Early newspapersThe following was printed in the Rose History in 1911, continued from last week:"The efforts of the residents of Luverne to induce someone to cast his fortunes and his printing press with the new settlement were not successful until the spring of 1873. During the month of May a printing outfit, consisting principally of an old Washington hand press and a few cases of worn-out type, was hauled in from the south in a lumber wagon drawn by oxen. The outfit became mired in the mud a few miles from the town, and P.J. Kniss and E.D. Hadley went down to assist in extricating it. S.J. Jenkins, the owner of the outfit, announced that he was looking for a location to launch a paper, and he was heartily welcomed.(A novel incident occurred about 1873. A man came into town barefooted, ragged and in his shirtsleeves. As usual in those days, we corralled him to find out his name and business. He said that his name was Jenkins and that he wanted to start a paper in Luverne. Thinking him a tramp or lunatic, we asked where his printing outfit was. He replied that it was coming at a whoa, haw, gee gait up the valley, behind a pair of oxen. He did not ask a bonus, but wanted a shelter in which to run a machine and make a first-class paper. Sure, enough, the founder of the Rock County Herald proved a better man than he looked and he gave us a very good paper, one which now has a wide reputation. —R.O. Crawford in an address, 1888) He set up shop in one corner of a real estate office, and on May 23, 1873, he issued the first number of the Rock County Herald. (George Blasdell received the first copy taken from the press.)The Herald was founded as a seven column folio and only two of its pages were printed at home. Its politics were republican and its subscription price was $2 per year. Mr. Jenkins employed Charles F. Crosby as managing editor and E.D. Hadley as local editor, who were connected with the paper less than a year. H.A. Gregory became interested in the publication of the paper on Nov. 28, 1873, the firm of publishers being Jenkins & Gregory and Mr. Crosby retaining editorial control. The latter’s connection with the Herald ceased at the beginning of the next year, the owners, as a measure of economy, attending to the editorial feature. On April 10, 1974, Mr. Gregory sold his interest to his partner, and thereafter the founder conducted the paper alone. Reviewing the first year’s history of the Herald, Mr. Jenkins wrote:With this number the Herald completes its first volume. One year ago, in answer to a want profoundly felt by the people of this vicinity, we tried the experiment of publishing a newspaper in Rock County. Experience in other localities of the far west had taught us enough to prevent our entertaining any idea of suddenly becoming rich at the newspaper business in so new a country among a population of pre-emptors and homesteaders. Aided at the outset by the energy of Judge Crosby, who enlisted the business men in our enterprise, and by the pen of Mr. Hadley, we started off with a generous patronage in the line of local advertising and a fair subscription list, and we proceeded to business. Since that time we have regularly issued the Herald in spite of storm, oppressive heat and wintry cold, in spite of all opposing elements, never missing a number. While it is the custom of many frontier papers to suspend publication through the winter months, the Herald has not failed to visit the fireside of each subscriber once a week through the long winter. Our anticipations have not failed pecuniarily; although we have not become bloated capitalists, we have had our ‘meat in due season.’ "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.
