 Scott County, Missouri Local Newspapers
As a genealogist and historian, I appreciate the value of local newspapers. They are windows in which to glance at our communities. Missouri has a rich newspaper history. Joseph Charless came to the Missouri territory and started the state's first newspaper, the MISSOURI GAZETTE, in 1808 at St. Louis. From this beginning, the role of the press has been vital in helping develop Missouri into what it has become today. In 1893, area news reporters formally organized the Southeast Missouri Press Association in Poplar Bluff. In the early years the Association met twice a year, spring and fall, in various towns throughout the district. Members usually met were railroads traveled because that was the quickest mode of transportation in those days. In 1893, Missouri had 782 newspapers. Today, it has approximately 300 total newspapers in the state. The death of small community newspapers is very sad, but we are grateful to members of the Southeast Missouri Press Association for continuing the tradition. Scott County, Missouri has an interesting newspaper history too. Listed below are Scott County Newspapers you may have never heard of, or have forgotten. The intent of this list is to honor the people who worked on these newspapers. We are grateful to those individuals who documented the local history and provided public information and entertainment to their readers. BENTON (*) Clint Denman, publisher of the Herald, also published a widely distributed area newspaper, International Sunday School Lesson. In 1957, he was honored by the School of Journalism at University of Missouri for Distinguished Service to Journalism. Information was obtained from Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, and the State Historical Society of Missouri book, Missouri Newspapers On Microfilm at the State Historical Society of Missouri and State of Missouri Official Manual For the Years: 1965-1966. Many of these newspapers have been copied to microfilm and are available through the State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201-7298. You may also refer to Missouri Newspapers, by William H. Taft, for more information on the subject. I owe a special thanks to Mildred Wallhausen, Historian for the SEMO Press Association for her contribution toward this summary of Scott County Newspapers. As stated earlier, the demise of small community newspapers is sad. The disappearance of the small town main street shopping areas, and other factors have made it financially impossible for many small newspapers to succeed. Television can't cover the local events in detail and this is why small town newspapers should continue, with the full support of local citizens. This site is a AHGP Project which is a volunteer genealogical organization dedicated to the free access of genealogical information. NOTE: If you run across a site thats charges a fee to view these pages, please let me know This is a free site. There is not a charge to view these pages. Return To Scott County, Missouri MO-AHGP & MOGenWeb site 
 
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