List of defunct newspapers of Hartford City, Indiana
This is a list of newspapers that used to be published in Hartford City, Indiana, USA. Important people in the community's newspaper history are the brothers Frank and Henry Geisler, Edward E. Cox, and the Monfort family including Ralph and John Monfort. Hartford City's current (2009) News-Times is a descendant of the entity created by the merger of the Hartford City News and the Times-Gazette.[1]
- Hartford City Times (1852) First newspaper in Blackford County. [2]
- Blackford County News (1852–1859) [3]
- Register (1856) [4]
- Blackford County Democrat (1857–1861) [5]
- Hartford City Union (1861–1871) [6]
- Hartford City Democrat (1869–1872) [7]
- News (1873–1885) [8]
- Hartford City Courier (1873–1875) [9]
- Hartford City Telegram (1875–1914) [10]
- Hartford City Times (1885–1905) [11]
- Saturday Siftings (1891–1894) [12]
- Hartford City Arena (1891–1895) [13]
- Hartford City Press (1892–1894) [14]
- Evening News (1894–1937) Eventually renamed Hartford City News, this was Hartford City’s first daily newspaper. [15]
- Republican (1895–1896) [16]
- Blackford County Gazette (1901–1905) Included a French language column. [17]
- Daily Gazette (1901–1903) [18]
- Times-Gazette (1905–1937) [19]
- Daily Journal (1909–1915) [20]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Most of the information in this article is from a newspaper article written by T. J. Hemlinger in the Hartford City New-Times Centennial Tabloid published in 1985. Secondary sources have also been used (see reference section), and the Blackford County Historical Society has been consulted in the case of the first daily newspaper.
- ^ The Hartford City Times was mostly an advertiser printed by Dr. John E. Moler. Mr. Moler used a wooden press, and he had the capacity to print 1,000 papers per day (although the entire community numbered less than 400 people).
- ^ Started by E.B. Chamness in 1852, and sold two years later to A.D. Hook. Sold to John Bromagon who sold to J.D. Chipman. Chipman folded newspaper in 1859. One source considers Blackford County News to be the first newspaper in the county, possibly considering the Hartford City Times to be an advertiser and not a newspaper. Additional sources: John Miller's Indiana Newspaper Bibliography, p. 22; and Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties..., p. 735.
- ^ Established by E.B. Chamness. A.B. Hook was editor. A "small paper of liberal principles" that did not last long. See also Miller, p. 23.
- ^ Also called the Democrat. Published by William McCormack and Samuel McCormack. Shut down when Civil War began so owners could join the Union Army. See also Miller, p. 22.
- ^ Started by James W. Ruckman, and sold to John M. Ruckman in 1864. See also Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties..., p. 735.
- ^ Started by Charles F. Jackson, and sold to John M. Ruckman in 1872. Renamed News in 1873. See also Miller, p.22.
- ^ John M. Ruckman’s successor to Hartford City Democrat that became a Republican newspaper. Ceased operations on January 1, 1885.
- ^ Started by Richard G. Steele and James E. Williamson. Sold two years later and moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- ^ Democratic Party weekly started by Charles U. Timmonds. Sold to Benjamin A. Van Winkle in 1883. Sold to Thomas S. and Samuel M. Briscoe in 1885. Sold to Edward E. Cox in 1891. Eventually folded into Hartford City News.
- ^ Not related to the 1852 Hartford City Times. Began as a weekly Republican Party newspaper published by Elwood Huffman and Frank Geisler. Sold to Enoch De Soto Moffett in 1888. Sold to Archie W. Tracy in 1895. Tracy purchased and absorbed Republican in 1896. A daily version of the Hartford City Times was started in 1896 with Archie Tracy as editor. Hartford City Times purchased by Henry Geisler and Rolland B. Hubbard in 1902. Hubbard eventually sold his interest to Geisler. Merged with Blackford County Gazette to become the Times-Gazette in 1905. As second source lists the start date as 1884. See also Hartford City Illustrated, p. 10.
- ^ Started by Frank Geisler, and ceased operations before 1895.
- ^ Founded by William Noonan, who was head of Blackford County’s Socialist Party. The paper was bill as Populist, and was the official organ of the Farmer’s Mutual Benefit Association.
- ^ Started by M. Frash and son, sold a year later to George Dale and Charles Wigmore, ceased operations a year later.
- ^ Began in 1894 by Edward Everett Cox. (Other sources say February 1893 or 1892 was the first publish date.) Originally an independent newspaper, it became Hartford City’s voice of the Democratic Party. Eventually became managed by Herbert E. Honey and James Chapman. Cox again became part of management around 1915, and was seceded by Chapman in 1924, as Cox moved to editor. Nelson C. Townsend was editor in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Cox family sold to Ralph Monfort and Herbert Honey in 1937, causing the Hartford City News to be merged with the Times-Gazette into the Hartford City News-Times. The News-Times is the current (2009) newspaper in Hartford City. N-T The American Newspaper Directory for March 1900 lists the start year for the Evening News as 1894.Directory
- ^ Frank and Henry Geisler purchased the Hartford City Arena and renamed it. Daily and weekly editions. absorbed by Hartford City Times
- ^ Started by Henry Geisler and Rolland B. Hubbard on August 3, 1901, as a Republican Party supporter. Included a column in French language to attract the city’s Belgian glassworkers. Eventually combined with the Daily Gazette. Additional source: Miller, p. 22.
- ^ Began by Henry Geisler and Rolland B. Hubbard on November 18, 1901 as a daily version of the Blackford County Gazette. Additional source: Miller, p. 22.
- ^ Weekly created by a merger of the Hartford City Times and Blackford County Gazette, and managed by Henry Geisler and Rolland B. Hubbard. Ralph Monfort was editor.
- ^ Started by George R. Dale as a Republican newspaper. Purchased in 1910 by a company led by Charles Reeves that used the publication as a vehicle to promote his candidacy for congress. Dale reacquired paper in 1911 making it independent and anti-liquor. Ceased operations when Dale moved away from town.
References[edit]
- American Newspaper Directory (Volume 32, Issue 1). New York: Geo. P. Rowell and Co. March 1900. pp. 1, 424. OCLC 50093724.
- Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana: Containing ... portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Jay and Blackford Counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families and a concise history of Jay and Blackford Counties and their cities and villages. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company. 1887. p. 901. OCLC 15560416. Archived from the original on 2011-08-07.
- Hartford City Illustrated: A Publication Devoted to the City's Best Interests and Containing Half Tone Engravings of Prominent Factories, Business Blocks, Residences, and a Selection of Representative Commercial and Professional Men and Women. Chicago: [S.l.] : Daulton & Scott. 1896. p. 47. OCLC 11382905.
- Hemlinger, T.J. (December 30, 1985). "City Newspapers Began in 1852". Hartford City News-Times Centennial Tabloid. pp. 24 pages.
- Indiana State Library (2009). "Blackford County Newspapers (in collection)" (url). Indiana State Library. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- Miller, John W. (1982). Indiana Newspaper Bibliography: historical accounts of all Indiana newspapers published from 1804 to 1980 and locational information for all available copies, both original and microfilm. Indianapolis: [S.l.] : Indiana Historical Society. p. 538. OCLC 251995777.
