The following was printed in the Rose History in 1911:"The only paper ever established in the town of Hills is the Hills Crescent, which began life on Aug. 17, 1893, and which has ever since been published. F.M. Bailey and Orrie Haislet were the founders. Hills had for some time wanted a newspaper and finally inducements were offered Mr. Bailey to launch the enterprise. Mr. Bailey has told of the founding of the Crescent in the issue of that paper of Aug. 20, 1903:Mr. Bailey had at that time $95 in cash, which he at once put into a first payment on type and material, but he hadn’t enough to buy a press. It so happened that S.S. Haislet, of the Adrian Guardian, was friendly to the long gander-shanks and agreed to furnish the press if Bailey would take on his son Orrie along as a partner in the enterprise. The press was an old Ramage. It had been used by Ben Franklin, and later the Decorah Posten was printed on it when Mr. Amundson had no more money than Mr. Bailey. It was the oldest press in use in the United States, printed one page at a time, and was used for the Crescent for nearly three years. Saturday the outfit reached Hills and Mr. Bailey started on his wheel early and rode to Hills. That afternoon he rented a building, made up a dummy of the paper and hustled eight or 10 columns of ads…. Sunday Orrie Haislet arrived by team from Adrian with the press. Monday they carried the outfit from the depot…. The new firm of Bailey & Haislet couldn’t raise the $5 freight due on the outfit, but Frank Jordan came to the rescue and paid in advance for five papers for a year, and Thursday the first issue of the Hills Crescent came out. Six weeks after the founding, the junior member of the firm sold his interest to B.F. Heastand for $5, and a few months later Mr. Bailey became sole proprietor. For two months in 1895 Mr. Bailey issued a daily Crescent, and from Sept. 19, 1895, until March 4, 1896, when he sold out, the Crescent was a semi-weekly. On this date the plant was purchased by a company of Hills businessmen, of which J.R. Wright was president, and H.E. Wyum, secretary. James W. Simmons was employed to conduct the paper. On April 15, 1896, the outfit was purchased by A.C. Finke and James W. Simmons, who conducted the paper under the firm name of Finke & Simmons until the next July. Mr. Simmons then sold to his partner, and Mr. Finke conducted the paper alone until Aug. 11. On that date Olaf Nash bought a half interest, and for more than 14 years the Crescent was published by Finke & Nash. During the greater part of the time under this regime Mr. Nash had charge of the paper. He conducted it in an able manner, made many improvements, and built it up to its present high standing. Messrs. Finke & Nash sold the Crescent Sept. 1, 1910, to A.A. Hanson, formerly of Decorah, Iowa, who has maintained its former high standing." Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156. Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.
