterprise—George Sheeks and A. D. Lemon, 1860; Bedford Press—Eli Dale, 1863; Bedford Appeal—H. M. Beadle, 1863; Bedford Independent—W. A. Gabe, 1864; Mitchell Republican—J. M. Griffin, 1865; Mitchell Commercial—Woodward and Rumrill, 1866.

Period after the Civil War: Mitchell Musical Monthly—1866; Mitchell Commercial—Charles G. Berry and W. H. Edward, 1867; Democrat Banner—Yockey and Conley, 1868; Bedford Weekly News—Yockey and Conley, 1870; Bedford-Mitchell Banner—Charles L. Yockey, 1870s; Bedford Banner—Charles L. Yockey, 1872; Bedford Leader—James Glover, 1872; Lawrence Gazette—M. A. Gelwick and H. H. Friedley, 1873; Bedford Mirrors—1873; Christian Record—Elder James Mathes, 1874; Mitchell Enterprise—Harry Davis, 1874; The News—James Glover, 1875; The Saturday Evening Press—1875; Bedford Star—John Johnson Jr., 1875; Mitchell Times—Charles L. Yockey and J. T. Biggs, 1876; Mitchell Star—Albert Johnson, 1870s; True Republican—G. A. J. Thomas, 1876; Leesville Sun—Micajah Allen, 1876; Leesville Index—Micajah Allen, 1870s; The News—James Glover, 1870s; Morning Call—Vestal, 1870s; Bedford Republican—R. A. Conner and W. A. English, 1879; Bedford Magnet—H. S. Osborne, 1879; Bedford Journal—J. V. Smith, 1880; Leesville Graphic—McHenry Owen, 1882; Mitchell Tribune—1883; (name unknown) —J. V. Smith, 1884; Bedford Weekly Mail—Fred Otis and T. J. Brooks, 1880s; The Lawrence Mail—F. B. Hitchcock and H. S. Osborne, 1884; Bedford Democrat—John Johnson Jr., 1885; Lawrence County News— E. I. Lee, 1880s; Bedford Mail—Hitchcock and Otis, 1889; The Evening Democrat—John Johnson Jr., 1890s; The Daily Democrat—John Johnson Jr., 1892; The Daily Mail—Hitchcock and Otis, 1892; Bedford Kicker—Fred Way, 1894; The X-Ray—Fred Way and F. A. Lively, 1895; Bedford Daily Mail—T. J. Brooks and Fred B. Otis, 1896; The Republican—Way and Lively, 1890s; The Oolitic Progress—1890s; Mitchell Tribune—W. T. Moore and T. J. Tanksly, 1899.

Beginning in the twentieth century, The Heltonville News—1900; The Republican—D. Y. Johnson and O. H. Griest, 1900; The Stone City Enterprise—Jesse Richardson and D. Y. Johnson, 1902; Lawrence County Republican—Robinson and Johnson, 1900s; The Oolitic Progress—19teens; Tunnelton Booster, publisher unknown, 1932; The Bedford Times-Mail, 1942 (merger of Bedford Times and Bedford Mail).

One very successful early newspaper was The Western Spy whose founder was Richard W. Thompson. His father-in-law, James B. Gardiner, was a pioneer editor and newspaper publisher in Columbus, Ohio. Thompson became a U.S. Congressman and later Secretary of the Navy in U. S. President Rutherford B. Hayes’ cabinet.

The first woman to own a local paper was Catharine Mary Butler, who was publishing the Bedford Times in 1937.

Today, one local newspaper survives—The Times-Mail newspaper owned by GateHouse Media.  

Source: Bedford Daily Times Mail, July 3, 1968, Indianapolis Star, Jan. 17, 1937.