The Newspaper Press from Beers History of Warren County, Ohio
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The History of Warren County, Ohio

The Newspaper Press

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Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 15 December 2004

Sources:
The History of Warren County Ohio
Part III. The History of Warren County by Josiah Morrow
Chapter VI. General Progress
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)
Related Links:
The Ohio Justice and Township Officers' Assistant

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In the summer of 1806, John McLean, afterward Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, determined to establish a weekly newspaper at Lebanon. This was a hazardous enterprise, as Lebanon was as yet a small village, with the trees and bushes still growing upon most of its streets, and the whole county did not contain probably eight thousand souls. John McLean was married in the spring of 1807, and admitted to the bar in the autumn of the same year. The exact date of the issue of the first paper is unknown. The paper was called the Western Star. Nathaniel McLean, a younger brother of the editor and proprietor, who had learned the printing business in the office of the Liberty Hall, at Cincinnati, was one of the first printers who worked on the Star at Lebanon. George Denny, father of William H. P. Denny, and Noah Crane, were also early printers on the Western Star.

The first printing-press in Lebanon was of the Ramage pattern, with a frame of oak and a bed of stone. This press was purchased by John McLean in Cincinnati, and there is reason to believe, although it is not certainly known, that it was the first printing-press brought to Cincinnati, in 1793, and which was used in printing the Liberty Hall, and, about 1806, was superseded by a Stanhope press, imported to Cincinnati from England. The old wooden press purchased by John McLean remained in the Star office long after it had ceased to be used; but finally it was sold, about the time of the close of the civil war, and removed to a Western State, and its whereabouts are now unknown. This press was worked with a bar, and it was a hard day's labor to work off with it 300 copies of a small-sized newspaper. Thin splits of wood, similar to those used for the seats of chairs, were used in place of leads to separate the lines, and the type was inked with pelt-balls in place of the modern rollers.

There is not known to be in existence a single copy of the Western Star while it was edited by John McLean, and we have not, therefore, even one specimen of the editorial writing of the young lawyer whose opinions from the Supreme Bench, in after years, commanded the respect of the whole nation. It is probable, however, that the paper contained little matter written by the editor. Judging from what is to be found in the files of the few other newspapers printed in Ohio at that time, editors thought it more important to select for their readers long columns of intelligence from Europe, six weeks old, than to write concerning what was transpiring around them. Local matters and

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home news seem to have been considered beneath the dignity of newspaper publication. It should be remembered, too, that a little village in the woods did not furnish many thrilling matters for the reporter's pen.

The oldest copy of the Star in existence is dated September 10, 1810. The paper was then edited and managed by Nathaniel McLean. The issue referred to is a small folio, printed on strong but coarse paper, now yellow with age. It contains no editorial matter and no local intelligence whatever, except such as may be gleaned from the advertisements. It has intelligence from Europe more than two months old, and intelligence from New York and St Louis three weeks old. The only matter aside from the advertisements prepared for the issue is a communication proposing Thomas Worthington for Governor, Jeremiah Morrow for Congress, John Bigger for the State Senate, and Matthias Corwin, Michael H. Johnson and David Morris for the Lower House of the General Assembly. The advertisements contain nine notices of stray horses taken up, and their appraisement, at from $20 to $35, and a reward of 6 1/4 cents for a runaway apprentice. Offers are made to pay 50 cents for wheat, and notice is given that good rye whisky, at 40 cents per gallon, will be taken in exchange for goods at Lebanon.

The first number of the Western Star contained the following lines:
"The Western Star now issues forth From Lebanon the seat of worth."

The controversy concerning the seat of justice of the county had caused considerable strife, but before the Star was first issued, the controversy had been settled in favor of Lebanon, and these lines may have been suggested by the termination of this controversy. It was necessary, at that time, when mail routes were few, that newspapers should be distributed by a carrier, and it is said that the first issue of the Star was distributed to the subscribers by Fergus McLean, the father of the editor, who carried the papers on horseback. It is stated by A. H. Dunlevy that, about 1807, while George Denny was a printer in the Star office, a large book for the Shakers, entitled "Christ's Second Coming," was printed at Lebanon. The book contained five or six hundred pages of fine type.

After publishing the paper for about three years, John McLean sold the Star to his brother Nathaniel, who continued the publication, at first in connection with Noah Crane, and afterward in connection with Rev. Adjet McGuire, a Methodist clergyman. About 1812, the proprietors were Nathaniel McLean and Samuel H. Hale, afterward of Wilmington, Ohio. Subsequent partners of Mr. McLean in the paper were Henry Lazier, William Blackburn, Samuel Blackburn and Joseph Henderson. About the year 1814. Nathaniel McLean disposed of his interest in the paper to his brother, William McLean, a lawyer of Lebanon, but he did not long remain a proprietor. From 1816 until 1826, Abram Van Vleet, George Smith, John Eddy, William A. Camron and William Sellers were connected with the publication, each for a longer or shorter time. In 1826, Jacob Morris and A. H. Dunlevy became the proprietors. In 1834, Dunlevy sold his interest to William H. P. Denny, who was. editor and proprietor until 1851 The subsequent proprietors have been Dr. James Scott, Dr. William H. Corwin, Seth W. Brown, Alfred Clements and William C. McClintock. Mr. McClintock began his connection with the paper in partnership with Clements Hardy, in 1870, and, since 1873, has been the sole owner and publisher. In 1870. the first cylinder press was procured, and in 1875. steam-power was first employed in the press work.

It is impossible now to give a complete list of the various newspapers published in Warren County previous to the civil war. Some of them were published for a few months only. Others maintained an existence for some

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years. Among them were the Farmer, the Ohio Argus (which was moved from Lebanon to Franklin in 1834), the American Democrat, the Spirit of Freedom, the Second Sober Thought, the Buckeye Mercury, and the Democratic Citizen. The last-named newspaper was destroyed by a mob at the beginning of the civil war. In later years, notwithstanding the increased circulation of daily papers, six or seven weekly papers have been published in the county at the same time.

The Lebanon Patriot is a Democratic newspaper. It was edited and published for several years by Edward Warwick, who was succeeded by A. A. Roland, the present editor and proprietor. Several unsuccessful efforts had been made to maintain a Democratic journal in Warren County. Among other efforts, Judge Kesling for awhile published a Jackson paper at Lebanon. The Lebanon Patriot was established in 1868, by Gen. Durbin Ward, who not only purchased the press and printing materials, but maintained the paper at his own expense until it was placed on a self-sustaining basis.

The Lebanon Gazette was started in 1877, by William H. P. Denny, who, two years later, sold it to William D. Mulford and J. C. Van Harlingen. It is now published by the Gazette Printing Company, and edited by George M. Johnston. It is a Republican journal.

William H. P. Denny has perhaps been longer identified with the newspaper press of Warren, and neighboring counties than any other person. In 1821, when a boy, he went with his father, George Denny, a printer, to Wilmington, Ohio, and set type on the Galaxy until the fall of 1823. The paper passed into the hands of Hon. J. N. Reynolds, who changed the name to Wilmington Spectator. He remained a short time in his employ. Next he worked with Griffith Foos and Archibald Haynes, for J. B. Semans, in 1826 and 1827, who published the Wilmington Argus. In 1829, then in his eighteenth year, he commenced the Clintonian, an independent little paper, which created considerable sensation. This he published until 1831, when he sold out to John Crichfield, then County Auditor. In the fall and winter of 1823-24, he went to Lebanon to complete his apprenticeship with Camron & Sellers, but, disagreeing with them, left in the summer of 1824. For twenty-six years he was connected with the Star, as apprentice, editor and publisher. In 1858, he sold the venerable journal to Hon. James Scott, and removed to Dayton, where he published the Dayton Daily and Weekly Gazette until 1871, when he again sold out, and located at Circleville and commenced a new paper, the Circleville Union. This he continued for five years, holding, while resident of that interesting little city, the responsible position of Postmaster for seven years. He resigned in 1871, and purchased the Wilmington Journal, which he published for several years, and, in 1877, returned to Lebanon, where he started the Lebanon Gazette, which he disposed of to Mulford & Van Harlingen. In 1880, he went to Georgetown, Brown County, where he started the Georgetown Gazette. While a resident of Warren County, Mr. Denny represented Warren and Greene Counties in the State Senate in the years 1842 and 1843.


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