BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTY NEWSPAPERS.
By Roger Stillman
The history of the press of Allegany county would, if it could be accurately followed from the first paper printed within its boundaries to the present time, giving the changes in
ownership and editorial management, form one of the most interesting chapters in the county's history; but data at hand is too meager to enable us to give more than a mere outline of the
more noted of them. Many have come into existence, flourished for a short time, died and been forgotten, while others have become household companions from one generation to another,
giving their readers a complete history, not only of the happenings in the towns where they were printed, but also of the county, state and nation. In preparing this chapter it is
impossible to trace all the changes made in the names of publications, or their migrations from town to town or the merging of one into another. We have however followed them as closely as
possible, though in many cases the exact dates of these changes have been lost in the dust of years.
This chapter is appropriately opened by an account of the first paper printed in its territory.
The Allegany Republican, which first went to press in Angelica, in October, 1820, and was owned and edited by Franklin Cowdery, who continued it for two years when he suspended its
publication. In 1827 The Angelica Republican took its place, and was conducted by Samuel P. Hal1 until 1832, when it passed into the hands of B. F. Smead with the name changed to
The Angelica Republican and Farmer's and Mechanic's Press. During 1832 it was sold to Peter Cherry, who changed its name to The Allegany Republican and Internal Improvement Advocate.
Mr. Cherry continued its publication for a trifle over four years, again changing its name in 1836 to The Angelica Republican and Allegany Whig, soon after this selling it to Wm.
P. Angel, when its title was changed to The Angelica Reporter and Allegany Republican under which name it had run but a short time when it was purchased by Samuel C. Wilson who
issued it as The Angelica Reporter until 1856. Mr. Wilson sold the paper to Horace E. Purdy and Charles Horton in 1841, and. in 1844, Mr. Purdy retired, leaving Mr. Horton sole
proprietor. In 1856 Mr. Horton purchased The Advocate and Whig (a paper started at Cuba as Tile Advocate in 1842 by Erastus S. Palmer who sold it to Elray & Churchill, who,
in turn, sold to Peter S. Norris, who transferred it to W. H. & C. M. Beecher. It was consolidated with the Cuba Whig in 1852 forming The Advocate and Whig and consolidated
it with The Angelica Reporter under the name of The Angelica Reporter and Angelica Advocate and Whig. Some years later Geo. W. Dickinson purchased the paper and soon after
moved the plant to Belmont where the paper was published until 1874 when it was purchased and moved to Wellsville and united with The Wellsville Times by the stock company owning
the latter, under the name of The Allegany County Reporter. In 1876, Enos W. Barnes purchased a controlling interest in the stock, and took entire charge of the paper until his death in
1888, when it was continued by Mrs. Enos W. Barnes, assisted by her sons E. Willard and Charles H. who now publish it as a semi-weekly, and a1so publish The Wellsville Daily Reporter,
founded by E. W. Barnes in 1880, the only daily paper in the county.
After the removal of the original Angelica Republican from Angelica in 1870, there was a time when that village was without a paper, but, in December, 1871, Mr. P. S. Norris revived
the name of the Angelica Republican in a new paper established there, of which he issued the first, Dec. 22. 1871. He continued the publication until August, 1875, when A. W.
Phillips & Co. became owners. They, after a few months, sold to, Clark & McLaughlin, who were burned out and soon thereafter gave up its publication. Early in 1876, H. O. Scott, who
started The Canaseraga Times at Canaseraga in 1873, moved the p1ant to Angelica and started a paper, adopting for its title the old established name of Angelica Republican.
This journal was sold to L. G. Raymond in 1870, and still continues to be published by him.
The Republican Aegis and Allegany Democrat was the second paper published at Angelica and in the county, having come into existence in 1830.
The Genesee Valley Free Press first appears as an occasional publication at Belfast in 1852, where it was printed and edited by A. N. Cole until early in 1858, when he moved it to
Wellsville and issued it from that place regu1arly each week until 1865 when he sold it to Fisk & Fish and its name was changed to The Wellsville Free Press. In 1870 Charles M.
Beecher purchased the business and conducted it until 1875. The Genesee Valley Free Press was revived by it’s founder at Belmont in 1877, in an office purchased from The
Alleganian by his son, A. P. Cole, who became the publisher of The Free Press and The Genesee Valley Farmer, (which formed a part of the weekly publication occupying one
page under the above head). This paper was discontinued and the plant sold in 1881.
The Cuba Patriot was first published at Cuba in 1862 by Stebbins & Burdick as a. Republican paper. Burdick soon sold his interest to W. J. Carrier, who, after one year, withdrew
from the firm, and F. G. Stebbins continued sole owner until 1865 when Mr. Carrier again became a partner, but only for a brief period, for, in November, 1865, Mr. Stebbins was again its
sole proprietor, and a month later the firm was changed to Stebbins & Pratt. In August, 1866, Mr. Pratt retired and Mr. Stebbins continued alone until 1869 when he sold one-half interest
to C. F. Meloy. In March following Meloy sold his interest to C. L. Shepard. In October, 1872, The Patriot was sold to The Cuba Herald Association, its name changed to The Cuba
Herald, which was placed under the editorial management of James A. M'Kibbin. About Jan. 1. 1875, it was sold to E. S. Barnard, who associated Mr. Stebbins with him as associate
editor and changed the name back to The Patriot. Mr. Barnard died in March, 1875, and Mr. Stebbins again bought the paper and conducted it until 1880 when he sold to Miles A.
Davis, who edited it one year when it again came into possession of its founder who published it until his death. In 1883 W. L. Beecher and W. J. Glenn became proprietors. In January,
1887, Mr. Beecher retired, 1eaving the firm name W. J. Glenn & Co. Stanley C. Swift purchased the Patriot in April, 1891, and sold it to H. Moulton & Co., in July, 1892. W. J.
Glenn & Co., its present proprietors, took possession again in April, 1893.
The Allegany Democrat was founded at We1lsville in 1876 as an. exponent of Democracy by Myron E. Eddy and Charles F. White. In December, 1872, Mr. Eddy retired, and Mr. White
continued alone until August, 1874, when he sold the property to W. W. Nichols. A. E. Cowles purchased a one-half interest, June 11, 1882, and the firm of Nichols & Cowles appeared as
publishers until Feb. 2, 1887, when A. E. Cowles purchased the entire business and continues to publish the Democrat.
The Friendship Register was first printed in Friendship by J. J. Barker Dec. 30, 1869, and was sold by him to R. R. Helme in 1871, in 1888 Mr. Helme sold to Geo. W. Fries, the
present proprietor.
The Genesee Valley Post was first issued in 1881 as a Prohibition paper by James E. Norton, who purchased the printing material formerly used by the Free Press, and soon
after secured the services of V. A. Willard as editor. Later the plant was sold to The Post Pub1ishing Co., V. A. Willard continuing the editorial management until 1895, when the paper was
moved to Cuba and is now edited by John F. Coad.
The Belmont Weekly Dispatch, a. Republican paper, was established at Belmont in 1889 by R. R. and F. B. Helme. In November, 1892, it was sold to W. M. Barnum. In March, 1893, Wm.
E. Smith bought out Mr. Barnum and two weeks later Roger Stillman took a one-half interest. In January, 1895, Mr. Smith retired, and the firm became C. L Stillman & Co., who now publish
it. .
The Angelica Every Week was started in Angelica as the organ of the Angelica and county organizations of the W. C. T. U., in 1884 by Mrs. M. L. Rumpff, and has been successfully
continued by her as an independent newspaper.
The Andover News was first printed in 1887 by H. S. Norris and Geo. L Tucker, Jr. Mr. Tucker retired at the end of the first year and Mr. Norris has since conducted the paper alone.
The Rushford Spectator was founded in 1878. In 1883 it was edited by Frank B. Smith and later passed into the hands of W. F. Benjamin, its present editor and proprietor.
The Northern Allegany Observer was started in 1880, and is now owned by Judson Bowden.
The Spirit of Reform was started in Belmont a few years ago, in the interest of the Peoples' party by Scott & Osencup. In 1893 Geo. A. Scott purchased his partner's interest and
published the paper until 1894 when he sold to Victor Allen, who soon after, in 1895, moved the paper to Richburg, and later disposed of it to M. C. Westcott who now conducts it.
The Hume Enterprise was first printed in 1885 at Hume Village. It has changed hands several times and is now owned and edited by E. W. O'Hara.
The Almond Era was started in 1887 by S. H. Jennings at Almond; it is Populistic in politics. Mr. Jennings changed its name in 1894 to The True Issue.
The Whitesville News was founded, April 3, 1895, by L. J. Fortner and La Burt Davis as an independent (non-partisan) newspaper.
Among the papers which have been published in the county in time past but have suspended publication and left no successors, are:
The Almond Herald, founded in 1853 and published one year by R. Denton.
The Allegany Sentinel, published in Almond by Melvin Hyde and Isaac Bush from 1854 to 1856.
The American Banner, printed at Cuba. from 1855 to 1857, by Hatch & Pratt, was sold in 1857 to Cyrus Pratt and M. B. Champlain, and its name changed to The Southern Tier.
It lived only a few years.
The Allegany County Advocate, founded at Angelica, in 1868 by P. S. Norris, lived one year.
The Republican Aegis and Allegany Democrat, published in Angelica in 1830, continued but a short time.
The Allegany Gazette, printed at Angelica in 1840.
The Andover Advertiser, founded at Andover by E. S. Barnard in 1868, existed about 2 years.
The Friendship Chronicle, printed at Friendship in 1881 by J. W. Hendrick, was soon discontinued.
The New Democratic Era, started at Cuba by W. J. Carrier in 1865, was consolidated with The Patriot the same year.
The Wellsville Times was established at Wellsville in 1872 by Geo. Howe, Benton C. Rude being its editor. It was merged in the Reporter in 1874.
The Almond Chronicle was suspended in 1895, having been published about one year.
The Bolivar Sunday Leader* was launched in November in 1881, by Wellington, Nash & Anderson. It was a sprightly 6-column quarto and for a time prospered, but it never outgrew a
Washington hand press. When the oil boom began to decline Wel1ington became sole proprietor and continued its publication until 1890, when it was sold to a Populist stock company, who
installed C. M. Mason as editor. The name was changed to Alliance Leader. Mason was a theorist, not a practical newspaper man, and from the day of change the paper steadily "lost
money." In 1891 the plant was moved to Belmont where pub1ication continued a few months. When the stock holders ceased to "loosen," the paper suspended. F. R. Wellington is now in
business in Tacoma. E. A. Anderson is a Methodist minister, and Nash has gone from the oil regions.
The first issue of The Oil Echo appeared at Richburg on the morning of January 18, 1882. It was a seven-column folio, published by a stock company, with P. C. Boyle, now of the
Oil City Derrick, as editor and manager. It was printed on a two-revolution Hoe press, and enjoyed a news franchise. The Echo was conducted in a fearless manner and had a good
circulation. The office was burned in May, 1882, shortly after the Cherry Grove "boom" began to depopu1ate Richburg and no further issues were made.
The Richburg Weekly Era was launched in November, 1881, by S. H. Jennings, at present publisher of The Almond New Era. It was soon made a daily with S. J. Small business
manager. The Era was continued several months but it never proved a success financially. Mr. Small finally bought the plant and issued The Sunday Racquet, which lived but a short
time.
The initial number of the Bolivar Breeze appeared on Saturday, August 29, 1891. The Alliance Leader had been moved to Belmont and Bolivar needed a newspaper. The editor and
proprietor was J. P. Herrick, of the Ceres Mail. The Breeze at once struck the popular fancy and proved remunerative from the start. It has one of the most completely
equipped plants in the county, and enjoys a very liberal patronage. The paper does not dabble in politics, is independent, and aims to excel as a local and county newspaper.
The first printing office in Alfred was established in 1859 by J. E. B. and Wm. P. Maxson, who published The New Era, a weekly local newspaper.
In 1872, the Sabbath Recorder, the organ of the Seventh-day Baptist denomination, was issued in Alfred in July of that year. It was the property of the American Sabbath Tract
Society, and was in the 28th year of its existence. The plant, during its stay here, until the close of 1894, grew to immense proportions, the office issuing very many other publications,
weekly, monthly and quarterly, among them the Outlook, Peculiar People, Helping Hand, etc., sending through the mail, yearly, tons upon tons of reading matter. They also printed
for Alfred University The Alfred Student and The Alfred University, both of which have ceased to exist. During these years the editors were, Rev. N. V. Hull, Rev. Stephen
Burdick, Rev. L. A. Platts and Rev. L. E. Livermore, and the business managers, David R. Stillman, Rev. L. A. Platts, Rev. Earl P. Saunders and John P. Mosher. At the close of 1894, the
Publishing House was transferred to Plainfie1d, N. J.
In 1888 it was planned by F. A. Crumb, Bert Sherman, L. W. Niles, John P. Mosher and John M. Mosher, employed in the Publishing House at A1fred, to start a weekly local newspaper,
non-partisan in politics, and January 1, 1884, the first number of the Alfred Sun was issued, with John M. Mosher editor, and John P. Mosher business manager, without
remuneration. The composition and press work were done at the Publishing House at the actual cost. It was run under this management one year, when three of the stockholders retired,
leaving it in the hands of F. A. Crumb and L. W. Niles, the latter soon buying out the former. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Crumb purchased the entire plant of Mr. Niles, and carried it alone
until the close of the year, when he sold out to Rev: L. E. Livermore, who purchased material, and, with the help of one or two others, issued the paper for two years, when he, being
called to a pastorate of a church in New Jersey, sold to his son-in-law, W. H. Satterlee, who carried on the business for two years more, when several of the young men in town thought best
to have a Republican paper in our midst, and they, forming a stock company, purchased the p1ant, and issued their first number under the new regime Jan. 1, 1890, with John M. Mosher editor
and business manager, and Jno. J. Merrill assistant editor. On the first of January, 1895, the stockholders of the Sun Association purchased material for a job office and moved into the
building known as the Publishing House, en1arging the Sun, and appointing John M. Mosher and Frank A. Crumb editors and managers. At the beginning of 1896, Frank A. Crumb and Frank
S. Whitford, having purchased a controlling interest in the stock of the Association, assumed the management thereof. The Alfred Sun, today is recognized as one of the leading
Republican papers of Allegany county.
Our Sabbath Visitor is a weekly Sabbath-school paper, and is published by E. S. Bliss. It is now in its fourteenth year.
The University Bulletin a paper published quarterly by Alfred University, was commenced in 1895. The printing is being done at the office of the Alfred Bun.
The Arena, a paper devoted to the interests of the Farmers' Alliance, was issued from the office of E. S. Bliss, Alfred, in 1889. On account of the lack of patronage but a few
numbers were printed.
Mr. Frank S. Miller, proprietor of the Canaseraga Times, sends us this concerning his paper: "In 1872 H. C. Scott established the Times, and conducted it until 1877. He was
succeeded as owner and publisher by W. H. Barnum, who continued in the business until April 1, 1885, when I purchased the entire p1ant and have since been publisher."
*We are indebted to Brother J. P. Herrick of the Bolivar Breeze for the bibliography of the papers of the southern towns.
