Fairmount Township Newspapers
The Galatia Messenger was issued in 1852 by William Chamness and associates for the primary purpose of advocating the movement to establish a city near Lake Galatia. The Messenger was established as part of a plan to propagate in a large way the doctrine of Spiritualism. It was the first publication issued in Fairmount Township.
In December, 1877, Joel Reece, who had been publishing the Jonesboro News. finding that field unprofitable for a newspaper, moved his outfit in a wagon to Fairmount and issued the first edition of the Fairmount News. The question of starting a newspaper occupied the attention of business men for several weeks, and was discussed by citizens, who held frequent meetings for the purpose of considering the matter. Among the active promoters of the enterprise were Robert Bogue, N.W. Edwards, E.N. Oakley, J.P. Winslow, and others. The paper was issued form a room in the rear of the second story of the Pioneer Drug Store. An old-fashioned Washington hand press, the nucleus of an equipment for the average country weekly in that day, was used to print the first edition. Reece conducted the paper for about one year, when he sold his plant to Charles stout and moved to Stafford County, Kansas, where he has since died.
For a short time William S. Seaford, who was a teacher in the Fairmount public schools, was associated with Stout in the publication of the paper.
In May, 1885, The News was taken over by Edgar M. Baldwin, who continued as the publisher until April, 1888, when the property was purchased by Jack Stivers. Stivers was in charge of the paper until July, 1903, when it was again taken over by Edgar M. Baldin, who, assisted by his wife, Myra Rush Baldwin, has since been actively engaged in its management.
The Fairmount Times was started in 1888 by Edward A. Morgan. The paper was later discontinued. About 1900, Morgan entered the Fairmount field with The Daily Journal, which flourished for several years, suspending publication in 1906. Several other newspapers have been started in Fairmount in the intervening years, with indifferent success.
The Child's Golden Voice, a juvenile religious periodical issued monthly by Rev. G.P. Riley, was published here in 1885.
James Chapman published The Index at Fowlerton from 1902 to 1906. Mr. Chapman discontinued the Index in order to assume charge of The Gas City Journal. The Index was succeeded by The Independent, and then by The Review, both publications at different times edited by Cal Sinninger. Sinninger was an aggressive writer, sometimes vitriolic in his utterances, and was noted for his independent views on religion, politics and business.
Source: The Making of a Township, being an account of the early settlement and subsequent development of Fairmount Township, Grant County, Indiana 1829-1917.